The importance of a balanced lifestyle
- Nancy Tran
- Mar 9, 2021
- 9 min read
Updated: May 14, 2022
It’s easy to fall into thinking of work as all-consuming and family as something to do on the weekends. But this is a dangerous trap because it can lead to burnout. And burnout is not a good thing for anyone, let alone the person with the added responsibility of being a parent. A healthy lifestyle is not only about eating right and exercising regularly. It's also essential to balance work, social life, family life, relaxation, and hobbies.
A balanced lifestyle is how we live and reflects that the different elements of our life are in the right amount and proportion. Adopting a balanced lifestyle is of primordial importance because it has immediate and long-term effects on our health and well-being. Many recent studies clearly show that heart diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases may be preventable and even reversible by changing our diet and adopting new perspectives and lifestyles.
The importance of a balanced lifestyle is something that most people take for granted. However, the truth is that living a healthy lifestyle is imperative for one's personal and professional growth. Many people think that it's hard to balance work and family life, but the truth is that it can be a lot easier to do so than most people think.
recording your habits
No one eats perfectly all the time – even nutritionists! But as unhealthy behaviours become standard practice, you can end up with weight gain, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and tons of other possible health issues. So, what bad habits are getting people into trouble? How many of them are part of your daily routine?
No Meal Planning. "Time" is one of the main obstacles to healthy eating, but last-minute choices also lead to fast-food drive-throughs and pizza delivery. Although it may sound convenient, consider the reality when it takes you 5 minutes to get dressed and then drive to the nearest fast-food restaurant or perhaps a pizza order that takes 40 minutes for delivery. Taking a few minutes to prepare your weekly meals before shopping for a week will save you money, calories, and time in the long run.
You are eating out too often. Restaurants and take-outs, along with additional calories and salt, would still mean super-sized servings. Instead, attempt to cook meals at home most evenings; that way, you can control your food's amount of sugar and salt.
Mindless Eating. People emotionally eat all the time. Due to stress, boredom, tiredness, not thinking, and eating when you're not hungry. Practice being mindful when eating.
You are consuming too much-processed food. Salty and sugary snack foods are usually stripped of any meaningful nutrients. Instead, go for primarily organic and whole foods and read labels to help make the most intelligent decisions, even when searching for refined products.
Too much sugar. Apart from the candies, cookies and soda contain a ridiculous amount of sugar. Other items that people don't realize have a large amount of sugar include whole-grain cereals, salad dressings, condiments, and bread. Track your habits and your sugar diet overall to find ways to scale down on your empty calories.
You are not chewing food thoroughly. In the same way, mindless eating also occurs when you're eating while busy or over-scheduled. Switch off your screen (your laptop, desktop, and mobile phone) at mealtime. Focus on chewing your food slowly. It can help with your digestion.
Eating on-the-go. Leaving the house for a long day with no preparation of snacks or food.
You're going to consume food or snacks that are too processed and will add too much to your waistline. Plan ahead.
Over-sized portions. You eyeball all your portions, but have you ever actually measured your morning cereal, peanut butter, or olive oil for cooking? Overdoing portions (including nutritious foods) can lead to the overloading of calories. However, you only need to measure out your portions a couple of times to give yourself some insight.
Not consuming enough. Not eating enough calories in the day to restore energy levels will lead to being underweight or malnutrition, which contributes to overeating later (when you're starved and able to eat everything in sight)—avoid stuffing yourself in the afternoon and evening by separating calories, beginning with a balanced meal in the morning.
I am not making water an option. It's easy to forget the calories from soda, juices, and other sugar-sweetened drinks! Sip on calorie-free beverages such as water and unsweetened teas instead of high-calorie beverages.
Set Goals for Yourself
You’re working hard, you’re dedicated, and you’re fantastic. So why do you feel like you’re not getting ahead? Part of the problem comes from the fact that there are so many opportunities out there you’re not even aware of. It can be easy to overcommit your time to other priorities, and sometimes it’s hard to know what is essential and what isn’t.
Planning is the only way to set yourself up to succeed. Using technology like Apps will make it easier for you. I have provided a Printable Daily Tracker To Monitor Your Food & Mood.
You can practice mindful eating by seeing what you're consuming throughout the week. Then, use our recipes section for inspiration and plan what to buy and make for the week.
Learn How to Cook Healthy Meals at Home
Meal planning. Without a plan, it's hard to meal prep throughout the week to monitor what you're eating, calories, and budgeting. Ideally, most people's meal prep involves setting down a detailed schedule and a shopping list on a Sunday to prepare where to shop and what food you'll need for the week. For others, it may look something like scribbles on a sticky note—taco night, spaghetti night, stir-fry night. Whatever the method is, making a schedule lets you work out what you're going to do and sets you up for success.
Buy large quantities of fruits & vegetables. It would help if you had 5 or more servings of various vegetables and fruits or 400-800 grams (15-30 ounces) all year round. If you have a low humidity fridge section, ensure you store them there to last longer. If you don't try, freeze them for smoothies later. It's the best way to limit waste and ensure using all your fruits and produce.
Make a strawberry or green smoothie in the morning, a large salad for lunch, and stuff greens into the spaghetti for dinner. Use vegetables as noodles for a low-carb option by spiralling courgettes or sweet potatoes. Try to have half of your plate be filled with vegetables. Snacks are a perfect way to sneak into extra servings - baby carrots, apple slices, dried fruit, or vegetable soup are all great choices.
Select the whole-grain option. Choose whole grains over processed grains at least 50 percent of the time. Whole grains, such as brown rice and bulgur, have their bran intact and thus more fibre, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and other nutrients. Try quinoa, whole wheat noodles, oats, farrow, and barley as side dishes on top of salads and soups. These grain options are better for your digestion.
Switch up your protein. Your requirement for protein consumption is 0.83 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This is 56 grams per day for the average male and 46 grams per day for the average female. For meat-eaters, select protein options of grass-fed beef, lean turkey, organic chicken, and wild-caught salmon. Vegan or plant-based options; tofu, tempeh, edamame, nutritional yeast, quinoa legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Try different cultures. Some of the healthiest diets, such as the Mediterranean diet or traditional Japanese or Chinese cuisine, are high in vegetables and grains and skip processed foods. Using spices such as curry powder and herbs such as basil help spice the food without adding salt. Eating food like Thai curries and Greek salads isn't just healthy for you; they're tasty (and not that hard to make at home!).
Add Healthy fats. Choose unsaturated (e.g. olive oil, avocados, nuts) over saturated fats, such as butter, often than not. Fat is a type of food, and much like proteins and carbohydrates, your body requires some energy fat to digest vitamins, protect your heart, and improve brain health. For years, we've been warned that eating fat can add inches to the waistline, increase cholesterol, and cause various health issues. But now we know that not all fats are the same.
Control portion sizes. As mentioned above, follow the servings guideline for nutritious meals. We're not suggesting that you measure everything you eat but getting an understanding of healthier servings to avoid consuming more than intended.
Limit sugar and salt. Most of us eat more than the average amount of sugar and sodium recommended per day. Over time, Overeating will place you at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure or heart failure. Try to consume less than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day if you're a woman and less than 9 teaspoons if you're a man. Check the ingredients labelling on the products and use the sweeteners sparingly while you cook. As with salt, it is recommended that we consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day (even less for specific individuals, such as those with heart failure or kidney disease).
Stay Active Every Day without trying.
Let's talk exercise without trying... although I'm a believer in training, not just your body but also your brain. But no time to exercise? Regular physical activity will provide health benefits in spades. If you're strapped for time, you can up your fat-burning potential by adding these simple habits to your current routine and turning your day into a series of mini-workouts.
Shop with a basket. Use a shopping basket instead of a trolley at the supermarket. As you wander around the aisles holding a little (or a lot) of extra weight, your arms will receive a toning workout.
Walk when you talk. Invite them to walk instead of sitting down for work meetings or catching up for coffee with friends. Even if you're taking a call, use it as an opportunity to get up and walk.
Take the stairs. The stairs are an excellent opportunity for a quick cardio hit! Skip the elevator or escalator as often as possible to work your legs and raise your heart rate as part of your daily routine.
Laundry squats. It has to be done regularly, so why not turn laundry days into a mini workout by squatting each time you pick up an item to put on the clothesline or fold?
Engage in child's play. When looking after the kids (or even the dog), take them to the park and run around with them. Being present and active with kids helps boost your mood, de-stress, and work up a sweat.
Get in the garden. Breathe some fresh air, absorb vitamin D from the sunshine and get the blood flowing with gardening. Manual labour can be hard work. Bonus points if you use a watering can instead of a hose.
Lastly, if you need someone to help prioritize your training or accountability, you can contact us to strategize your workout to fit into your schedule.
Nutrition and Supplements (e.g. vitamins, minerals, herbs to increase nutrition)
Consuming whole foods, natural, raw food, daily seems impossible for most people; however, a supplements regime should always be the last resort, like insurance that you're doing the best for yourself and your family. I have listed reasons when you should take supplements:
To eliminate nutritional deficiencies, you need to nourish your body with the best quality food. However, this can be difficult in our fast-paced world with busy people who are unsure where to start. People who won't take the time to prep food. Along with easy access to fast food that is heavy in refined and processed ingredients and has little to no nutritional value. Supplements can help fill the gap and provide us with at least the minimum needed nutrients.
To get enough vitamins, minerals, essential fat, and antioxidant support for our unique needs, everyone's nutrient needs are different. Therefore, it is naïve to take the recommended doses of any vitamins or supplements and assume you're getting enough for your health benefits. Some may require more or less depending on their diet, and only through careful study and consultation with a healthcare practitioner can you determine if you're meeting your own needs.
To fight free radicals: some supplements have antioxidant effects. This means they counteract the damage to your body by environmental pollutants (such as smog in cigarette smoke ) and the body's natural waste production.
To aid in fat loss: in recent scientific research, replacing saturated fats with fish oil supplements can help reduce abdominal fat.
To increase energy levels: in organic whole food diets, combined with a healthy lifestyle, you can meet most of your needs, but how many of us live this way? Depending on individual needs, supplementation may be necessary for more energy.
Some athletes train at high intensity for prolonged hours, depleting their nutrient stores.
The right multivitamin taken once or twice a day can make you look and feel years younger to support graceful ageing.
To reduce the risk of illness: it has been shown that certain supplements may help to fight and reduce many diseases. Many studies have shown that fish oil supplements can act as an anti-inflammatory agent in the body. it is especially protective of the heart and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack dramatically
For further information about which supplement you should take, we can advise you better if you can email us at hpnnutrition@gmail.com.
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