It’s 2023 and there is no time like the present to become healthier. As we all have heard, being healthier is (typically) a combination of dietary choices and consistent exercising. There are exceptions and if you feel that you might be an exception, go talk to a doctor. I always suggest a natural medicine doctor. Being healthier is part of the Ultramodern Futurist manifesto - see “personal development”; in the expanded manifesto see pages 5-10 and 23-31.
Personal Note: I see a natural medicine doctor due to a low metabolism issue. I first went to him in 2007 when I had a hypothyroid issue. We fixed it. I no longer have a hypothyroid issue and I don’t take regular meds for it. If you are anti-Big Pharma and are willing to change your lifestyle, see a natural medicine doctor.
Everyone seems to love easy steps to being healthier. The first thing to realize is that being healthier takes time and consistency. It will require effort on your part. It is completely reliant upon YOU. The following are some easy changes to make to become healthier.
Exercise
What types of exercise is out there?
How is fat burned?
Activity List
Setting and Reaching Goals
Connected Exercise
Smart Fitness Clothing
Fitness Apps & Sites
Dietary Choices
What is diet and dietary choice?
Dietary Basics
Daily Food Tracking
25 Easy Healthy Recipes
Dietary Apps & Sites
Exercise
What types of exercise is out there?
Let’s cover some basic types of exercises and what they do for us.
Cardiovascular - “Cardio” is any aerobic exercise such as running, walking, biking, skiing, swimming, etc. Cardio exercise burns calories (which can result in weightloss/calorie reduction) and improves our cardiovascular system.
Anaerobic - Anaerobic exercise, which means that it uses quick bursts of energy instead of prolonged aerobic energy. This includes weightlifting, HIIT, pilates, short sprinting, and jumping. Anaerobic helps build muscle, burn fat, and creates muscle memory.
Stretching & Balance - These exercises are typically a mix of aerobic and anaerobic, depending on the type and intensity you do, such as: dance, ballet or barre, yoga, tai chi, gymnastics, etc. These exercises promote flexibility, balance, muscle/tendon/joint health, and reduced inflammation.
You’ll find that a lot of people mix these types of exercises, which is totally fine. Once you figure out your goals, you might find that you do well with 5 minutes of stretching, 30 minutes of anaerobic, and 25 minutes of aerobic; OR, you might do better with a structured 60 minute crossfit class which is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise; OR, you might like some sort of yoga or dance class. The best thing you can do for yourself is to find something that you like to do and that you can do on a regular basis (consistency is key).
Cardio burns calories. Anaerobic builds muscle and burns fat. Stretching and Balance promotes flexibility, balance, and body structural wellness. What do you want to do?
How is fat burned?
A popular question among many is about how fat is burned. Fat cells, or adipocytes, are found all over the body. When we have an excess of these fat cells we become overweight or obese (all based on body fat percentage). When we exercise, the muscles, the heart, and the lungs work together to break apart these fat cells into fuel for the body. When this occurs the waste from this fat cell breakdown is expended in three ways: through the airways as carbon dioxide (majority of expenditure), sweating, or through urine. This is just a nutshell version of the process. It is recommended to pair both aerobic and anaerobic exercises for the best results.
Activity List:
Running
Walking
Biking or Spin Class
Cross-Country Skiing
Lap Swimming
Crossfit or HIIT program
Weightlifting or Strongman training
Yoga (different types)
Boxing or Kickboxing
Aerobics class (like Jazzercise or Rumba)
Rock Climbing
Rowing
Setting and Reaching Goals
A big part of sticking with regular exercise is setting goals. Have your big end goal (long term), as well as short term goals. Most people have a weight loss long term goal or a lower fat percentage long term goal or simply being ready for an upcoming event (marathon or bodybuilding show or something). In order to reach that long term goal successfully, it is recommended to have some shorter goals. You might aim for a weekly weight loss of 1.5 to 2lbs, which is possibly the most common. Some people measure by pant sizes with a goal to fit one size smaller within 2 or 3 months.
Once you reach your goals, you can reward yourself for your efforts. Food isn’t a reward unless you are training a dog. Find some sort of non-food reward. If you are down a pant size, perhaps a new pair of pants. Other non-food rewards to consider might be: massage, pedicure/manicure, new article of clothing, new hobby supplies, new video game, etc. It is recommended that once you reach your long term goal, you do something a little extra for yourself. Perhaps a little vacation (even a long weekend trip) or something.
Connected Exercise
There are some ways to exercise at home, but in a connected manner.
Peloton or Echelon or other connected piece of equipment
Quell - This is an immersive exercising video game system.
Oculus or other VR system - There are a number of exercise programs available on the Oculus.
Smart Fitness Mirrors - These mirrors double as smart trainers.
Smart Fitness Clothing
Be on the lookout for smart fitness clothing and shoes. There are some smart shoes that connect to fitness tracking apps. Some fitness clothing help with added resistance, additional weight training, provide better music options (like headphones for swimmers), and help with the little things - like utilizing smart textiles.
Another type of wearable are smart watches which have fitness trackers built in. These range from simplistic to multi-functional - fitbit, samsung, google, apple, fenix, and garmin are the most popular brand names. These can help you track your progress.
Fitness Apps & Sites
There are a ton of fitness apps and sites out there.
MyFitnessPal - Fitness and Dietary Tracking App and Website. Easy to use, easy to set goals, easy to create and use your own recipes, easy to schedule. Connect with friends via facebook.
Map My Run/Map My Ride - UnderArmor app for tracking runs, walks, biking, hiking, etc. Map My Run is geared towards running/walking/hiking, while Map My Ride is geared towards biking/cycling. Pairs with UnderArmor smart shoes, but can be used on its own.
Darebee - Fitness website and app. Tons of planned workouts for all sorts of purposes. Good for home workouts and gym workouts. Themed workouts.
BodyFit - Website and app through Bodybuilding.com. Provides planned workouts, tracking, discount at the website shop, and community.
Virtual Run Events - Sign up for a virtual run. Pay the entry fee, note your progress, and at the end you get your reward.
Yes.Fit - Sign up for a virtual run. Pay the entry fee, note your progress, and at the end you get your reward.
Strava - Fitness tracking, training, and social media connectivity.
Nike Training Club - Fitness tracking, training, goal setting, wellness/nutrition, etc.
Dietary Choices
What is diet and dietary choice?
“Diet” is simply the average food eaten. A “fad diet” is a temporary change to the average food eaten. How you go about deciding what foods to eat and avoid is your “dietary choice”. A healthy diet is going to provide you with ample dietary fiber, enough energy for the day, and all the nutrients you require. It is easier said than done.
Dietary Basics
A healthy diet is composed of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water. You may decide to remove certain types of foods, but it always comes down to these three macronutrients (aka “macros” - carbs, proteins, and fats) and water.
Carbohydrates (aka “Carbs”) provide cellular energy (broken down into glucose) and come in three basic forms that you need to know: 1) simple carbs (fruits and veggies), 2) complex carbs (starches from grains, root tubers, peas), and 3) fiber (found in fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, and grain - all plant based matter). Low carb diets, a misleading name, cuts out the complex carbs but keeps the simple carbs and fiber.
Proteins build and maintain bones, muscle, and skin. In the way of dietary protein there are four main types/sources to consider: 1) lean protein (low fat red meat, poultry breast, seafood, fish, game meat), 2) fatty protein (high fat red meat, poultry thighs and wings, full fat dairy, eggs), 3) natural plant-based protein (nuts, seeds, legumes), and 4) processed protein (sausage, plant-based fake burger, tofu, cured meats). To determine your daily protein intake, you can multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36.
Fats, at least the good fats, help the body with proper nutritional absorption. Fat comes in three types: 1) unsaturated fat (mono and poly unsaturated fats are “good”), 2) saturated fat (reduce for better health with some exceptions like coconut oil), and 3) trans fat (avoid completely). A short list of good fats are: nuts, seeds, omega-3 oil, olive oil, avocado/avocado oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, fish, and eggs. Low fat diets simply cut down on all fats, which is not very healthy since the body requires healthy fats.
Water. Let’s briefly discuss this. You need to drink more water. Water hydrates your body down to the cellular level, helps with digestion, helps with skin elasticity (youthful skin), and you absolutely need it. The human body is over 60% water (average) with the brain being 75% water (average). Think what you're doing to yourself if you are water-deficient! Check your weight and divide that in half. (example: 200lbs. Half of that is 100lbs.) That number (but change pounds to ounces) up to your weight (again, change pounds to ounces) is your daily water allowance. If you weigh 200lbs, your daily water allowance is 100-200oz. What that means is that you should be consuming that much water a day. Sounds tedious, right? It's not. Here’s what you can have to count towards your water in-take: plain water, sparkling water, water with mio or equivalent, unsweetened herbal tea, and unsweetened green tea.
When it comes to changing up your diet, start simple. Drastic changes are not always necessary:
Avoid processed foods. This includes: white flour (and things that use white flour), sausages and hot dogs, microwave meals, fast food/take out
Drink more water.
Reduce fatty proteins, but keep the eggs.
Reduce the complex carbs. People who do this tend to keep a few things like rice and sweet potato. You still get simple carbs, so calm yourself.
Make an effort to only eat good fats.
Eating time limits. This helps people who are big snackers. Give yourself a decent time limit on eating food items. Like 7am to 7pm. After 7pm, you can only have beverages - good time for a pot of tea to reach your water in-take goals.
Aim for 6-8 servings (1 serving is roughly ½ cup) of fruits and vegetables a day.
Reduce your sugar consumption or start avoiding it altogether. Maybe try Stevia (herbal sweetener).
Making your own meals tends to be healthier than relying on others to do it for you.
Be aware of portion size. Your stomach is about 12 inches long, 6 inches wide, and can hold around 1 quart.
Daily Food Tracking
Tracking what you eat during the day helps you to be more mindful of what you put in your body. You would be surprised how often we eat without consideration, mindless activity. The goals of tracking your food is food awareness, which should lead to better decisions/choices, and the ability to become aware of dietary patterns (good or bad).
It’s not uncommon to think we eat a healthy diet, begin tracking our food daily, and then realize that there are some patterns of self-sabotage. Self-sabotage can simply mean that you eat the wrong amount of macros or you have a bad habit of eating junk food at a certain time or something like that. It keeps you from your goals. Once you figure out where your dietary habits have issues, you can fix them. YOU CAN FIX THEM.
Article: How to Keep a Food Journal by Healthline
25 Healthy Recipes
Whether you're a beginner or have experience in the kitchen, you may want to check out this PDF of 25 easy, healthy recipes. It is not for any particular diet, but there is a little for everyone. It has breakfast, salads, soups, chaffles and cauliflower pizza crust (grain-free), vegetables, meats, and snacks. All of this can be done on a budget.
Dietary Apps & Sites
MyFitnessPal - Fitness and Dietary Tracking App and Website. Easy to use, easy to set goals, easy to create and use your own recipes, easy to schedule. If you are going to a doctor (or thinking about it), you can track your daily routine here and then print it out for them.
Noom - Noom helps coach you with your dietary needs.
MyNetDiary - Fitness and Dietary tracking app and website.
Bookstore or Amazon - You can find a number of physical journals designed to help you track your food...or you can just use a small spiral notebook.
Hello Fresh - Food planning and deliver service. If you're new to cooking, this could be a game changer.
Mio - A website for the water enhancement additive. Adds a little flavor to your water to help you increase your water in-take.
My Gardyn - Home vertical hydroponic system for fresh produce.
Lettuce Grow - Home hydroponic unit for fresh produce.
Aerogarden - Counter-top home hydroponic units for fresh produce.
READERS
If you need assistance with any of this, reach out. I can either help direct you to someone or I can help.
What are your thoughts on "good health"? How do you prefer to eat? What do you do for exercise? Do you recommend any apps, smart tech, grow systems, books, etc? What goals have you set for yourself?