What most dedicate their life to is longevity, to get fitter, stronger, or healthier, this to live a more sustainable life. We follow through on this quest by eating better, getting fit by going to the gym more, and cutting out or down on our various unhealthy vices.
We think that we’re doing all of the right things, but at times we’re not. This isn’t saying the gym is a waste of time, or diets don’t work. It’s found that when it comes to the overall welfare of our health, that some health beliefs may turn out to be misguided.
There are mistakes or omissions that are constantly being made which can be detrimental, setting you on a course to potentially “crash-and-burn” on your well intended fitness or health related goals.
So if you’re wanting to become leaner, healthier, or stronger, and be as efficient as possible, while avoiding things which don’t work, there are a collection of the most common blunders.
Stop Having Empty Sugar Breakfasts
What’s just as bad as skipping breakfast altogether is having a quick and convenient empty sugar based breakfast.
Certain store bought protein bars, those so called “skinny” lattes, certain whole grain cereals, and other high-sugar impact breakfast items, which all sounds healthy on the surface, will just leave you hungry, grumpy, and craving for your coworker’s freshly baked muffins.
Those who pump up with sugar or skip breakfast will usually make up for it by mid morning, usually exceeding what they would normally eat. So all those skipped or bad calories will catch up to you throughout the day, this as the body attempts to make up for that missing energy.
What studies show is that the best solution is by starting your day with a breakfast that’s high in natural protein, which is guaranteed to keep you full for longer.
What a protein smoothie does is nourishes while filling you up. Some are even able to burn fat while taking just minutes to prepare, steadying your appetite until lunch.
Start by blending non-soy or non-dairy plant or meat based protein powder with either berries, avocado, kale, chia, or flax, and then blend together with almond or unsweetened coconut milk to taste.
Continuously Doing The Same Cardio
Doing the same cardio at the gym everyday, such as walking or jogging on the treadmill, or taking the same routine aerobics class becomes inefficient and counterproductive, this if you’re wanting to get lean, fit, or more muscular.
Doing a 30 to 45 minute elliptical workout daily on a stationary bike or treadmill may initially shed a few pounds in the beginning, but what the body does is it learns to adapt, and you’ll eventually stop seeing any results.
A better strategy is to do what’s known as HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training. What doing so does is it provides a fast intense exercise program in just several minutes a day.
What these workouts do is they combine bursts of training with weight resistance, this to build strength while boosting energy, while blasting out the fat efficiently.
Getting Obsessed With Your Diet
What most health experts have exonerated is dietary fat, but you’d never know it, as there are numerous low-fat or fat-free diets which continues to be available on the market.
What everyone thought and blamed for decades is that it’s the “fat” that makes you fat. So the simple solution was to just cut down or out the fat, and you’ll get lean and mean.
What all the manufacturers continue to do is promote their healthy low fat or fat-free diet solutions, while continuing to add hidden sugar, which creates havoc on our waistlines.
The best solution is to just focus on healthy dietary fat instead, this since we still need fat in our diets. So eat foods such as olives, avocado, or salmon, while eliminating high sugar impact foods which only pumps up fat-storing insulin.
What you need to become is a super sleuth when it comes to sugar, this by learning where all the empty sugar is hiding in food. Find all it’s many disguises, this by searching for bad sugar in all of the so-called healthy foods.
Not Getting Adequate Sleep
Once we get too busy, it’s our sleep that usually gets placed on the back burner. So you may be thinking, sure I get the occasion poor nights sleep, but how much damage can that be causing.
Well, more than you realize. One study found that even just a partial night of sleep deprivation does is it can increase your risk for insulin resistance. What this means is that it sets the stage for Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
What getting insufficient sleep also does is it sets you up for a lethargic energy depleted cranky day, this is then combined with drinking too much caffeine.
The best solution is getting adequate amounts of sleep every night, which is found to be an uninterrupted 7 to 9 hours for most. This is easier said that done as you twist and turn in bed while taking frequent bathroom trips.
What you need is to prepare better before going to bed, this by turning off all electronics, drink green or herbal tea, take a hot bath, or take herbal sleep inducing formulas.
Pay Attention To Stress
What constant stress does is it punishes our mental and physical health. What continuous stress causes is inflammation, potential brain damage, and hormone imbalance.
What chronic stress does is it raises our cortisol stress hormone levels, which then begins to store unneeded fat while damaging our cells and muscles.
The best solution is to eliminate as much stress as possible in your life. Do so by prioritizing and monitoring your stress management techniques. This can include meditation, yoga, deep breathing, exercising, etc.