Taking the no pressure approach, we can stop telling ourselves to be healthier. Instead, we ask what we can do to bring about more balance in our physical self. The right balance always consists of fresh fruit and veg, plenty of water, not too much (added) sugars, good fats, an occasional dose of protein and about a teaspoon of salt (per day). Add to that a decent amount of physical activity and relaxation time, and you have all you need.
The bad news is that sugar and salt are excellent preservatives and very cheap additives. It’s almost impossible to avoid it. The good news is that all the nutrients you need are naturally found in fresh food.
Nutrition
Work out what works for you when it comes to nourishment. Don’t ‘ban’ dietary choices because you are at a higher risk of failure when you are dealing with a lot of stress. Failure leads to disappointment and increases your need to ‘do something’ about it. That’s more pressure.
Approach this as an experiment. Do you feel sluggish halfway through the day, a few hours after lunch? Perhaps eating less carbs could help with that. Then, no pressure, but perhaps you can cut out carbs (bread, potatoes, pasta, rice) a few days a week. Instead of processed carbs, eat more salad, more nuts, more soup. See how you feel in a month’s time.
- Enjoy what you eat
- Stop eating when you are full
- Don’t turn eating comfort food into a self-pity party. If it doesn’t comfort you, don’t eat it
- Don’t go cold-turkey, especially not on sugars – start by cutting out certain sugars
- Not all processed foods are bad, but what they often lack are essential nutrients (minerals, vitamins, oxidants, etc.). These are easily found in fresh herbs and spices and easily added to almost anything you eat
Exercise
Exercise is not limited to sporting activities because not everyone is a sporty person. Choose activities that you enjoy. Any physical activity that focuses on the positive counts as exercise. Which leads to the next point: Doing sports should be enjoyable, while you are doing them. Forget about working towards the satisfied feeling it always gives you afterwards, just enjoy the activity itself – everything that comes of it is a bonus.
Relaxation
Taking ten minutes to relax is also exercise. You are relaxing your body, and that is a conscious, physical activity. It’s safe to say that relaxation exercises are most successful when they are not done just before (or after) your stress level blows the roof off the building.
And it’s worth mentioning that a few minutes of physical relaxation can do much more for your stress levels than half an hour of intense physical activity.
