So, let’s talk about which is the best diet for a healthy, strong + ageless life.
Now before you stop reading out of discouragement;
think about if you have ever been on a diet or you know someone who has,
if so, then you should keep on reading!
So have you been on one of these diets or heard of any of these diets? DASH? Whole30? Mediterranean? Flexitarian? Weight Watchers? MIND? Vegan? Volumetric? Flat Belly? Well, the list of diets goes on and on, and that is just a few of them! So, what do I think is the best diet for a healthy, strong + ageless life? First of, I do believe that there is some benefits within each of these diets to a degree; but I think some are very harmful too! Also, I have always believed that a diet is never the answer to living a healthy lifestyle.
Why You Should Not Go on a Diet?
Why do I think this? Well, it’s not just the number of pounds or the number of years you live; but it’s how you live them. Many times, diets will negatively effect your metabolism today & in the future, as that’s why many people put the weight right back on, plus add even more pounds than they started with. And I have never met one person who has truly enjoyed being on a diet! I know I personally don’t want to just live longer, I want to live longer and live well! And that means living a healthy, high quality life; as best I can. And it is never too late to start making these lifestyle changes to help live a healthy life and age as best we can.
Our Bodies Are Changing Daily
So, there are some parts of our life that are under our control and other areas that are not. Every day, week, month, year our bodies are changing. From the moment we are born, change starts to occur and our habits, healthy or not, will have an impact on our lives and our bodies. And I believe if there is a way to keep my body as healthy as possible, within reason (if you know me well enough by now, I am all about #balance) then that will be my focus. And since change is inevitable, get ready as here are some common changes that will occur in our bodies as we age: energy, metabolism, hormones, immunity, cognition, bones, etc.
Lifestyle Factors You can Control
Many of us can look to our parents and/or siblings to get an idea about what our future lifestyle might look like. I say “might”, as there are some factors that we can not change, but other areas we can change. Some of the factors we can not change is: genetics, your upbringing, the environment, etc. But there are some areas that we can control like: active lifestyle, nutritional choices, your attitude/outlook, who you spend your time with, etc. Now some times these factors can interact and will affect us positively or negatively. So, let’s not worry about the things we can not control, but let’s look below at the factors we can control for a living a healthy, strong life.
Christie’s 5 Simple Habits to Live a Strong, Healthy + Ageless Life
Let me first preface with this. As I am not a certified nutritionist; so I am just sharing with you what has worked for me and plenty of my personal training clients.
1. Stay Active – Your Way!
This costs no money, and can be done literally anywhere. Plus the benefits are amazing for our bodies. Did you know exercise is one of the most impactful thing you can do for your body? Plus exercising can be done any place you want to do it; like your home, the gym, your backyard, the beach, the park, any place that will make you want to commit to exercise, is the best place for you! And if you need some ideas or inspiration, link here for FitFab Workouts to do inside or outside, your choice! And if you were not sold on this idea, read below:
Here are just a few things that exercise signals to your body:
build + repair bones and muscle tissue
utilize the nutrients in your body
blood circulation + oxygen to your brain
improves mood + well-being
Studies have shown with regular exercise there has been lower rates of:
dementia & Alzheimer’s
depression & anxiety
arthritis
diabetes, obesity & cardiovascular disease
2. Eating Healthy + Drink Water – Keeping it Simple with No Special Diet!
When I eat heathy, it’s amazing how much better my body feels, , my mind is clearer, my bowels are more regular, my skin glows and I sleep like a baby. Do you find the same thing is true for you? So, what is the best way to “eat healthy” and “drink enough water”? As you probably hear this all the time, but do you really understand how and why it is so important?
Many times I find this information so complex and complicated with all of these special diets. Like you are suppose to eat this, but don’t eat that and then the next diet tells you the exact opposite! As, it can really cause so much confusion with so many people. But, there is one “diet” you can always count on being beneficial and that is eating clean, healthy foods. So, this is how I keep my “diet” simple & manageable. Also, if you are looking for some easy, nutritious recipes go to FitFab recipes,.
Simple Ways to Eat Healthy: Pick Foods from Below to Make a Meal with Approx. Breakdown
- Lean Protein (25 – 35%): I try to eat lean protein at every meal as its a great source for building + strengthening muscles + it is filling. Now, I am not a red meat eater (but it’s ok if you are, just choose lean meat) so here is my suggested lean protein sources – chicken, fish, eggs, beans, protein powders, greek yogurt, etc. Each of these is an easy addition to add to any of your meals.
- Complex Carbohydrates (50 – 60%): You do not need to eliminate this from your diet, just choose complex carbs, instead of simple carbs (think white flour products, boxed foods, etc.). A good quality complex carb will provide energy and fiber to your diet. Some of the complex carbs I recommend is: black beans, raspberries, apples, pears, quinoa, whole wheat spaghetti, broccoli, oatmeal, etc.
- Healthy Fats (10%): We always need healthy fats in our diets, but especially as we age! Because our bodies, our organs and yes our skin needs it; but remember to keep it in moderation too. Some of my favorite healthy fat sources are: avocados, coconut oil, salmon, chia seeds, nuts, EVOO, etc.
- Drink Water: Try to drink a big glass of water as soon as you wake up (add fresh lemon too for extra detoxing). And then remember throughout the day to replenish the fluids lost with water; especially if you are exercising . . . and hopefully you are 🙂 ! A good determining factor for hydration is to look at the color of your urine, the lighter the color the more hydrated.
3. Stop the Yo-yo Dieting – Keep & Maintain Your Healthy Weight!
As you can tell, I am not a proponent of restrictive diets; as I truly believe they do mess up the bodies metabolism and many times sets the person up to fail. And I know that no one wants to feel discouraged, as I would not want to either. Did you know there are 100’s of diets that come out every year with promise to help you lose weight and keep it off? Well, the reason there are so many diets, is because 99% of them fail over time, because it’s not about a lifestyle change; therefore many people fall back into their old habits!
So, I suggest you concentrate on changing your lifestyle (maybe exercising more, not eating out so much, including more lean protein & veggies in your diet, not eating foods out of a bag or box, etc.) And when I refer to the word “diet” for me, I mean eating healthy (but with a balance of a few “fun foods” too). Plus, for success you need to also include exercising! Now this becomes an attainable and promising way to keep the weight off + maintain the weight over the years!
4. Bed Time – Don’t Discount the Importance of Sleep!
Isn’t it funny that when we were younger we didn’t want to take naps or sleep and then as we got older we could hardly wait to lay down and relax, or go to sleep! Did you know that a newborn’s body requires around 15 hours of sleep a night, while an adult (18+ years of age) normally only requires 7 – 8 hours of sleep? Our bodies are constantly changing, and we need to learn to adapt.
Now we all know how much better we feel when we get a good nights sleep; but did you also know it’s so important for brain regeneration, improving memory, hormone regulation, keeping a balanced appetite with a stable mood, inflammation regulation, etc.? And many times when we are tired, we eat poorly and find an excuse not to workout. So, here is what I recommend; try to go to bed around the same time, stop eating a few hours before bedtime, keep the bedroom cool, and when I exercise I always sleep the best too!
5. Attitude – Keeping it Positive!
I know what you are thinking, yea that’s an easy one! But is it really? As we all know in life, there will be peaks and valley’s, whether it’s ourself or our families health, marriage, finances, jobs, etc., and at some point it will effect our attitude. Not one of us is immune to this, and I really believe that our attitude can and will effect how our body, mind and soul on how we will handle these situations.
Now, there are many situations out of our control; but I feel that there is one area of your life you can “control”, and that’s how you take care of your mind & body. When the stress hits us, yet our body is healthy and strong (which I think is when our mind is the strongest too) we are better equipped to handle situations that will arise. Also, Mayo Clinic has stated it this way, “It’s also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet……” as they have seen the effect of positive thinking. If you want to read more, link on this Mayo Clinic Article.
Keep it Simple!
There are so many resources to help us get healthy, stay healthy, lose weight, etc. but I find with myself and my personal training clients that when it’s get complicated is when we usually get frustrated. So, my advice to you; is keep your life simple by following these 5 simple habits to keep you healthy + strong! As there is no best diet on the market, the only choice is changing to a healthy lifestyle. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reply below or email me your questions.
Christie, “your friend + personal trainer to help keep you healthy + strong”
Awesome advice thank you very much
You are so welcome and I am so glad that you found the information helpful!
awesome!!!!
Thank you so much!!!!
great post, and I agree totally about the health foods!!! ❤️
Thank you my fellow blogger friend! And yes it is all about what we put in our bodies; and we can forget about counting calories and such! This is a much easier way to eat!
What’s the best Greek yogurt?
There is quite a few Greek Yogurts that I like, Siggi’s is one of them. When you shop, look for high protein grams (20 gr.) and low sugar content (below 10 gr.); that is the best way to find the healthiest version!