What does your baseline of healthy habits look like?

Many people can't answer this question. 

They might have an idea of what 'healthy habits' they should aspire to, but most people massively overcomplicate these and fail to implement any of them. The truth is four simple habits can have a massive effect on your overall health if you implement them daily.

Let's discuss the four simple habits for building a solid foundation for health and fitness.

1: Your Diet

Most of us stick roughly to the same foods on rotation. The difference lies in whether those foods we regularly consume benefit us or move us on a downward trajectory towards fat storage, insulin spikes, and digestive issues. Whilst we shouldn't categorise food as 'good or 'bad', regularly overconsuming certain types of food clearly impacts your overall health. 

The key to addressing this first pillar of your fit foundations is to get clear on what healthy foods you like and create a simple diet that includes a range of them that you can now rotate without causing too much restriction and overthinking, leaving space for the odd indulgence. 

What foods should you prioritise for your fit foundations?

• Building a fit food foundation involves prioritising nutrient-dense whole foods that balance vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. By focusing on these categories and incorporating a variety of foods from each, you can support overall health, energy levels, and well-being.
• Try to restrict or remove as best you can any highly processed and high-sugar foods such as:
•  White bread
•  Sugary beverages including sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks and soft drinks.
• Deli meats, hot dogs and sausages.
• Frozen pizza and frozen meals.
• Packaged snacks such as chips, cookies, crackers and baked goods.
• Most breakfast cereals.
• Canned or instant soups.

Instead, try to prioritise whole foods and protein in your nutrition plan. Here's a simple breakdown for you:

Vegetables

• Leafy Greens: Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard
• Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower
• Root Vegetables: Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Beetroot

Fruits

• Berries: Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries
• Citrus: Oranges, Lemons, Grapefruits
• Other: Apples, Bananas, Avocados

Protein Sources

• Lean Meats: Chicken Breast, Turkey, Lean Beef
• Fish and Seafood: Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp
• Plant-Based: Lentils, Chickpeas, Black Beans
• Dairy: Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Milk
• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, Chia Seeds, Flaxseeds

Whole Grains

• Cereals: Oats, Quinoa, Brown Rice
• Breads: Whole Wheat Bread, 
• Pasta: Whole Grain Pasta

Healthy Fats

• Oils: Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil
• Nuts and Seeds: Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds
• Others: Avocado, Olives, Dark Chocolate

Hydration

• Water: Prioritise drinking water throughout the day.
• Hydrating Foods: Cucumbers, Watermelon, Grapes, Courgettes

Snacks

• Fruits and Vegetables: Carrot Sticks, Apple Slices, Celery with Nut Butter
• Healthy Packaged Snacks: Hummus, Nuts, Greek Yogurt

Supplements

• Vitamins and Minerals: Multivitamins, Vitamin D, Omega-3 Supplements

General Tips:

• Eat a Rainbow: Ensure a variety of colours on your plate to get a wide range of nutrients.
• Minimise Processed Foods: Limit your intake of foods with added sugars, refined grains, and unhealthy fats.
• Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and include hydrating foods in your diet.

2: Have a water plan

Staying hydrated is critical for your body, brain and fitness. Sometimes the simplest things are easy to do and so easy not to do. Have a water plan to ensure you optimise your daily water intake.

Invest in a good quality water bottle with markings on so you are aware of how much you are drinking and re-filling that bottle throughout the day. 

Set timers on your phone and computer if you get easily distracted by work and forget to drink.

Make it a habit to drink a glass of water before each meal. This not only helps with hydration but can also aid digestion and control appetite, leading to better meal choices and portion control.

Always have water in the fridge ready to grab and go; this increases the likelihood you will actually drink more.

Incorporate Hydrating Foods. Include water-rich foods in your diet, such as cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, and strawberries. While not a direct replacement for drinking water, these foods can contribute to your overall hydration.

Staying hydrated is essential for the body’s ability to burn fat. Lipolysis, the process of breaking down fat for energy, relies on water. The first step in lipolysis is hydrolysis, which requires water. Thus, adequate hydration is crucial for metabolising stored fat.

3: Movement.

According to best-selling author and professor of Neural Science Dr Wendy Suzuki, Three walks a week or more means you are 30% less likely to develop dementia in the next 5 years. Movement releases a whole range of neurochemicals in your brain, feel-good ones like serotonin and dopamine and also growth factors which promote cell growth in your brain, improving your decision-making ability. 

Walking is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your health. Aim for at least 10,000 steps a day to reap numerous benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health, better mood, and increased energy levels. 

💡 If you aren't currently hitting 10k a day yet, then set yourself a lower step target; once you are consistently hitting that then increase to the next level. 

Did you know that walking can improve your cognitive skills? That strengthening your muscular core reduces anxiety? That light stretching can combat a whole host of mental and bodily ailments, from stress to inflammation. We all know that exercise changes the way you think and feel. But scientists are just starting to discover exactly how it works. In her book 'Move! ' Scientist Caroline Williams explores the importance of moving our bodies. She reveals how inactivity harms us and offers practical tips to incorporate more movement into our daily lives, improving our physical and mental health. 

Here are some tips to increase your daily step & movement count:

1. Take the Stairs: Opt for stairs instead of elevators whenever possible.
2. Walk and Talk: Turn phone conversations into walking meetings.
3. Park Farther Away: Choose parking spots that require a longer walk to your destination.
4. Take Short Breaks: Incorporate short walking breaks into your workday to refresh your mind and body.
5. Download a great audiobook: Choose something addictive that you can only listen to on your walk time. This increases the value to your brain of wanting to go on the walk and the enjoyment factor, meaning you're more likely to make this part of your routine. This strategy is called 'temptation bundling'. Pairing a new habit you want to start with something you already enjoy. 

💡 Important tip - When you are tracking calories in apps often they will tell you how many 'calories' you have burned. These aren't 100% accurate so don't eat them or drink them back! Use your daily movement time to increase your ability to burn calories (NEAT - non, exercise thermogenesis) this is the biggest opportunity other than restricting calories you have to influence the calories in / calories out equation. The more you move the more you improve your health.

Track your weekly average step count via wearable devices or on your phone and aim to improve it every week. Remember what get's measured get's improved. 

4: Sleep

We all know we need a good night's sleep to be at our best but how much do you really know about sleep and how it affects your health? When we sleep, we go through several sleep cycles made up of four stages. Focusing on the quality of your sleep is as important as how much sleep. you are getting, try to avoid interrupting these cycles.

Stage 1: Dozing off

• Your body and brain start to slow down and relax.
• You’re easy to disturb and wake up during this stage.

Stage 2: Light sleep

• Body temperature falls, muscles relax more.
• Breathing, heart rate, and brain activity slow down. 

Stage 3: Deep sleep

• Your body and muscles relax even further.
• There are specific patterns of brain activity known as delta waves in this stage.
• Deep sleep is the most important type of sleep for feeling rested and staying healthy.
• It’s harder to wake someone up in deep sleep.

Stage 4: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

• During REM sleep your brain activity increases, almost similar to being awake, while your muscles are temporarily paralysed.
• We have our most intense dreams during REM sleep, and it’s important for learning and memory.
• As the night progresses, you have less deep sleep and more REM sleep.

After a phase of REM sleep, you may briefly notice yourself waking up before starting another cycle. Recommendations for a good night's sleep are 7-9 hours per night for adults. Studies currently show one in three of us aren't getting enough. 

Sleep is essential for health, it affects our mood, energy, cognitive functioning and happiness. Miss a couple of days of sleep, and your body starts to hallucinate and black out. Regular sleep interruptions can accumulate, making it difficult for our bodies to respond to stress profoundly affecting our brain. Recurring bad patterns of sleep can also raise our cholesterol levels, making us susceptible to high blood pressure, heart disease, type-2 diabetes and many other issues, including affecting our mental health and agility, leading to cognitive decline as we age. 

New studies have shown a direct correlation between interrupted sleep patterns on blood sugar responses. Staying up late one night can have a massive impact on your metabolism the next day meaning you might choose higher-sugar or 'comforting' foods over healthier options such as eggs on rye bread with avocado which would increase your energy. 

Sleep Tips:

1. Stick to a sleep schedule. Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. Try to go to sleep at the same time each day. 
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed. Spicy food and alcohol are not helpful before bedtime and limit caffeine after 3pm.
3. Create a dark, restful environment. The right temperature should be around 16-18 degrees Celsius. Make an effort to limit your screen time before bed. If you can put your phone outside of your room.
4. Limit daytime naps.  
5. Include physical activity in your daily routine. 

Building fit foundations is about creating sustainable habits that promote a healthy lifestyle. By incorporating daily movement, good nutrition, prioritising whole foods, sufficient protein, quality sleep, and adequate hydration, you lay the groundwork for long-term wellness. Start small, be consistent, and watch as these healthy habits transform your life.