LIFESTYLE NEWS - Obesity is the result of various complex interactions over which we do not always have control. It is therefore important that each individual takes control of the aspects they can manage.
Food and exercise are medicine themselves. Food isn't just there to fuel the body, nor is it a solution for emotional stress.
The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) contains up to 70% of your immune system and should therefore be taken care of. The most obvious way to take care of it is by deciding what you put into your mouth.
Humans are all superorganisms which means that we host more bacteria cells than the number of cells we are made of. Most of these bacteria reside in our GIT system. It is important to understand that your GIT system isn’t just a mixture of random bacteria but a well-organised microbiome. Once this system is disturbed, illness results.
Sugar intake for example disturbs the GIT microbiome and results in inflammation. Energy levels are also very dependent on the type of food you consume. An unbalanced diet full of carbohydrates leads to energy spikes in blood sugar, with a subsequent drop, resulting in fatigue.
A balanced diet is therefore very important to maintain a healthy GIT system, good energy levels and overall health.
Exercise, health the 100 rule
Just as we can control what we feed our bodies we can also control what we do with our bodies.
Exercise is another form of medicine which has many health benefits. It leads to building muscle strength which makes you more resilient to physical injuries, improves your cardiac (heart) health as well as mental health and sleep, to name a few.
Research has shown that exercise is the only medicine which slows cognitive decline.
It is recommended to do at least five days of moderate exercise or three days of strenuous exercise per week.
Healthy food and exercise should therefore be high on our priority lists.
In today’s fast-paced life, it is often difficult to maintain a healthy exercise regime and diet. Healthy lifestyles are often number one on the list when it comes to New Year’s resolutions but only last for a month or so.
Clayton Christensen, a professor from Harvard Business School is well known for the 100 rule. His famous words are: “It’s easier to hold your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold them 98% of the time.”
Research has shown that once people commit 100% to a goal, they undergo an identity change and are therefore more likely to achieve success. A lifelong goal is more successful than a 30-day diet.
Research has also shown that life has become more complicated with the increase in options available and people are therefore very indecisive and less likely to achieve success.
By choosing a specific time, place and exercise routine, one eliminates this complexity.
Benjamin Hardy (American organisational psychologist) says: If you improve yourself only 1% every day, you will improve yourself by 365% within a year.
Dr Chané Pretorius
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