Notes on Health

Written By Lauren Wesley

It’s hard to find expert information on health, especially when the ‘facts’ change all the time and the ‘experts’ with the loudest voices have caused legitimate harm to people during my time on the planet.

As the type of person who mercilessly researches everything to try and find answers that make the most logical and scientific sense, here seems to be the most ideal collection of tips from experts and a reason why they seem reputable.

Regarding Food

What to Eat to Reach 100+ Years Old:

Resource: The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, a researcher who travelled to places where some of the longest-living people live and studied details about their lives that might contribute to their extended lifespan (living longer years) and healthspan (living healthier years).

He has a great documentary on Netflix, but the Blue Zones Instagram page is pretty solid for quick hits of health info.

Here’s an example of a Blue Zone recommended food intake profile:

My Eating Rules

  1. Don’t keep it in the house.

    • I don’t buy irresistible foods for my home. Our bodies are built to seek out foods high in calories/ fat/ sugar to sustain us through food scarcity. Knowing this, I do myself favors to help protect my daily eating habits and prevent overindulgence. These are our household no-buys. Note: I am allowed to buy a ‘real’ sweet if I leave the house and drive to pick up a single serving.

      • Ferrero Rocher chocolates/ chocolates

      • Chocolate chips

      • Protein granola bars

      • Ice cream

      • Chips

      • Cookies

      • Granola with lots of sugar

  2. Keep as many meals as possible routinely healthy.

    • In our house, we tend to keep breakfast basic/ simple/ satiating to help you stay full for longer:

      • I opt for this Breakfast Oatmeal Recipe (as a woman with less muscle mass to maintain):

        • 1/2 cup of Old-Fashioned Oats (or Rolled Oats) Oatmeal

        • 1/3 cup of Frozen Blueberries

        • 1/4 teaspoon of Ground Turmeric (antioxidants/ reduce inflammation)

        • 1 teaspoon-ish of Ground Flaxseed

        • 1 teaspoon-ish of Hemp Seeds (protein + omega vitamins)

        • Optional Added Sweetness:

          • 1 teaspoon of honey or

          • 1/2 teaspoon of raw sugar/ brown sugar

      • For men with more muscle mass to maintain, add the following:

  3. No more extremes! Aim for balance, not fear.

    • I am through with demonizing ‘bad’ foods. I’ve done months without drinking alcohol and other months with drinking a gallon of water a day. Going to extremes makes the pendulum swing back with major momentum. I always end up gaining weight back or having some extremely negative reaction to whatever challenge I am on.

  4. Keep making decisions that are just a little bit better.

    • I started out with doing diet coke, then moved to unsweetened iced tea. From coffee with cream and sugar to coffee with milk and sugar, then to coffee with just sugar, then black coffee. Incremental change makes a difference over time.

    • I now make this Healthy Ice Cream when I want something sweet at home.

      • The Ice Cream Base:

        • 2 Frozen Bananas (tip: take the peel off before freezing)

        • 1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries (or any frozen berry).

        • 1 tablespoon-ish of raw, unsweetened Cocoa Powder

        • Optional: 1 scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

        • 1 teaspoon of Ground (or whole) Flaxseed

        • Just enough water. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup?

      • Blend it all up with the stick attachment. The stick helps move the frozen fruit around inside the pitcher.

      • Toppings:

        • Slice up 1 banana (and any other fruit you might want)

        • Drizzle 1 tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter on top

        • Drizzle 1 teaspoon of Honey on top

      • I like to pre-chop my toppings first so that the ice cream doesn’t melt.

  5. Crawl, walk, run. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

    • Running is the fastest way to torch calories (other than HIIT workouts), but nobody is going to go from sedentary to running 10ks. Ain’t gonna happen.

      • Start with meditating for 60 seconds.

      • Try a yoga class on YouTube.

      • Go for a short walk while listening to something interesting in your headphones.

      • Make the walk a few minutes longer.

      • Walk for 4 minutes, run for 30s.

      • Increase your proportion of walking to running every time you go outside. Keep working up.

Lauren Wesley
Next

Navigating Life’s Shortcuts