The Laws of Health

Follow the Law's of Health so the scales of justice don't place you on the fat side of the law.....or something....

But seriously, there are many fad diets, supplements, training programs, surgeries (eeek!), and gadgets that claim to help you lose weight, get in shape, or live a healthy lifestyle. While some may have their benefits, there are the basics that you need to remind yourself to follow. A healthy lifestyle starts with the basics. If you don't have them figured out, don't worry about the latest health food craze. The same goes for falling off the wagon. If you find yourself turning into the bakery or fast food spot every time you pass one, come back to these Laws of Health.

1) Drink Water

Plain and simple. No I'm not counting latte's and espresso's and sports drinks. I'm talking about plain water. It is the SINGLE most important nutrient in your body. Water will make up anywhere between 55% and 75% of your body, depending on age and gender. Clearly it is what you are made of the most. Just like a car needs clean fuel, you should be drinking clean water. Don't try to over complicate it. You can start with 8 cups each day and 16-24 additional ounces per pound of bodyweight lost as a result of exercise. Again, just keep water nearby and sip every once and awhile.

2) Eat Protein, Carbs, and Fats

The macro nutrients are where we get our energy from and help our body recover from the daily stressors we put on it. We can definitely go down the rabbit hole here but the basics, which is what I'm stressing here!, is that we need the ability to protect, repair and grow our body constantly. That is the job of these macro nutrients.

3) Move

Go for a walk. Hit the gym. Play a sport. It doesn't matter as long as you are moving and exerting yourself on a daily basis. Keeping yourself moving will help avoiding fat gain and keeping that resting metabolic rate high. Your RMR is the energy expended by your body while you are at rest. To increase that, just get moving! It's also been shown to increase your mood and promote healthy sleep habits.

4) Avoid processed and fried food

I know, I know. This is in moderation, of course. I don't mean once a day moderation or even once a week. Try to avoid processed foods and fried foods. I notice that if I eat something that is fried, my performance in the gym will take a direct and severe kick the next day. Don't go down that road and put chemicals and damaged foods in you that will wreck your systems.

5) Sleep

No one loves sleep more than me. Sleep has been shown to play an important role in your immune function, cognitive abilities, and metabolism. If you've been working out, this is where the magic happens. While your sleeping is when your body finally gets a chance to recover and rebuild. Now, instead of going into perfecting your sleep rhythms or getting the latest gadget that tracks your pulse and heart rate while you sleep, just focus on getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night. From there, you can do things to improve your sleep, like eliminating sleep disrupting blue light from your electronic devices, adding blackout shades to your bedroom, or kicking that dog out of your bed that keeps waking you up with his (or her) snoring! Bottom line, get those hours in!

If you ever find yourself getting lost in the world of fad diets and nutrition templates, always come back to the basics. These are important for every single person, regardless of their individual needs or goals.