So we know we only get one body to live in and usually only one chance at living in it. So we should be treating our body like it’s our most treasured possession.
We should show our body the love, care and tenderness that we extend to our children, our partners, or our pets.
And yet, when we look around, we are surrounded by so many sad looking bodies that are in desperate need of someone who will care for them.
The thing is, a lot of our behaviour is self sabotaging and not self loving and it lends itself to the end-game of being overweight, lacking in energy, addicted to things that don’t serve us and generally unhealthy and unhappy on the inside, which shows on the outside.
So if you are one of those people who wants to look and feel healthier and happier from the inside to the outside, it all starts and ends with you.
Here are some of the basic self care needs that your body requires and when you give it that self care, you will receive the greatest gift of health and happiness 💜
Water
I can’t tell you the number of people I come across who only drink 2-3 glasses of water per day! It seems to be the average in fact. And on top of that, they are drinking 2-3 cups of coffee or other caffeinated drinks that will result in all of that hydration being lost down the toilet and then some. You see caffeine is a diuretic, which basically means you are going to pee more than you drank to begin with.
Our body needs water for every cellular process that is taking place every second of the day. And you know what happens to those plants when you don’t give them water, they start to wilt, they look tired and lack lustre and eventually they dry out and die.
Feed your body water, starting first thing in the morning after a restful 8 hours of sleep. Your body is thirsty. You have still be using water while your body was sleeping, so start your day with a large glass of water to get your digestive system going and help flush out the waste that is sitting in your colon.
Then keep a water bottle handy and sip regularly throughout the day. Aim for a minimum of 30ml / kg of bodyweight and more when you’re exercising or if you tend to sweat more than the average person.
Move
I’m a Personal Trainer so of course I’m going to tell you to move daily
1 But there is enough evidence out there to give you the proof that exercise in some shape or form, should form part of your daily self care activities.
But you don’t have to take anyone’s word for it though, let’s do a little experiment instead and see how you feel at the end of it.
EXPERIMENT #1
I want you to sit on the couch for 1 hour. Sounds great right? During this time, you’re not permitted to move, so make sure you go to the toilet first! When 1 hour is up, you can now move around. How does your body feel? Do you feel energised or tired? Do you feel supple and mobile, or tight and stiff? Do you feel positive and motivated, or do you feel sluggish and slow?
EXPERIMENT #2
Now your second experiment requires you to move for 30 minutes of 1 hour. Just go outside for a walk, a bike ride, dance to some music, do some yoga, swim, whatever it is that you like to do. Now how do you feel after this 30 minutes? Do you feel energised, or tired? Do your muscles and joints feel supple, or stiff and tight? Do you feel positive and motivated, or sluggish and low?
Nourish
Just like your car, your body needs good fuel to keep up with all of the busy demands that you place on it each and every day. An essential part of your daily self care activities is nourishment through good quality food.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, just good quality, fresh, simple food.
Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season now.
Eat a moderate amount of lean meat, fish, eggs and consider vegetarian protein sources such as quinoa, legumes, tofu and tempeh, to give your digestive system a rest.
Eat a moderate amount of starchy vegetables, including sweet potato, potato, pumpkin, peas, carrots and corn.
Eat a small amount of low GI grains such as brown rice, wild rice, basmati rice, wholegrain pasta, and choose good quality bread such as sourdough, rye or dense grainy bread that has minimal processing.
Eat a small amount of healthy fat such as avocado, coconut oil, nuts, seeds.
Eat more of this good stuff, and less of the stuff you know you shouldn’t be having including sugar and sugar substitutes, white flour products including bread / pasta / muffins, white rice, alcohol, lollies, potato chips, ice cream and other sometimes foods.
Sleep
A lack of sleep will have a profound impact on our energy, our mood, our attention levels, our functional motor skills, and our speed and clarity of thinking and thought processing.
Getting to bed at a reasonable hour in the evening (by 10pm) and waking up at a reasonable hour in the morning (by 7am) is one of the best self care activities that you can do daily.
Make a sleep time ritual that you stick to each and every night within reason. Get off the screens / electronics within 30 minutes – 1 hour of bed time, and ensure you are tucked in to bed around the same time every evening.
If you have trouble getting to sleep, some essential oils such as lavender and chamomile may help with this, listening to soothing music, or doing some relaxation exercises before bed time can be just the habits that your body needs to ensure a restful slumber.
Rest
When I finish writing this Blog post, I am going to take myself to the couch for a 20 minute siesta. I feel tired right now and my body is sore from my workout yesterday and so I know the thing my body needs most right now is some restorative rest on the couch before the busy afternoon kicks off again.
Take time daily to rest or do restful activities. For some people this is reading, writing, drawing, colouring in, cooking, taking a bath, or meditating. Find something that makes you feel relaxed and rested and take the time to do this each and every day and especially during those energy taxing times when your body just needs you to slow it down and catch up.
Laugh
A good belly laugh is so good for the body and the mind. It helps us to de-stress, to relax our body and mind, to bond with others over a funny experience and it takes the serious side out of life, if only for a moment. So for those times when you’re feeling uptight, stressed, sad, overwhelmed, angry, jealous…you know all the big emotions, get yourself a good Belly Laugh. Find a friend, watch a show, look up some funny jokes or videos, or have a tickle fight with someone you love!
Love
And of course love. If we cannot find something(s) that we love about ourselves, how can we really care for ourselves and how can we ever truly be at peace with who we are? Each and every day, find one thing that you love about yourself. It can be a physical attribute, a personal characteristic or something nice that you did for someone that day. And may the love you share for others, be reflected back to you over and over in bucket loads.
Amanda xo