Boost your energy

We are like a jigsaw puzzle, composed of lots of different pieces that all interlock to work synergistically. When each piece fits perfectly, we function optimally. We have tons of energy; we are able to participate and excel in sports, we think clearly, we spring out of bed early in the morning, raring to start the day.

It is perfectly normal for the body to dislodge a piece of the puzzle at certain times. In today’s fast-moving world, we can feel that we need to accomplish so much during the course of the day and the week.

Optimize your health with regular tracking and observation

We place so many demands on ourselves to perform well at home, in the workplace and in our chosen sports. The stress caused by this physical and mental pressure can result in an injury or a discrepancy in our system.

Regular tracking and observation can help us to deal with these discrepancies and iron out the creases, keeping us on top of any niggles we may be carrying around with us unknowingly.

To keep healthy and optimize your body composition and performance, follow these 12 steps.

Eat healthily

Good nutrition is key. It is essential to fuel your body properly by knowing what to eat and when. Using DNA analysis, a nutritional plan based on your genetic predisposition, lifestyle factors and proven strategies can be tailor-made for you..

An abundance of vegetables is essential to any nutritional plan. Choose green foods, like leafy greens and Spirilina, which are very rich in chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll is incredibly energy dense.

Limit snacking

Every time you eat or drink anything other than water, your body elicits a hormonal response by releasing insulin. Insulin leads to fat storage, so eating too often and eating too much can increase your body’s store of fat.

Snacking, therefore, has an adverse effect on your body composition so refrain from snacking unless you are pregnant or have been medically advised to do so.

Other strategies for improving body composition and health are to maintain a 6-10 hour eating window and/or to use other fasting techniques.

Cut back on sugar

Cutting back on sugar will help to keep your hunger and cravings at bay. Sugar is as addictive as cocaine but, once you cut it out of your diet, you no longer crave it.

Try a two-week no sugar plan – you will never look back. Furthermore, cancer cells feed off sugar and abnormal cells proliferate in the presence of sugar.

Natural sugars in the form of berries and fruit can complement a nutritional plan, especially for an active athlete. They contain beneficial antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre but it is so easy to over-consume them. One taste of sweetness and it can be difficult to stop.

Avoid man-made and processed foods

Avoid anything man-made in general, especially foods. You will be doing yourself a massive favour. Food and drinks are designed and marketed to ensure that we continue to buy them – significant sums of money are invested in developing the taste, texture and even the packaging to keep us going back for more. Cleverly worded ingredients allow companies to skirt around harmful additives which the body has no idea what to do with. The best rule is to avoid these products.

A nutritional plan of naturally grown or fed seasonal foods will be a lot better for you than anything that is marketed as fat-free, sugar-free, loaded with E numbers, additives or genetically modified ingredients.

Daily movement

Daily movement is not exercise but rather natural motion to balance the body. The worst thing you can do for your health is to spend endless hours sitting down. We were designed to move.

Motion not only allows us to check how optimally we are functioning but it also helps us to correct our posture, think more clearly and digest food more effectively. Try to use the car less and your legs more on a daily basis.

Weight training

Weight training is essential for everyone. Even studies of elderly people have shown that weight training leads to health benefits.

Use resistance exercises to improve bone density, enhance strength and balance, speed recovery, improve co-ordination and muscle disparities or merely to boost feelings of happiness and well-being. Make sure you include some form of resistance training in your life.

Monitoring sleep and heart rate variability

Heart rate variability and sleep monitoring are two ways to keep track of your health, your immune system, your recovery rate and how hard you can train. I use a simple device to track both sleep and heart rate variability to make sure my body is well rested and ready for action.

Health screening

Having a full MOT on your body is as essential as having an MOT on your car. The possibility of finding abnormalities is nothing to shy away from. If a condition is detected early, you can solve the problem more quickly and get yourself back on track again.

Blood pressure monitoring, hormone tests and health screening give us an overall view of the state of our health. We are complicated jigsaw puzzles and sometimes a small problem is a consequence of something totally different. Looking through a wider lens enables us to see the big picture. Then we can look at anything that needs to be fixed.

Create more energy at the cellular level

Energy begins at the cellular level. Without energy in its cells, your body struggles to produce energy for everyday life. Enhancing energy at the source can only enhance your everyday energy levels, helping you to avoid stress, inflammation, and disease whilst also improving your level of performance.

Having a thorough screening of the inside of your body from a cellular perspective can help you to iron out plateaus, heal injuries and recover from illnesses. Overall, it helps to restore your body to youthful levels.

DNA test to create a tailor-made exercise and nutritional programme

A nutritional and exercise DNA swab test will reveal interesting results with regard to your genetic nutritional plan, exercise protocol and nutritional deficiencies. This is an excellent baseline for beginning an exercise or nutritional programme using science to determine your individual needs.

Ice baths

Cold thermogenesis is incredibly effective at burning fat and improving brain function. It leads to the release of a feel-good hormone called norepinephrine. This cold water or iced water treatment boosts your metabolism and reduces cancer-related inflammation.

The easiest way to reap these benefits is to put ice and cold water in your bath at home and slowly lower yourself in. Or use an ice vest.

Boost your brain with exercise

Exercise is king. Beneficial exercise elevates your heart rate sufficiently and is programmed specifically to challenge the body. It therefore needs to be more than a -five-minute walk to collect the paper.

Research from comprehensive tests on the brain, hormones and bodily functions showed a positive effect after just a single session of physical exercise. In addition to improved fitness, the results revealed enhanced mood and decreased stress levels with amazing neurological benefits. After an exercise session, widespread brain areas and brain systems were activated.

In short, exercise has an incredibly positive effect on all aspects of the body and mind. Wake up 30 minutes earlier to ensure you exercise before your busy day starts.  I’m positive you will find your day a lot more productive and you will be happier for it.

Summary of the 12 steps to boost your energy and live a longer, happier life

1. Eat healthily. Remember to eat plenty of leafy greens.
2. Limit snacking. Try to maintain an 8-10 hour eating window, 5 days a week.
3. Cut back on sugar, especially added sugars, caramel, syrup and corn syrup.
4. Avoid man-made and processed food, such as grains and pasta.
5. Daily Movement – Walking, taking the stairs.
6. Weight training
7. Sleep and heart rate variability monitoring
8. Blood and hormone tests – checking the inside of your body, including free T3 and C-reactive protein levels.
9. Create more energy at the cellular level.
10. DNA test to create a tailor-made exercise and nutritional programme.
11. Ice baths – burn fat and boost your brain with cold thermogenesis
12.  Exercise – to make you smarter

Book in for a fitness and health assessment.
Get an accurate picture of what’s happening in your body and set yourself up with a training plan to do at home or with me.

Training and nutrition, based on science and genes, organise a group workout or a challenge at www.katiehandyside.com

 

Written by Katie Handyside

About the author Katie has a lifetime worth of experience in health and wellness and has worked globally including LA, Vancouver and Seattle. She not only focuses on nutrition and exercise but also blood work, over-all health analysis, heart rate variability, sleeping, oxygen therapy/ altitude training, papimi and other treatments.  She has a whole host of tools to ensure a 360’ approach to having you feeling the best you can. Previously based in STP , Palma’s super yacht boatyard for over 5 years , Katie is now mobile which means she is able to train you on board your yacht, at the beach, in the park or at home – training and nutrition brought to you.