Tuesday 3 February 2015

Five life principles to live long, lean and strong

Five life principles to live long, lean and strong


Work up a hunger
This principle has its origin in Stoic philosophy. Seneca proposed that each day a man should work to hunger in order to deserve and appreciate his first meal of the day. Nowadays this is a pretty good endorsement for intermittent fasting. It allows you to keep your natural growth hormone active for far longer, making staying lean easier.

Lift things
The benefits of weight training are not just superficial as it is how you get a muscular physique. But resistance training is also great for heart health and avoiding a slew of degenerative diseases. Regular strength training is also the key to ageing gracefully. It will allow you to keep your muscle mass and help slow the hands of time.

Eat natural food
Eat food that is as close to nature intended as possible. If it can’t be reasonably easily explained to someone who has just walked out of the rainforest for the first time, chances are it’s too far removed from its original form to have kept much of its nutrition. Go for vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish and lean meats. Avoid processed foods.

Daily juice
Forming the habit of a daily juice fix is about the best way to pack a huge hit of vitamins and minerals into your diet. This can have a positive effect on energy levels, anti-ageing and prevention of a host of illness and diseases.

Sleep optimising
We’re not talking about just getting your head down at night. It’s about creating the right environment to really get the best quality of sleep. Invest in a decent mattress that is right for your spine. Get quality sheets, keep room temperature low and aim to block out sound and light at night. Sleep quality is often neglected but in my experience poor sleep holds your fitness back more than a bad diet or lacklustre training.

4 comments:

  1. I believe getting enough sleep is very important. These are awesome points that you touched on.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great list! I was just asking my hubby if he would be interested in juicing to up his veggie intake. I think it would be a great solution for him. I am also working on a post about maximizing our sleep. So excited to share it on Sunday night! Thanks for linking up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the suggestions. I saw it on the Live It Up at the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Blog Hop #52 and pinned it. Look for me at the blog hop too. I wrote Red is the Right Color for Feb. Be well. Live well. Lead a colorful life! Nancy Andres, Health & Lifestyle Writer, Author of Colors of Joy: A Woman’s Guide for Self-Discovery, and Bliss, Blogger at http://obloggernewbie.blogspot.com and http://www.nancyandreswriter.com/colors-of-joy-blog/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips! We should post them on our refrigerators as a daily reminder. I try to live this way each day although I need to work on sleep and working up a hunger! Thank you so much for sharing this healthy and valuable information with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop.
    I'm pinning and sharing!

    ReplyDelete