An Apple A Day Won’t Keep The Doctor Away
If only the answer to all of our health concerns could be found in one tiny pill or one simple action. Instead, it’s a combination of many things we do day after day.
A conversation I had with a health professional when taking my then 3 year old for a check up:
Me: He’s starting to become fussy with his food. Do you have any advice?
Health worker: Give him some of these gummy vitamins, then it won’t matter what he eats.
Me: whaaatttt???
In our fast paced world we are all looking for the quick fix, the one thing we can do that will solve all our problems. Particularly in the area of our health, we try to find an easy solution so we don’t have to give up too much: take some vitamins, eat an apple, meditate once a week or wear a fitness tracker, and then continue on with life as usual.
In reality, it’s not one thing you do that will make the difference, it’s a combination of small efforts made on a day to day basis that results in a long, healthy life.
Here are some of the more common “quick fix” ideas, and their more effective, long term solutions.
Nutrition
Vitamins
Certain populations may benefit from multivitamins including older adults, vegetarians and vegans, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. However, the majority of healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet do not need to supplement with vitamins or minerals. The danger here is demonstrated in the example I gave at the start of this article - you simply can not rely on taking a vitamin once a day to supplement a rubbish diet.
Meal replacements / protein shakes
People who are looking at losing weight will often turn to these meal replacement shakes. The issue here is that this is not a long term solution and even if you lose weight initially, it’s difficult to keep it off when you go back to normal life. There are stories of people who have a meal replacement shake for breakfast then have McDonalds for lunch and dinner - they don’t cancel each other out!
LONG TERM SOLUTION: Eat plenty of “real” whole foods that are filled with vitamins and minerals every single day.
Exercise
Weekend warriors
These are the people who sit at their desk all week doing no exercise, then head out for a 4 hour bike ride or run on the weekend. There is a theory that something is better than nothing, which is true to a degree, however there are valid concerns around the safety of intense training without setting a sensible base. This is not the safest or most effective way to improve your fitness.
All or nothing
I’ve seen this happen so often over the years - people join the gym feeling excited and motivated and start by training every day. Then about 3 weeks in work gets busy, family needs them, and they miss a session here and there. By week 6 they are exhausted and completely over it and stop exercising all together.
LONG TERM SOLUTION: Take part in a sensible, manageable exercise program that includes a range of activities including cardio and weights around 3 times a week. Additionally, move as much as you can, every day.
“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.”
Rest and Recovery
Work all week, sleep on the weekend
When we get busy, many of us fall into the trap of pushing through the week on little or no sleep, planning to “make up for it” by sleeping in on the weekends. Much like exercise, sleep hours can’t be “ticked off” in one long snooze marathon. Our body and brain needs time to repair every night in order to be efficient and effective each day.
Taking a break only once a year
In our society, it’s quite common to see people in high stress jobs with busy families and intense situations to push themselves all year, holding on for dear life until they get a couple of weeks break at the end of the year. This sort of intensity is not sustainable, and for long term health and wellness, we need to switch our mindset from this attitude of all work and no play.
Obviously the recent pandemic has changed this situation for many of us as holidays may not be as accessible, and some of us found life slowed down for a little while. However, there is also a lot of stress out there, so now more than ever we need to actively choose to take moments every day that allow us to “play” and to find moments of recovery and joy in our busy week.
LONG TERM SOLUTION: Carve out time at least once a week or even better once a day to do something you love. Whether it be read a book, go for a walk, play tennis, bake, spend time in the garden. Don’t just grit your teeth until the next holiday. Find moments within everyday life that bring you joy. This is the formula for a long and happy life.
by Angie Black
Hey! I’m Angie. I’m passionate about fitting exercise into your life, for the rest of your life.
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