My 10 Health NON-Negotiables!

What are my health non-negotiables? I often get asked what do I do. How do I eat? What exercise do I do? How do you get into a regular sleep pattern? What is your morning routine? What protein do you eat? How do you get 30g fibre every day? How do you stay so positive?

I could quite literally talk about this for hours! If you ever ask me these questions in person, make sure you have at least 2hrs to spare because once I start I can’t stop.

In a bid to stay on point with the subject of this blog, I am going to bullet point my 10 Non-Negotiables because these are critical and all my other stuff is built upon these. Without these, anything additional doesn’t last long!

So here goes:

1. DRINK 2.5ltrs Water daily. I know, I know…you have heard it before but if you keep hearing it, and lot’s of people keep telling you to do it, the likelihood is…..you will benefit from it. 2.5ltrs water every single day, without fail (exceptional circumstances aside). Herbal teas count – Yay! Start the day with a pint of water and a mug of green tea with lemon and that is almost 1ltr before you have even sniffed the coffee beans. Oh and the green tea and lemon have the additional benefits of cleansing & stimulating the digestive tract , which often encourages a very satisfying morning ‘clear out’ 😉
2. Sleep like I’m getting paid for it! Sleep is the most under-utilised, performance enhancing drug on the planet. When we sleep we heal, consolidate memories, store information, reduce inflammation, balance the stress axis, nourish hormones and much more. Without sufficient sleep I feel like a dumb dumb! I know that sounds dramatic but even 1 night of disrupted sleep and I just cannot do what I know I am capable of. This is such a big player, maybe it should be number 1 🤔 (hmmmm). I get 7-9hrs sleep every night (exceptional circumstances aside).
3. Protein at breakfast. Every single time I grab a quick bowl of oats (without added protein), I am hungry within an hour of eating it. I like to learn from my life lessons and this has been a big one…..I now consider myself a protein seeker! This has changed both my hunger pangs and my mood. The amino acids in protein quite literally build your brain chemicals. Helping synthesis a happy functioning brain and communication between nerve cells. FYI: I also always have protein at lunch and dinner 👍🏻
4. Time outside (in nature where possible). At least 30 minutes outside every single day, surrounded by sunlight, trees, birds, mud, dirt, the sea, the beach, playing in the garden or gardening, walking, one foot in front of the other whilst your eyes can take in points of view in the distance and all around you. The shapes, smells, sounds and touch of nature are so powerful they use outdoor trips in mental & physical health clinics to improve symptoms. Google ‘Fractals in Nature’. Nature knows best. I always always get outside to stay feeling incredible.
5. Eat the Rainbow (30g Fibre daily). 30g Fibre is the recommended daily amount we should all be eating to maintain gut health. If I focus on eating as much colour as possible, I hit my 30g fibre easily. The reason this is important to me is because fibre regulates bowel movements, which removes waste efficiently and it helps balance cholesterol, blood sugar and supports my goal of ageing like a superhero! I also want to feed the ‘good’ bacteria I intentionally put in there (see point 6!) as these ‘good’ bacteria reduce bloating, soothe my mental health, reduce inflammation and strengthen my immune system.
6. Eat live bacteria. Following on nicely from point 5. I eat as many fermented foods as possible to increase the diversity of my friendly gut team. We have roughly 100trillion microbial cells in the human gut, thats over 10 x what the rest of the body has! If you neglect them, symptoms occur and they can be pretty disruptive. I consume Sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, kombucha, miso, pickles and aged cheeses. At least 1, if not 2 of these daily.
7. Stop eating minimum 2hrs before I get into bed. I wear an Oura ring (a health wearable) and it clearly shows that my body does not do all the necessary resting & healing etc when I eat too close to bed time. There is something called HRV (heart rate variability), which is a measure of how balanced your nervous system is. When I eat late, this plummets. I have tried several different calorie containing foods/drinks before bed and they all have the same effect. Digestion takes a loooot of effort!  Eating within 2/3hrs of bedtime results in metabolic stimulation, at a time when you should be winding down, so you are ready to glide into the beautifying, mind-altering, life-changing sleep (point 2).
8. Movement. Of all forms, in no particular order, as often as possible, whenever I can. It is that simple. I don’t overcomplicate movement. It does not have to be a gym membership or a sign up to a 5k or training for a triathlon or even tennis. Your body does not really know what any of these are! It just needs you to move. My movement changes from winter to summer, from my 20s to my late 30s (😉) and I do it for my independence and my mental health, NOT WEIGHT LOSS 🤯.
9. Limit alcohol. There is no amount of alcohol that does not damage your brain health. Yup….read that again! I have a glass when I want it. Mainly on social occasions, whilst I am laughing with friends & family. I still feel the effects of this one glass but the joy of the event was more potent to my wellbeing than overthinking or restricting the alcohol. Genetically, I am more susceptible to the effects of alcohol (I know because I have had my genetics tested!), so for me, the choice to have alcohol is deliberate. Never before a big day! 🧠 🤪
10. Supplement. This is unique to everyones needs. My supplement protocol varies depending on the time of year and my goals but my staple products are Omega 3, Vitamin D and Magnesium. Without fail, these little beauties form a part of my daily intake and I increase the Vit D in winter, increase the Mg in the luteal phase of my menstrual cycle and I don’t take the Omega if I eat oily fish that day.

So, there you have it. My personal 10 health non-negotiables! It took time, repetition and commitment to myself but these are now simply a part of who I am and why I feel pretty darn good, most of the time 😜

Oh and a bonus 11. If you love brownies, then have a brownie! Just don’t have it every day 👍🏻 (click here for more on favourite foods)

Thanks for reading.

Until next time

Michelle 💛