Getting Away With Things
We all like to think we can get away with things without there being any consequences- maybe driving too fast, taking risks at work or lying about something to make life easier for yourself.
One mindset in the health and fitness world is calories in calories out. If I eat this cake I can skip dinner or run it off and all is well. Or I’ll drink too much alcohol this weekend and not drink next week to balance it out.
I like to think of things like that as input. Once you’ve eaten that cake or had too many drinks that input is now done and logged. It’s in the system. There’s no quick delete button. This doesn’t mean you’re doomed though and going for a run or not drinking for a week are beneficial but the input is still there so it’s good to bear that in mind.
I thought I could “get away with things” for years. I’ve spent the last decade trying to put in much better input whilst still enjoying my life.
On the flip side to that, there are some people that feel they can’t get away with anything. They might have 1 drink and feel terrible for days after, or have 1 cup cake and feel bloated and sick all day while their friend seems to get away with drinking alcohol or eating cupcakes all day without any noticeable ill effects.
I like to think of these choices in life as calculated risks. I could live trying to avoid all the things that do me harm but this wouldn’t lead me to a happy life. I choose to reduce or eliminate certain things from my life that that I believe cause me the greatest harm. Everyone different depending on you, where you live what you do for work, your environment etc.
A few of these things are choose to reduce or avoid are-
Too much processed foods.
Drinking alcohol daily.
Putting chemicals on my skin such as certain soaps, fabrics and hygiene products.
Too much indoor time under with no natural sunlight.
Too little fresh air. Just open that window!
Too much screen time especially in the evenings.
Constantly near or in contact with electronic devices especially next to your head when sleeping. If you need an alarm put your phone on Airplane mode.
Argumentative and/or negative people. I won’t waste my time and energy.
Constant noise of life. I need some quiet time. I might drive home with the radio off.
Over committing. I can say no every so often. No one will hate me if I can’t help someone out occasionally as they know I have a life to lead and commitments too.
So here’s a brief list of some of the things I do to make it easier on my mind and body to “get away” with some of the not so healthy things in life I like to enjoy every so often-
Aim for 7-8 hrs sleep nearly every night. It’s the best way to heal the body.
Take homemade foods to work to save money and eat healthier. Healthy foods repair my body.
Move regularly every day even if it doesn’t involve getting a sweat up. Even low intensity movement helps stimulate the body and flush out toxins and clear my mind.
Drink lots of water and increase this amount when drinking alcohol. I may also take Milk Thistle to assist the liver in processing it, as I want to flush the alcohol out after I’ve enjoyed its effects.
Be grateful. This sounds cheesey but in the days I didn’t care much about a whole lot in life it’s easy to trash yourself because nothing really matters so silly risk taking was easy. When you start to feel grateful you have a better focus and purpose in life.
Time Restricted Eating (TRE). This is similar to fasting. It’s when you give you body a rest from processing calories. As an example, I may not eat from 8pm until 8am. That’s it. Easy. If I make 16 hours that even better but you should always build up slowly if you choose to try this as my blood sugar control will differ from yours.
Do something kind for someone regularly. It’s nice to feel I’m contributing positively to the people around me.
Don’t take things too seriously all the time. Be able to laugh at myself and laugh along with others when the occasions are right.
Get hot and cold. I only do this when I’m feeling good and not on the verge of sickness. These temperature changes will stimulate the immune system and make it stronger for it. For example, I’ll take a quick dip in the sea or have a cold shower for 30 seconds or maybe jump in a sauna for 10 minutes. Again build up to this slowly and safely if you do try these out.
Talk with my wife and/or friends deeply. No one is an island and communication face to face is vital. Even hugs are hugely important to positively change the chemistry within the body. There’s very good science behind the positive effects of human touch such as skin to skin with your baby or just a hug with someone you’ve only just met. My wife’s from Argentina and South Americans are generally a happy huggy bunch of people :)
Thanks for reading!
Rich
