My Health Tips

So I'm not exactly known as an icon of healthy living. In fact, for much of my adult life, quite the opposite! Too much booze, too much overeating, too much eating shit food - I did it all. And for quite some significant proportion of my life too. Yeah, I used to be a fitness freak in my late teens, but once I discovered beer, and had money to party, that kind of all went to poop. Oh well, I enjoyed life, I'll say that!

No, I wasn't an angry fat kid, but boy, that photo made me laugh! Actually, I was probably more of a shy and unconfident fat kid, until I blossomed at about the age of 15. 

Anyway, I digress. The point I wanted to make in this post is that despite my poor performance in the health stakes for much of my life, I have been aware of some key principles, that even in my lowest ebb moments, made a difference to me, when I stuck to them. I know what it's like to try and fail with diets. I know what it's like to try and fail to avoid bingeing. I know what it's like to find the gym so boring you'd rather shoot yourself in the face than spend another minute there. 

So amongst all those things, what health factors did I cling to, that I actually felt made a positive impact over the years?

#1 Water - most people do not drink anywhere near enough water. I am a 2-3 litre per day guy. Yes you get some water value in other drinks, but often the other ingredients can offset this. Drinking enough water helps to keep your system healthy, flush out toxins and other crap, and keep your skin looking good. It is easy to keep sipping throughout the day, and makes all the difference to how you feel, especially if you like the booze!

#2 Breathing - this seems simple, as we have to do it to stay alive. But it's not as simple as it might seem. Yes, you breathe automatically when you sleep, but when you're awake, do you sometimes find yourself short of breath? Do you ever catch yourself breathing very shallowly? The thing is, you can breathe enough to stay alive easily, but breathing enough to optimise the flow of oxygen to your system, and especially your brain, well sometimes that takes practice. I have found that by almost meditating, that is sitting quietly, and focussing on deep, slow breaths, it makes a big difference to how one feels. I used to be a smoker, which no doubt did not help with oxygen absorption, but it's not just the physical difference deep breathing can make. It's the psychological one too. Deep and slow breathing can help you focus, it can help you slow your heart rate, and it can calm you down. It's a great tool for wellbeing.

#3 Sleep - again, this is one a lot of people seem to miss out on. I absolutely must have eight hours of sleep per day. Yes I can function on less, and I used to as well, for years. And yes, I have suffered from sleep apnoea, even after I had half my throat cut out about 20 years ago. The thing is, if I make sure I get that eight hours in bed, even if I am not asleep for all of it, it makes a hell of a difference for how I can approach the next day. Without enough rest time, I tend to start the next day already amped up a bit, in terms of my stress levels. Thus I tend to have a shorter fuse. I don't like having a short fuse. I am stuck with it to a degree, but by trying to manage my stress and angst, through breathing and sleep, I can do better at keeping it under control. I think people tend to push their sleep to the limits over time, and not realise the huge impact it has on their performance. I know that when I wake feeling fresh, not only is my outlook better, but my productivity is hugely improved. 

Ok, I think that will do. I am no health professional, fark, I am not even a health amateur really! But I do know these simple tips for make a positive difference, so I thought I would share.