Trainer JonK

5 tenets of a healthy lifestyle:

Over my years of coaching clients I’ve come across tons of individuals wishing to attain better health. And although they all had different challenges to overcome, there are 5 core principles which if followed, lead to success. Some of them would have 1 or two already, but when they grabbed the reins on all 5 they really began making great progress.

Well I’m going to share these 5 tenets and why they are so important.

Number 1. -sleep is a priority.
It would be humerus if it weren’t terrible, but most people do not sleep well on a regular basis. In fact it’s been so long since they’ve slept well that they believe it’s not possible. Sleep is hugely important because in the deeper levels of sleep the body flushes with restorative hormones. If you don’t do this regularly it can prolong the recovery of an injury and make progressing to higher fitness levels impossible.
Tips for sleep:
-go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
-cool the room to below 70 degrees for sleep
-reduce noise, activity and lights 45 minutes before sleep (I’d also recommend trying a night mask and ear plugs if you are a light sleeper)
-don’t eat immediately before bed. Leave a 2 hour gap between eating and sleep

Number 2- Control your calorie intake
you may have been led to believe that you have to eat only organic food and mostly vegetables to be healthy. This simply isn’t true. Those are great things to do, but in general keeping yourself accountable to calories is going to do the trick. It’s the end all be all of weight loss, and once you’ve practiced it awhile you can get more specific with your macro nutrients, your food sourcing and so on. For most people, tracking your calories with an app like my fitness pal will start making a world of difference and ensure that your weight and health are being managed.
Tips for calorie control:
-Leafy greens and fibrous vegetables. You can eat a toooon of this stuff and be guilt free with your calories.
-fatty foods, especially oils and peanut butter are going to sky rocket your calorie count very quickly. Be wary.
-Try to cook most of your food yourself, it’s much easier to keep portion sizes reasonable when you make them yourself… it’s a bit harder not to eat the whole burger.
-don’t drink soda… just for the love of god don’t drink soda. I’ve made an entire video about this and trust me it’s not worth it. Switch to a low sugar tea or flavor substitute.

Number 3- Mind your vices
Alcohol, ma*****na, caffeine, ni****ne, opioids, amphetamines. Every one of these substances is fantastic! (Bet that’s not what you thought I’d say) they all have a specific time and place in which they are very appropriate, useful and enjoyable. But typically these substances are “abused” or used far too regularly. You must understand and appreciate that the body is a self regulating machine. Adding these substances too often or in too great an amount can cause cascading effects throughout multiple systems of the body and make it very hard to maintain an equilibrium of health. You can do them, but be very careful. And if you think you’re overdoing it, try taking a break to see if you don’t feel better without it (or at least as much of it).
Tips for minding vices:
- write them down. Once you can acknowledge them you can work with them
-keep track. Don’t let your vices become unchallenged habits. Be aware of how much you consume
-pair them with reasonable activities. I take caffeine when I workout and sometimes when I coach, but not otherwise. I drink alcohol, but only when I’m out and done working for the day (never alone)
-ask for help if you can’t stop. It’s almost impossible to be successful kicking something if you are only accountable to yourself.

Number 4- Be active every day
We’ve all seen the articles 30, minutes a day 6 days a week for adults over the age of 25. Right?? Well, it’s true. This does improve and show great benefits to cardiovascular health. But to me this one means something more.

I don’t do anything 5 days a week that isn’t a habit. And making daily activity a habit is crucial to better health. Maybe it’s a workout, maybe it’s a hike or a bike ride. It doesn’t matter. The evidence is in the pudding, healthy people like to move. They make it a priority and it becomes a habit.
Tips to be active everyday:
-schedule it. Put it in the plan and MAKE time, don’t wait for it.
-find something you enjoy doing. It’s very hard to do a workout day to day if you hate it.
-go with a friend. Friends make movement twice as fun if not way more!

Number 5- Get a hobby or stress reliever
Everybody gets stressed out. But not everyone is stressed everyday. And some people actually go long periods without major stress. Phenomenal right? Must be AMAZING.

You don’t have to be a guru and have zero unwanted stress. But you can’t live with it at high levels all of the time. It severely dampens your body’s ability to relax and recover and it actually causes the body to break itself down. This happens through the increase of cortisol and inflammation, both of which can cause elevated blood pressure and higher levels of fat production.

So relax, get the stress away and have a method of doing so. Reading, exercise, music, friends, any of these works but you’ll need to find what’s best for you.
Tips to relieving stress:
-get a hobby that is both entertaining and challenging
-try meditating for 5-10 minutes a day (preferably in the morning)
-practice deep breathing several times a day- 4 seconds in, 4 seconds out.

Bonus tenet!
Number 6: get your gut in your side.
Gut health is at an all time low and it’s something of a pandemic (although not as publicized COVID). But we all have a friend or family member or maybe even you yourself struggle with your gut.

The science of exactly how our gut biome effects the body isn’t fully understood. But what we do know is that the brain and your endocrine system (responsible for all your hormone regulations) is largely controlled by what happens in the gut. If you have an unhealthy gut, it’s very very difficult to maintain a healthy body.
Tips for a healthy gut:
-for the love of god don’t drink soda!
-eat fermented foods on a daily basis- kombucha, pickles, sour kraut, yogurt… there’s lot of options. But get those healthy germs in your belly!
-only take antibiotics when absolutely necessary
-take a probiotic after antibiotic use or when you feel like you need a reset.

Thanks for reading my 6 tenets of a healthy lifestyle. I believe these to be hugely important factors of health and I’ve seen miraculous things happen with my clients who made them a priority.

Do you agree with my list? What are some healthy tenets that have helped you?