3 SECRETS TO WAKING UP LIKE NEW: Prioritize: eating, drinking, and moving around! Part: 3

We’ve become horribly disorientated humans. Movement is one of your body’s most basic functions! But because our world has created the idea that looking like a billboard model is for everyone, we have worn ourselves out, thrown ourselves into a volcano, and we don’t want to go back in. So, in defense of our fears, here are a few sneaky ways to get out of the lethargic state without doing “exercises” but rather doing easy 30-second goals.  

Moving your legs while sitting at your desks has become a goal in office environments.

So, maybe it’s time to stop thinking about getting more exercise as a harsh punishment. We need movement more than the stress brought on by thinking about how horrible it is. There are ways to get all the exercise required by prioritizing movement. Painlessly. But even more interesting is that everyone can learn to enjoy getting the movement they need by teaching themselves new tricks.

(Superpower Habits are the secret to reaching movement goals without pain discomfort or opposition.)

Live to give. That includes yourself.

PRIORITIZING MOVEMENT IMPROVES SEX LIFE AND HEALTH

Recent studies show that movement helps us mentally and physically. So, get it where you can and enjoy it because it improves your mood – sex life – appetite for health—healthier bones— circulation for overall health benefit including the brain —it’s a body mind and spirit lift— it helps prevent constipation. And… ready for this? It helps regulates your appetite, reduces cravings, and promotes healthy digestion, along with promotes a glowing complexion. Circulation! Smile, baby, you are glowing and gorgeous!

Movement used to be regular, and we didn’t have to create games to get enough of it. But you’ll enjoy learning a few wacky stretching games. It’s so easy here’s a list of some almost stupid sounding stretches.  

• Side bend by bending your body left and right (as shown with Kitty Orange). Add a tricky move by trying to scratch the middle of your back simultaneous with bending.
• Overhead stretch – raise your hands above your head 10 times and open your eyes wide: yes, your face needs movement, too.
• Lift your feet while sitting in your office chair with your head down chin in chest. 
• Rotate your feet in a circle under your desk while secretly moving your hands in the opposite direction.
• Reach down and touch your toes sitting in your chair, taking a deep breath in through your nose as you reach for your toes. Then exhale through your mouth as you rise up wiggling your fingers.

• Another great way to prioritizing movement is to take the stairs and stretch your legs as you don’t get on the elevator. 
• Dance anywhere anytime, even for just 30 seconds. 
• Jump as high as you can three times on a non-slippery surface. 

Don’t laugh, since athletes do these stretches all the time. Stretching increases your range of motion and flexibility by lengthening soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments. And stretching can be as advantageous as a routine workout! It’s used for weight loss. Try stretching through an evening show: it’s a workout! If it’s too much, do a quick 5 minutes until you’re in shape, and make it a goal. Five minutes and your show. 

TOGETHER IS BETTER

Both physical and meditative moments are activities you can do alone. On their own, they can improve how you feel. But a recent study found that when you “try to move in synchrony with another person, it as well improves your self-esteem. That’s awesome. Find a partner. 

Carb-rich food like crackers and bread, combined with a tryptophan source like cheese, helps make tryptophan more available to your brain.

I know what you’re thinking, “The digestive system must rest while we sleep, and what about gaining weight by eating late?” In all fairness, a snack isn’t eating a meal – but rather about supporting our blood sugar levels, which in no way means eating a thanksgiving dinner or large meal of any sort.

Refusing to eat when your body needs it can keep you up at night or reduce the quality of sleep. Prioritizing snacks is a benefit. It takes the guilt off your already weighted mind—but learn to do it right.

That one cracker with a slice of cheese and apple can be the difference between feeling great and always being tired.

For those who worry endless about weight gain, you can start by making sure carbs and proteins are eaten correctly throughout the day. If that doesn’t work, speak to your nutritionist, and try one small tiny thing before bed time—kabam, my friend, life surprises you and you deserve it.

Personally, after a long day, I might enjoy one or all: a slice of toasted, homemade whole-grain bread, topped with tomato slices, arugula, and a nice cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Or, a couple of dried mission figs or a thimble of nuts, pickles or olives, perhaps a couple slices of an apple, and a few cherry tomatoes cut in half with a just a drop of olive oil, salt, and pepper. These are examples of favorite nightcaps. At times, I’ll add a glass of port. And I do this an hour or two before bedtime, regardless that alcohol is regarded as a no-no. My schedule is, I’m sure, not unusual. Being I’m a business owner, I retire to bed with my computer and work for hours before I fall asleep. Therefore, the small snack is essential for brain and sleep power, so it’s logical and easy to eat 1-3 hours before I fall asleep. 

In the natural flow of healthy eating, I’ve enjoyed freedom my whole life around food. My eating habits have evolved into a lifetime of love. I adore foods and never having feared what I eat, I’ve never been influenced by the idea of pre-bedtime snacking as taboo, or that eating in the middle of the night would set my jean size off. I’ll be honest, I’ve never eaten a low-fat diet or a restrictive diet of any kind for that matter. But, to the surprise of some, I’m cautious about eating poor choices. I’ve created habits to eat right and that, my dear sweet friends, is as valuable as a hired coach by my side day and night for 25 years! In other words, my health and fitness didn’t come from my genes: it came from conscious choices and great habits over the years. 

Now, I probably sound like a bragging brat, but it’s not intended that way. It’s a lifetime of learning, growing, and now I’m sharing. I’m not the only one in the world enjoying the benefit of this freedom. But, over the decades of my adulthood, I’ve been saddened to see friends, family, and what feels like the majority of America torturing themselves under the guise of false information that led to horrible diets and stressful failures. These failures include sleepless nights due to the fear of eating.

Again, not everyone can eat the same way, but there’s a substantial number that can, who are clueless how to manage it. Start slow, and your focus should be on relaxing. It’s more critical than calorie counting. What many miss in this weighing of the calories is that a good night’s sleep actually helps you lose weight the next day. (I will write an article on it, look for it later.) The next step might be to take more courses on the subject. They’re free when you subscribe to my website. 

STRESS MAKES EVERYTHING YOU EAT FEEL LIKE YOU’VE EATEN A COW

In the name of fear, the ideas to be thin continues to promise the world a happy life, that whatever we want, we should have it as quickly as possible. These values do nothing but stress us more. And stress has a huge effect on sending every bite of food we eat to the wrong places. Our basic natural need for sleep, food, and love is put aside while we drink “Frapu-fuckme-ccinos” that shorten our lives while pushing away precious things. Valuable things that heal our bodies and offer us health for essential things like sleep. If you don’t want to give up your “Frapu me bad health,” then what excuse do you have not to give your body a snack at night? Okay, I sound harsh, and I’m not judging. It’s just facts. (You can come back at me with, “Efrona, why do you do too much?” It’s similar.) There are great Frapu’s that aren’t harmful to the body, and you’re worth what’s good for prioritizing your life better. 

I could go over the, “Do you feel hungry?” “Do you suffer from brain fog, fatigue, digestive gurgling’s?” or “Perhaps your mind shuts down after 6 p.m.?” We could also talk for hours on these questions. Or, I could tell you that if you’re not sleeping well, you’re either thirsty, hungry, haven’t moved all day, or it’s all three, and I’d have a considerable chance of being correct. 

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

I’ve tried to list the properties in some of the foods that affect sleep to help justify the logic behind eating certain foods at night. Still, I’ve found that the best sleep in this life — the kind where you wake up feeling young again or just awesome — this sleep doesn’t rely upon knowing which foods are listed with tryptophan or melatonin. Knowledge is powerful – and we should always seek it, but we forget that our bodies are the cheapest and most reliable laboratory we own. If we learn to understand our cravings, comforts, and discomforts, we can have all the inside information we need for exceptional sleep, life, and love by listening to our bodies.

Try having a small snack pre-bedtime and keep an open mind to what combos will work for you. It could be 4 tomatoes and 4 crackers just for the crunch rather than the carbs. We, humans, are complicated. When you bake a cake, it won’t rise to perfection without a balance of items and some practice, but it’ll become a cake with the smallest effort even if it’s not perfect. Relax your mind and optimize water, movement, and snacks into your own unique recipe. It can be your miracle or, at the least, a great start to baking the perfect life. 

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death. — Leonardo da Vinci

 

PRIORITIZING SNACK MANAGEMENT

Below are bedtime snacks to mix and match. Many of the items are rich in tryptophan and melatonin. Your body uses tryptophan (Amino acid) to make both serotonin and melatonin, which aid in sleep.

You can safely choose two of the choices below. Many can mix 3-4 together for proper nourishment without fear of gaining extra pounds. And the idea is to have a bit more carbohydrates than protein. 

Make your own list from your own cultural influences. I’d love to hear about them. So, please write to me—but prioritize the right amounts and times to have them. For me, usually having a snack 2-3 hours before bedtime is great. But on days where I’ve worked too hard and not taken care of myself, I will make 3 crackers with my favorite toppings and eat them right when I go to bed with a shot of port perhaps. This works like magic for me. I usually curl up in bed with my cute little plate and sip my port reading before drifting off.

One rule to consider would be snacking 2-3 hours before bedtime for those who have digestive disturbances. 

Notes on movement:

1. HarvardHealth, Everyday Stretching
2. LifeHacker, Stephanie Lee, A Full-Body Workout You Can Do In Your Office Chair
3. SleepFoundation.org, The Best Foods to Help You Sleep