Wellness on the Inside

We are all caregivers in some capacity and often forget to take care of our own nutritional needs. Eating a balanced diet is essential to provide your body with all the nutrients it needs, and will keep your body strong and give you enough energy to provide the best care for those you care for and yourself. Some of the effects of not eating a healthy, balanced diet include:

• Reduced energy and strength – Eating fewer calories (energy) and taking in less protein than your body needs can cause tiredness. Caring for someone can be exhausting so it is important you have enough energy to fuel you throughout the day.
• Weaker immune system – As the gut makes up an important part of the immune system, a poor nutritional intake may lead to a weaker immune system. A strong immune system is important for fighting illness as the last thing you need when caring for someone is to feel under the weather.
• Unplanned weight loss – You may go through periods when you have a poor appetite and don’t feel like eating as much, which can be triggered by lots of things. Whatever the reason, taking in fewer calories than the body needs can lead to unintended weight loss.
• Weight gain – Busy and demanding lifestyles can make it difficult for you to eat a healthy, balanced diet. When you need a quick energy fix it can be easy to reach for junk food and snacks, which are high in calories and low in nutrients. Whatever the reason, eating too many calories can lead to weight gain. Even if you are overweight, the body may still be lacking in certain nutrients that are important for health. 

So how do we make sure we are getting the nutrition we need to sustain us?

Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and cancer), and promote your overall health. There’s a lot of advice out there on how to eat healthy, and if we’re being honest, it can sometimes feel like too much to think about. Especially when you’re hungry. Remember when you were a kid and eating was as simple as open, chew, and enjoy? Yes, those were simpler times. Now, knowing how to eat healthy doesn’t seem quite as straightforward. Between the diet fads, gourmet trends, and a rotating roster of superfoods, eating well has gotten complicated. It doesn’t have to be convoluted. What’s important is that you stick to the basics, which is easy to do as long as you do your research.

Drinking more water is an important, integral part of daily healthy living. It contributes to your overall health from top to bottom. And the good news, it’s easy to start and stay hydrated. Check out this link for more information on the importance of staying hydrated: hydrate-your-way-to-a-healthier-day

If your health fails, it can overshadow everything else that’s going on in your life. From relatively minor health issues such as aches and pains, lethargy, and indigestion to major health problems that can threaten your existence, health can really affect happiness and stress levels. Making a commitment to biohacking your health with healthier habits can have a far-reaching payoff: you’ll feel better in everything you do. This is particularly important as it relates to stress. The stress that comes from poor health is significant because when you’re facing a health challenge, it affects so many areas of your life. Daily tasks become more challenging, health expenses can pile up, and your ability to earn a living can even be in jeopardy. And stress itself can exacerbate health issues from the common cold to more serious conditions and diseases, so it really does pay off to maintain healthy stress management habits not only to be able to manage the stress of poor health, but to help avoid it altogether by staying healthier longer.

Alaka’i Associates is here to be a resource and to guide you in your wellness journey. Reach out for a free 30 minute consultation so we can find the right path for you. Your health is your first wealth.

Until next time – LiveAlohaLiveWell