5 Healthy Daily Habits

1.  Go to bed at 9pm

2.  Commit to NO BLUE LIGHT from computer screens or phones past sun-down. And when you do, wear amber glasses to block out the light.

3.  Have your last meal 3 hours before bedtime

4.  Break your fast more than 12 hours after your last meal, with a protein Break-Fast

5.  BREATH. Practice breathing OUT twice as long as you breathe IN. This way you positively engage the parasympathetic nervous system. Allowing your body to heal naturally.

Go to bed at 9pm

ALTHOUGH ACTION-ING THIS IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS, IT’S WORTH KNOWING THAT OUR BODIES HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA AND CONDITIONS WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH.  IF YOU ARE NOT ACTUALLY GETTING TO BED BY 9PM, BE SURE YOU DON’T STAY UP IN FRONT OF YOUR COMPUTER.

WHICH BRINGS US TO THE SECOND POINT.

Blue light and sleep

LIGHT FROM THE THE BLUE END OF THE SPECTRUM IS NATURAL AND COMES FROM SUNSHINE. HOWEVER, COMPUTER SCREENS, IPADS, FLAT-SCREENS, LED LIGHTING AND SMARTPHONES ALSO ALL EMIT LARGE AMOUNTS OF BLUE LIGHT.  

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT ALL LIGHT TOWARDS THE BLUE END OF THE SPECTRUM IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE AT KEEPING YOU AWAKE BECAUSE IT SUPPRESSES THE PRODUCTION OF THE SLEEP-INDUCING HORMONE MELATONIN.

THEREFORE TIME SPENT WITH GADGETS BEFORE BEDTIME TRICKS THE PINEAL GLAND INTO STILL BELIEVING THAT IT IS STILL DAYTIME. 

IDEALLY, SWITCH GADGETS OFF AT LEAST 2 HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME.

Prepare your last meal early, and then eat 3 hours prior to bedtime at the latest

THIS GIVES YOUR BODY THE RECOMMENDED 12 HOURS FASTING PERIOD REQUIRED. 

DURING THE NIGHTTIME HOURS YOUR BODY SHOULD IDEALLY BE EMPTY ENOUGH TO CARRY OUT A SEMI DETOX DURING THE HOURS WHEN YOU SLEEP.  BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 1-3 AM OUR LIVER (THE GRAND-PARENT ORGAN) COMES INTO ACTION AND WORKS VERY HARD CLEANING-HOUSE! WHEN WE HAVE EATEN CLOSE TO BEDTIME, WE ARE UNABLE TO CLEANSE OUR BODIES ADEQUATELY, AND CAN EVEN WAKE THE FOLLOWING MORNING FEELING DRUNK AND SQUEEZY FROM THE FERMENTATION IN OUR GUTS. 

Breakfast 12 hours after your last meal with a high protein breakfast

AFTER 12 HOURS OUR BODIES WILL HAVE HAD THE TIME TO CLEANSE ADEQUATELY. THEN STARTING OUR DAY WITH A PROTEIN BREAKFAST PROVIDES THE BODY WITH THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE LIVER AND AID LIVER PERFORMANCE. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A LARGE BREAKFAST, EVEN NUT BUTTERS WITH PROTEIN POWDERS, BERRIES AND YOGHURT MAKE A GOOD, HIGH PROTEIN YET BALANCED BREAKFAST. 

Breath 

BREATHING EXERCISES HAVE THE POWER TO RESTORE HEALTH ON THEIR OWN.

AT THE MORE EXTREME END OF THE SPECTRUM WE CAN TAKE ICE-MAN (FOR EXAMPLE), WHO HAS ACHIEVED BEYOND HUMAN POTENTIAL THOUGH BREATHING EXERCISES ALONE.

FOR US REGULAR FOLK, A REALLY GOOD BREATHING EXERCISE IS TO BREATH OUT TWICE AS LONG AS YOUR BREATH IN AND TO DO THIS FOR 7 MINUTES.  THIS ENGAGES THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS, WHILST SYSTEM REDUCING STRESS HORMONES AND SIGNALLING IN THE BODY PRESENT WHEN WE ARE SYMPATHETIC DOMINANT (FIGHT & FLIGHT).

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING ENGAGES THE DIAPHRAGM DURING THE BREATH.  YOU CAN PRACTICE DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING BY PLACING YOUR HAND ON THE STOMACH AREA, WHILST WATCHING THE STOMACH EXTEND AS THE BREATH IS DRAWN DOWN TO THE BASE YOUR LUNGS. WHEN YOU BREATH OUT, THE STOMACH GOES FLAT.