Health Aims | 2018

health, michael laffey, life coach, michael laffey life coach, entire, whole

Show me a new year list and some mention of health can be found near the top.

The topic is vast and deeply personal and my aim here is not to focus on one particular aspect.

The basics of activity levels and what we eat is often reflective of other dimensions of ourselves. Taking care of ourselves is often an expression of taking back control and prioritising an aspect of our health.

The main message in this blog is that health is a whole approach.

For now, unless you have good reason, put aside the urge to run a marathon or shed half of your corporeal form. Take note of some of the messages here and see what resonates for you over the year ahead.

Transition into the new year gently

Some of the following items are witty (because in humour there is a nugget of truth), some look at how trends may evolve, some look at physical activity, some look at diet and, of course, we have mental wellbeing because without resilience and mental capacity none if it holds together.

Wellness Trends for 2018 | The Guardian

The Guardian - Health Trends 2018

Here The Guardian looks at 7 trends in nutrition, physical and mental wellbeing for the year ahead.

I consider fitness fads in the same way as fashion. Sometimes it’s Emperor’s New Clothes, some are just daft and you have to be wealthy enough to not care what people think, while mostly it’s about sitting back and seeing what eventually filters through the strata of hype and the test of time.

As always, some have potential, some are this year’s hype and some are simply essential. I’ll leave you to work out which is which.

Middle-age Benefits of Exercise

middle age exercise

I often refer to middle age as the second teenage phase. As I approach my own half century this aspect of my routine matters more and more – the exercise not the teenage bit!

Generational differences today are radically different to previous generations, adding substance to 60 being the new 50 and 50 being the new 40 etc.

The downside of sedentary lifestyles are in the headlines more and more. Doing exercise has physical and mental benefits. Denial or avoidance is not the answer. What else do you really need to know?! Read this then!

The New Year Healthy Eating Bore

new year eating bore

This is one of those BBC Radio 4 humourous pieces that positions itself quite happily in the new year new me evangelist spinach grove. Happy listening and chuckling. We’ve all been there from time to time.

The Benefits of Baking for Other People and for You

benefits of baking for others

Whether it’s more meal prep for healthy gains or simply cooking for the pleasure of it; cooking and baking have gained ground in the wellbeing limelight over recent years.

The benefits are shown to range from helping with depression, relieving stress, having a creative outlet, understanding what goes into our food and the simple joy of sharing and giving a little of ourselves and our time.

I make nine out of ten of my own meals and I rarely slave over the stove from more than 20-30 minutes. Ready cooked meals can take that long to re-heat anyway and are often more bland than I would like, so I use kitchen time to ease the switch between leaving home or returning. The most that is lost is you might see one less TV programme a night. Note the sedentary point earlier, so big deal!

Scientists Now Know Why Fibre is Good for You

Fibre is good for you

Get used to gut health and your microbiome being the new mantra. The stomach has been referred to as the second brain for some time. Being healthy involves playing host to millions of bacteria. Without them we simply wouldn’t survive. This article brings us a step closer to understanding why our greens are vital.

Sleep Time Calculator

sleepytime

For an optimal night’s sleep we require 6-7 sleep cycles per night. This calculator tells you what time to go to bed so that you hitch a ride on the right numbers of cycles and wake up ready to conquer.

Good Sleep = Less Sugar and Carbs

new scientist - sleep

New Scientist study shows (again) that sleeping better equates to making better eating choices.

Behavioural Economics

healthy choices

What’s the point in a set of bathroom scales that doesn’t show your weight?!

This is a great interview which you can listen to or read the transcript. I suggest doing both. Yes it promotes a new form of weighing scale but the thinking behind it is far more important.

It’s pretty well documented that we are absolutely rubbish at making decisions (especially healthy ones) and we’re far more easily influenced by our environment (including those around us) than we realise.

The Non-Joy of Multidimensional Perfectionism

multidimensional perfectionism

There’s much to be learnt from this article. Be you a Millennial or not, this article touches on the truths that life seems to require increasing levels of perfectionism on all fronts. Time to embrace the learning curve of mistakes and the pleasure of good enough.

Think Olympian

Olympian new year new me

Having made your way through all this, it’s time to round things up with Team GB.

I love this video and welcome their equal measures of focus and self-compassion. I’m happy to have a slice of that.

health, michael laffey, life coach, michael laffey life coach, entire, whole

Wishing you a very healthy 2018!

 

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