Rob’s TOP 10 tips for a Healthy 2020 and beyond…..
1. Watch your alcohol, no more than 7 glasses per week, though even better none. Alcohol is generally high in calories, especially beer. The other issues is that when people drink, they tend to make poor food choices….burgers….kebabs….bitterballen….French fries…..
2. Try to avoid stress, it influences your hormonal balance in negative sense. Modern lifestyles are full of stress – heavy work loads, school runs, family issues, depression, anxiety, over use of social media, health issues ! Some of these can be solved by small changes – getting more sleep, adopting a positive mental attitude, analysing work and family life and removing the issues that annoy you. For more serious stress issue, consider talking to someone that can help give you clarity.
Editor note : There is a list of professionals in Amsterdam that can help with issues of stress, burnout, anxiety and depression and can be found here :
3. Do muscle- and cardio exercise at least 3 times a week for 45-60 minutes per week. It increases your rest metabolism and therefor you burn more fat over time. So do less Netflix and chill and push yourself to work out more. Adding sport and exercise into your week as an obligation, not an option. Once you are training regularly, you will want to train more. It becomes your normal and that is just simply changing you habits.
4. Avoid bad fatty acids, like in cookies, fried stuff etc. Learn more about the foods you eat. Knowledge is power. Take a full break from the habit (if you have one) of going to McDonalds or Burger King. Make better food choices. If you are in a restaurant, don’t stuff yourself with the free bread while waiting for your actual order. That’s doubling the calories !
5. Eat a lot of vegetables, good for the vitamins. Adopt a policy of eating more vegetables. Try keeping a small food diary, so you are visibly more aware of what you are eating to make sure you are adding the vitamin rich foods you need to build muscle.
6. Avoid too many carbohydrates, because what you don’t burn will be stalled as fat. Again, get informed. Which foods are low in carbs, which are high in carbs. You might well be surprised. It doesn’t require becoming a scientist or a nutritionist. Take a basic interest. This site has some well presented images showing you which foods are low and high in carbs
Orange juice. Sound healthy ? Be careful……
7. Try to be outside for at least one our a day so as to absorb daylight in order to produce vitamin D, a very important vitamin for immune system, bone mass. OK, I know that in The Netherlands we are not exactly spoilt for sunshine, but do get out more.
Go for a lunchtime walk. If you need supplement for vitamin D. Speak to a doctor first. Perhaps consider a blood test too. That always reveals a lot of useful information about what your body needs.
8. Make sure to have at least a few laughing moments per day. It makes you happy. This is so important. Take a lighter look at life. Don’t be too serious even if you have an important job to do. Tell more jokes !
Editor note : Try one or more of the excellent comedy nights that happen all the times in the Amsterdam area. See the list here
9. Stop smoking if you can. And you really can. Use up the start of a new year as a mark. You used not to be a smoker, so become a non-smoker again. It is very bad for your health and you know that. It costs a fortune too. Try the gums of the patches, but ultimately only one person can stop you smoking and that’s you. Change your habits and start today!
10. Drink at least 2 litres of water. This is easy and the benefits are massive. Buy a refillable water container and take it with you all the time. This means you will drink more water, but also means you will spend less money buying water in single use plastic bottles. That’s a win-win.
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