Six Changes I Have Made To My Lifestyle

My life is a constant journey of making changing. Over the years I have realized that I am not averse to change as long as I am continuously preparing myself to accept it. The change which catching you blind is the one which gives the most trouble. Lifestyle changes happen to be the easiest for me. All it takes is mental tuning and once I have made a decision I am able to stick with it. This year I have been most committed to eating 'clean' and by clean I do not mean "not" eating stuff, but instead eating food which is unprocessed, locally grown and cooked either in my kitchen or a trust restaurant in which I choose to put my faith.

Nonetheless, below are few of the substantial changes I have made recently:

1. Removed refined sugar from my diet

Cakes, candies, frozen yogurt, flavored coffee drinks, sodas and sweet tea - they are ALL out of my food chain! Though it’s hard saying "no" to these tempting foods, they were the primary reason for my anxiety, patchy skin tone, and upset stomach. Added sugar like high fructose corn syrup gets stored as fat. Make sure to read labels for added sugar and when you have a sweet craving reach for a fresh piece of fruit instead. I do bake my own desserts using coconut sugar or maple syrup (right before my periods) but other than that I am successfully removed all forms of added and refined sugars from my diet. You can check out my post - 3 Months Without Sugar - and the next update will be up real soon too.

2. Stopped drinking alcohol

Alcohol, when consumed in moderate amounts, can have healthful benefits such as lowering your risk of stroke and heart disease (or so I have heard). High alcohol intake, on the other hand, can lead to health problems including inflammation, uneven skin tone and belly fat (my personal experience). Alcohol suppresses fat burning and has a lot of sugar. Now, I won't say I have quit alcohol because I was never a big drinker anyways. I had a glass of wine once a month or so. But it has been four years since I have had any alcohol and my skin has never looked better.

3. Tried new workouts and classes

Sedentary lifestyle is the bane of my existence. This is partly due the darn smartphone and Netflix and partly due to my line of work. While I do try and stay active it is still not enough. Nonetheless, I changed my workout program back in January. And just this last week I started taking a headstand and cartwheel class. I am most excited about the later.

4. Consume high-protein diets

Foods rich in protein help increase your metabolism and keeps you feeling full for a long period of time. Apparently, low protein intake increases the production of neuropeptide Y (NPY) which is a hormone known to increase your appetite and belly fat gain. Being a vegetarian I struggle with consuming adequate amount of protein. I mostly rely on protein shake and bar (You can check out which ones I prefer here).

I have also started incorporating eggs in my meals but I can only consume it when it is baked and I cannot taste or smell the egg, which is a struggle on it own. Other options are quinoa, almonds, oats, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, lentils, beans and brussels sprouts.

5. Lead a minimal stress life

One of the decision making factors for everything is - Will this increase or add stress to my life? - if the answer is yes or may be I do not take on that work or task. Over the last year I have truly put myself and my mental health before everyone and everything. Also, cortisol is a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is necessary for survival but when produced in excess, it can lead to weight gain.

6. Committed to seven hours of sleep

Like everything else mentioned above, not getting enough sleep also leads to weight gain and obesity. Your metabolism slows down when you don’t have a good sleep. Thankfully, sleep has been my good friend for a couple of years now. Seven hours of daily sound sleep is the reason for my relatively sound mind, healthy skin and over all good health.
[ Related: Important of Sleep ]