Does this sound familiar? After a rough start to the new year, you’ve been overwhelmed with work, life, parenting, school, and (or) chores. As a result, your health and wellness have taken a back seat. Now, you are ready to reset as we head into April, so you make the decision to become your healthiest self. You will take action by stocking your fridge with plenty of fruits and vegetables while saving your BodyFit by Amy workout playlist for the upcoming week. 

That’s great! But, too often, people focus *exclusively* on these two things when choosing to become their healthiest selves. While these are great, they are only a portion of what can improve your health. So, today, I am sharing eight realistic, sustainable, and evidence-based tips to become your healthiest self this 2023. 

1. Increase your NEAT.

Whenever I work with clients looking to lose weight or improve their health, they tell me they want to “eat healthier and exercise more.” That’s fine and all, but let’s talk about exercise. I cannot tell you the number of times I have worked with people (and I used to be one of those people) that rely on their workout as their activity for the day. Think about the 24 hours we have in a day and what a small portion of that time is taken up by intentional exercise. For most of us, it’s anywhere from 20 minutes – 45 minutes. I am not saying that exercise doesn’t matter. I am saying that sweating and going hard for 30 minutes while sitting all day in front of screens (aka most of our jobs these days) is still considered a sedentary lifestyle. So, what should you do to become your healthiest self? Keep up with the exercise, yes, but also focus on your NEAT. 

Um? What? Like, make sure my house is neat?

Well, kind of. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy (calories) we burn for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or intentional exercise. NEAT includes walking, fidgeting, washing the car, doing house chores like cleaning (so, yes, making your house *neat* does increase your NEAT), cooking, gardening, yard work, talking on the phone while pacing, doing dance performances for your dog (…anyone else? No? Just me? Okay.), and any other kind of movement that is not intentional exercise. 

Why does this matter? 

Intentional exercise for the average person accounts for a tiny percentage of calories burned daily. New research suggests that calorie burn from exercise may not be that significant, so we want to pay attention to our NEAT. Simply put, working out doesn’t cancel out the hours that you sit all day. For many of us, exercise accounts for 5% of the calories we burn daily, while your NEAT can account for 15 – 30% of your calories burned. 

These days, our NEAT keeps decreasing, not increasing. Think about it, instead of walking around the grocery store, you can have groceries delivered to your doorstep. Instead of going in and out of stores to purchase items, we now have access to online shopping. Even walking down the hall to chat with your co-worker is eliminated for those working from home. If weight loss or weight maintenance are goals for you, NEAT can help prevent weight gain even during periods of overfeeding. Aside from calorie burn and weight loss, our bodies are designed to MOVE! Moving more is good for overall mobility, increased blood flow, improved posture, increased energy, a clearer mind, and improved mood.

The bottom line

Exercise matters, but it is not enough to cancel out the many hours we spend sitting. Moving more throughout the day (increasing NEAT) can be a powerful (and doable) way to become your healthiest self this year. And it may be the missing key for those looking to lose or maintain weight. 

2. Still, pay attention to your EAT.

So, I got you all hooked on the concept of NEAT, but what about EAT? Exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT) refers to the calories you burn when trying to break a sweat. While exercise may account for a small portion of calories burned per day, it is essential. Exercise can lower blood sugar, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, improve sleep, reduce the risk of certain cancers, decrease inflammation, and strengthen your bones and muscles. 

It is well-established that muscle is more metabolically active than fat. This means that a person who carries more muscle (someone who does resistance training) burns more calories at rest than someone who doesn’t have a lot of muscle mass (someone who does not strength train). Even though the calorie burns for muscular people are exaggerated, increasing your muscle mass (strength training) can increase your metabolic rate. Once again, if weight loss is your goal, these small metabolic rate increases can help you.

3. Make half your plate non-starchy vegetables to become your healthiest self.

If you are a member of the BodyFit Athletic Club, you know this is the bread and butter of The Method nutrition plan (join us HERE if you want to access it!). Non-starchy vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, kale, spinach, tomatoes, and asparagus contain vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. In addition, they provide water and fiber, which can support gut health, and volume, which can help with satiety.

And please know that frozen produce is just as good as fresh! Frozen produce can be more affordable and reduce food waste while allowing you to always have non-starchy veggies on hand! I love adding frozen riced cauliflower or frozen spinach to smoothies. And frozen broccoli, bell peppers, and green beans make a great addition to stir-fries. 

4. Focus on the 2Ps for snacking – produce and protein

I have nothing against a pre-packaged protein bar or some cheese and whole-grain crackers for a snack. This convenience makes them easy to grab frequently. But, if you rely on packaged snacks often, you could miss out on opportunities to increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables. 

Most experts recommend five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. So, if you want to be your healthiest self, it’s time to focus on produce! I recommend breaking that down into three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily. For the three meals I consume, I make half of my plate vegetables (that’s three servings of non-starchy vegetables). For the two snacks I eat, I like to have fruit and protein (that’s 2 servings of fruit). 

What’s considered a serving of fruits and vegetables?

Research suggests that consuming 400 grams of fruits and vegetables every day is the key to becoming your healthiest self. One serving is one cup of fresh leafy greens or 1/2 cup for everything else. For those unfamiliar with cups, select at least 45 – 60 grams of fresh leafy greens or 80 grams for everything else. 

Some of my favorite “2P” snacks include:

• Greek Yogurt + mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries)
• Banana + 1 ounce of almonds
• Cantaloupe + 2 sticks of mozarella cheese
• Smoothie (frozen cherries + almond milk + protein powder)

A 2P Snack Challenge is Coming! 

Join us in the BodyFit Athletic Club for our Healthy Snack Challenge, which will start in April (along with ABSolution). 

5. Drink minimally and mindfully.

I’m all for a glass of wine after a long day, and I am a big fan of craft cocktails. That said, alcohol is a toxin, and it’s just not that great for us. Yes, that includes red wine, which many of us have heard is healthy because of anTiOxIdAnTs. Sorry to be a buzz-kill, but that glass of red wine is not doing much for your health. While red wine does have antioxidants, you can also eat some alcohol-free grapes and get the nutrition without the toxin (alcohol). Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that no level of alcohol is safe for our health. The evidence against alcohol has been mounting for a while, which may be responsible for the newly sober curious movement and a rise in sales of non-alcoholic wines and spirits. 

Should you eliminate alcohol? 

That’s strictly a personal choice, but reducing your intake may be a good idea if you drink excessively. Researchers speculate that alcohol damages DNA and creates oxidative stress, which also damages DNA. Our bodies can handle minor damages here and there. However, damage is still damage, so keeping intake at a minimum (or non-existent) is ideal if you want to be your healthiest self this year. As for me, I’ve let go of the evening cocktail or glass of wine at the end of the day and reserve my drinking for special occasions (or for exceptionally terrible days!).

6. Adopt a “foods first, supplement second” philosophy. 

These days, there is an abundance of supplements like collagen, green powders, multivitamins, and so forth. Supplements can be helpful for some people, but they are meant to SUPPLEMENT, not REPLACE real food. I’ll keep it short: green powders are not the same as eating actual vegetables. Collagen may improve skin and joint health, but it’s not required. The evidence on collagen has been way overblown and exaggerated, so while it’s promising, it’s not a magic cure-all! All in all, focus on getting your nutrients from real, whole foods, and consider a supplement to fill nutrient gaps in your diet. 

7. Be mindful of added sugars.

Notice I said to be mindful. I didn’t say cut sugar (unless you are cutting a slice of cake, then, yes, cut sugar!). I repeat, I did not say to eliminate sugar. Added sugar can have a place in a balanced diet. In fact, allowing it can make your healthy eating journey more sustainable and realistic. That said, most people overconsume added sugars, which can increase the risk of weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.

When working with clients, I assess where their added sugar may be coming from. Foods like salsa, peanut butter, nut milk, salad dressings, and bread often contain added sugars. However, most of my clients are okay with swapping for the unsweetened version of these. When it comes to more important foods or beverages like coffee, I often encourage my clients to enjoy their coffee as they like it. So, if adding a little sugar or a flavored creamer makes that cup of coffee perfect, do it! Again, we are trying to become our healthiest selves, and drinking coffee you hate is miserable. Miserable = stress = not good for health!

Bottom line: keep the added sugar in the foods you love most (for me, it’s coffee and three mini oreos in the evening!) and eliminate it in foods that you could care less have sugar (like bread or spaghetti sauce).

8. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Adequate hydration helps regulate your body temperature, lubricates and cushions joints, protects the spinal cord, supports digestive health, and helps your body eliminate waste through urination, sweat, and bowel movements. Did you hear that? Water helps eliminate waste, meaning hydration cleanses and detoxes your body! Ha! How about that?! No expensive teas or juices needed! 

Your healthiest self includes more than food and movement. 

Of course, there are many other important factors that you must consider to become your healthiest self. These include stress reduction, brightening your outlook, practicing mindful eating, taking deep breaths throughout the day, getting outside, sleeping well, and more.

If You’re Looking For More Support:

Amy and I offer individualized nutrition and fitness coaching. Learn more about our most comprehensive and personalized program, BodyFit Elite,

HERE. 

Looking for the method nutrition plan I talked about? Want to improve your snacking and join the snack challenge next month? Get access to all the tools you need to focus on your nutrition and fitness this year at the BodyFit Athletic Club.