How to Move the Needle and be Healthy on Purpose
We all know what causes disease, but what causes health?
Most people have the superstitious belief that getting out of shape, aging, or disease âjust happens.â
But the truth is that we have plenty of ways to move the needle. There are levers to pull, and buttons to push, that will lead to more health.
Sure. There are external causes of ill health. Environmental toxins, unfortunate physical accidents, stress that causes hormonal imbalance, unexplained illnesses, and in some cases, genetics.
Note that I put genetics last since all of those other things are the more likely cause.
Thatâs right, you canât blame genetics for all of your problems. But thatâs good news! That means you can do something about your health. YOU CAN MOVE THE NEEDLE.
Decide that you want more health. Then create it for yourself.
Hi, Iâm Tim from Time2Thrive, a newsletter that helps people find simple ways to get healthier, eat with intention, and care for their bodies.
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Ways to Intend and Create Health
Iâm gonna lay out a few ways you could create more health in your life.
But.
Just reading these wonât do a damn thing.
If all youâre going to do is read these, say âYeah! Great Stuff!â and go about your day like a sad loser without making any changes, then thatâs on you.
All of these require action.
From you.
âBut Tim. I donât know what to do. How do I even get started?â
If you want to move the needle, the easiest way to get started is to set small goals or intentions. Then act on them.
I created a tool to help you do just that.
Mini-Course Launch: Bite-Sized Goals For Nutrition and Fitness
Launching in a few days, this mini course will show you how to narrow it down to simple steps you can start taking immediately. Great things can be accomplished with tiny repeated steps.
Keep your eyes open for the next post if you would like to get in on it!
In the meantime, let's go over a few ways that you can become healthier, on purpose. No matter where you are in life, you can see some improvement. Itâs as simple as deciding to do it and then doing it!
1. Intentional Eating
If eating garbage causes sickness, then eating healthy food will cause health. It really is a no-brainer that you can cause health by eating food that supports you.
What do you want for your body? What will make you feel good about your food habits? If we plan to eat healthy, nutritious foods 80% of the time, our bodies will have the nutrients they need to make repairs and stay on top of things.
One cookie wonât kill you (although if youâre gluten intolerant and itâs a wheat cookie, you might think youâre dying as you sit on the toilet for an hour.) The most important thing is getting enough protein and healthy fats BEFORE the cookie.
And after that cookie? Go straight back to eating intentionally.
Itâs easy to say, âWell, Iâve had a cookie. The day is shot. Might as well eat this whole cake and a liter of ice cream too!â But this is an unnecessary all-or-nothing way to look at it. Instead, take your day hour by hour, meal by meal. Intend to create a strong body, and sometimes, enjoy that cookie.
Itâs no mystery. Intentionally eating instead of going goblin mode will create health.
2. Get Exercise
Sitting around is the new smoking. We all instinctively know that you either move it or you lose it. Lack of motion causes you to solidify and get sick.
Good news! The reverse is also true: movement can cause health! Especially if itâs the right kind of movement in the right dose.
Cardiovascular exercise and strength training causes health.
There is no disputing it.
It doesnât have to be complicated. If you need more exercise, start by walking more. Count your steps, and just get more than you used to. Aim for 7000 + steps a day. You WILL create more health for yourself.
Weight training and cardio training are the next level. If you intend to be healthy, get exercise.
If you are short on time and want to get in some quick strength training, check out my kettlebell post for a workout that will make you strong and take less than 15 minutes, three times a week:
3. Deal With Stress
Stress can cause sickness. A nervous, tense body is throwing your hormones out of whack and keeping you in the fight-or-flight zone.
But.
You can find ways to deal with stress that will create health.
Walking, workouts, and exercise
Meditation, yoga
Spending time with pets, friends
âFine, Tim, but I just donât have enough time to do any of that!â
Okay, well do you have 60 seconds to follow this quick routine by
? Or are you so pressed for time that you canât spend one minute to create health?
4. Get Enough Sunlight
And by this, I donât necessarily mean that you need to tan. Iâm referring to going outside, under natural light. You could double this up with walking, and hit your exercise and stress-removal targets with one blow.
We spend most of our time inside, in cramped little rooms and stifling, unnatural buildings, doing things our bodies werenât designed to do. Our circadian rhythms are all messed up from the lack of natural sunlight. Our skin canât make vitamin D.
We need to go outside.
Living under artificial lights can cause depression, sadness, and poor health. Whereas a correct dose of sunlight causes health, lets the skin make vitamin D, and lifts your mood so that your entire life goes better.
5. Avoid Dangerous Things
âWhat dangerous things? Iâm not around any bears or sharks. What the heck you talkinâ about, Tim?â
Frankenfood
Helicopter rides
Clowns
Donât put danger in your mouth. Vegetable oil and Frankenfoods are just two of those dangers.
And clowns. Always watch out for clowns. For dogâs sake, never put them in your mouth. They taste funny.
6. Get Rest
Not getting any sleep? Then youâre creating sickness.
Our lives are busy, so it seems like we always have a hard time getting enough rest. But without it, the body never makes complete repairs.
Your body is like a busy road that has a bunch of potholes in it. Every night, tiny construction workers try to fill in the holes or work on a bridge. But if your body works 24-7, they have to keep diving out of the way of cars that go speeding by at 60 miles an hour.
Intend to get enough rest and create health.
Put up some construction signs. Close the road for at least six hours and let the workers do their thing.
Do you want to create health? Pick one of these levers, and push on it. See if you can move the dial, see if you can feel just a little bit better than before. See if you can take one of the negatives and turn it just a little bit more positive. I know that everybody here can do one of these things for sure.
Coming Soon! Bite-Sized Goals For Nutrition and Fitness
First of all, ypur use of the word LOSER is exceptionally well-placed đ¤Ł
And dangerous clowns 𤥠are a MUST-AVOID at all costs.
I've been doing kettlebell swings somewhat regularly for a couple of weeks. I find it a super easy way to exercise while I watch TV in the evenings. Doing sets of 20, some nights I've done 100 in the span of one show episode.
Thanks so much for the kind mention, Tim! đđťđĽ°