1. Your Body’s Very Own Human Growth Hormone (hGH) is greatly regulated by three things: sleep, exercise and diet.
If you’re sleeping five hours a night or less, eating nothing but frozen meals and getting very little exercise, you’re missing all the benefits of human growth hormone.
These benefits include:
- increased energy
- increased fat metabolism
- improved bone density
- faster post-exercise muscle recovery
- improved immune system function…and many more.
2. Exercise + Vitamin D = Better Bones You may be a spring chicken now, but don’t take your bone health for granted. Regular exercise and a diet rich in vitamin D are two of the best things you can do to prevent looming hip fractures and brittle bones! According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, by the end of this year, about 12 million people over the age of 50 are expected to have osteoporosis and another 40 million to have low bone mass. By 2020, it is expected to increase to 14 million cases of osteoporosis and over 47 million cases of low bone mass.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, which means its best absorbed with fat. Where can you get vitamin D?
- Cod liver oil (Yep, I know it sounds gross, but it's just oil. My entire family has been taking a tsp every morning for over five years. It's the BEST source of vit D)
- Salmon (Naturally contains fat, so you don't have to pair it with anything else)
- Eggs yolks (Eat your eggs - they're really good for you. Hard boil them, stash them in the fridge and eat them as a snack with some vegetables.
- Fortified foods. When a food has been fortified with vitamin D, it's been pumped in at the back end. Not quite as healthy, but if you get it this way, at least make sure it's not fat free or it won't be absorbed. These foods include cereals, yogurt, milk, orange juice. Most of these are high in sugar. I don't like to "push" anything, but becaus
vitamin D is so important, I will push cod liver oil. - Supplements. Technically, cod liver oil is a supplement. You can also buy vitamin D in capsule form. This is fine. Again, take with a form of fat, like string cheese or a small handful of almonds so it's absorbed.
3. Muscle Loss of Up to 1% per Year
It's estimated that up to 1% of muscle every year affects the general population over the age of 25. Exercise has more than obvious positive effects in slowing this trend in muscle loss. Needless to say, regular moderate exercise has a type of panacea effect on the human body. Keep in mind, exercises that have shown to make marked improvement range from tai chi to triathlon. You decide what works best for you and your lifestyle. After you decide, do it – and don’t wait. Great ways to build strength include:
- Yoga
- Swimming
- Running
- Strength Training
- Pilates
- the list goes on and on
4. Some of the Best Calories Come from Fats
Our society still gravitates to all things fat-free, believing them to be better. OK, maybe not you – but probably a lot of the people you know. More important than anything is the QUALITY of fat we eat. Healthy fats give us energy, help our brains function better and help our bodies absorb vitamins (including the much-needed vitamin D) among many other benefits.Sources of healthy fats include:
- olive oils
- avocados
- raw nuts
- coconuts oil
- eggs
5. Stay Looking Younger Longer
We’ve already established that an unrefined diet, exercise and sleep regulate human growth hormone (one factor that keeps us young), but when these three components are in sync, they help to detoxify our system (via sweat, digestion and restoration) which keeps us rejuvenated from the inside out – and I mean literally. Going on an occasional “soft detox” (eliminated all sugar, alcohol and refined foods) can do wonders. Detoxes don't have to be expensive or painful. Get creative with what you want to do. Here are a couple suggestions:
- Eliminate all gluten (wheat, barley, rye and oat-containing foods) for one week. See how you feel. Pay close attention to any aches that may have diminished.
- Eliminate all alcohol for two weeks (Did you lose a pound or two? Probably.)
- Eliminate all refined carbs for a week. (This is a toughie, but you can do it. Cereals, breads, pastas, cookies, candy, etc....gone!)
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