5 Habits to Supercharge your health this year

For your brain: Take morning cold showers

A sudden drop in your bodies temperature can improve blood circulation, increases your mood by activating dopaminergic pathways. Cold showers have also shown to decrease tension, fatigue and improve your memory.
Start to lower the temperature in your morning shower to see the changes and immediate benefits of overall well being and productivity.

For your hormones: Eliminate/reduce BPA

BPA is an industrial chemical that is found in many plastic food containers and water bottles. BPA can affect our endocrine system immensely. BPA can be easily absorbed by handling plastics, drinking from plastic water bottles, eating from plastic cutlery or worse heating your food up in plastic containers! BPA in the human body mimics hormonal production “oestrogen’s, androgens and thyroid hormones. It does this by Binding to a receptor within a cell and block the endogenous hormone from binding. The normal signal then fails to occur and the body fails to respond properly or it blocks the way natural hormones or their receptors are made or controlled, for example, by altering their metabolism in the liver.

To reduce or eliminate BPA choose glass/stainless steel/bamboo containers over plastic and avoid heating or eating your food from plastic containers.

 

For your digestive system: Add papaya seed into your meals 

Papaya seeds are high in the enzyme papain which aids in the digestion of protein. Papaya seed also contains an alkaloid called carpaine that kills bad intestinal bacteria and parasites. Papaya fruit also makes your gastrointestinal tract a hostile place for parasites to live.
Add papaya seeds to salads of ground and use as a pepper alternative on meals.

 

For your Fitness & Strength: Activate your transverse abdominals

Our abdominals are incredibly important and it is essential that we keep them strong for better posture, protect our organs and spine and assist with everyday functional movement.
However when it comes to our abdominals, particularly our transverse in weight training they can get lazy and other muscle groups can pick up the slack. This may cause overloading and injuries.
I’m sure you have heard it many times before in fitness classes and exercise video demonstrations activate your core or lock on your tummy. It all sounds well and good but what does it truly mean to really lock on your core?
To focus on really strengthening your core over 2018 to improve abdominal muscle memory, can lift heavier, improve posture and move more functionally. Lay with your back on the floor for 5 minutes a night. For 30 seconds of each minute tense your core on tight as if someone was about to drop an apple on top of your stomach or you are trying to squeeze into a tight pair of jeans. Feel the natural curve in your back flatten into the floor as you engage and tense on your core.

 

For your soul: Spend 5 minutes a day in nature

Stressed, overworked, run down, frustrated, upset, ecstatic, whatever emotion that you are feeling make a promise to yourself to spend 5 minutes a day in nature to breath and reconnect. You don’t have to drive to a rain forest, mediate or run around your backyard shouting out your gratitude for the grass, plants and trees.

All you have to do is sit in fresh air and breathe, enjoy the beauty of the rain or vitamin D on your skin. Practice this for 5 minutes a day to change your state and awareness.