Soul Rebel Digest Vol 6.24
Are you sick of being sick?
WINTER IS COMING
There is a lot of sickness around the last few weeks & for many people, it's lingering for a long time. Whilst this may not be totally avoidable, I was sick myself for a few weeks recently & it got me thinking - am I doing everything I can to support my body & my immune system to cope best with symptoms & recover quicker?
Are you doing everything you can?
There's more to consider in your day like stress levels, sleep etc, but I would say most of us could make some positive changes in the way we eat.
If you follow CrossFit's prescription you're on the right track:
These days, there is A LOT of good marketing around food products & supplements. This time of year in particular, you will see the words 'boost your immunity' or similar on labels in a bid to get you to believe that in consuming it, it's like a magic pill in protecting you against the common cold.
But food needs to be looked at as more than something to fill our bellies, more than just providing us with energy. Food is medicine. It doesn't replace medicine, of course sometimes medical intervention is needed, but how often can it be avoided with the right diet?
What is your immune system:
Sounds pretty important, right?
Take a step back & have a look at what your consuming each week that may be hindering you. Some examples of foods that can cause stress on your immune system:
Soft drinks
Processed foods
Added sugar in foods & drinks
Refined carbohydrates
Alcohol
I think the problem can be that when we think of food, we simply think of whether it will make us gain or lose body fat or muscle mass. We need to start thinking of food more in terms of our health. How we look is important. But whether we are sick & promoting disease should be pretty high up on our radar! If you focus on health, your body composition takes care of itself.
Rather than focusing on all the things you think you should reduce, limit or cut out totally from your diet, think more about what you should ADD!
Make your plate MOSTLY veggies at every meal. If you're hungry, snack on fruits & nuts. If you're thirsty, drink water. If you're bored - move your body. If you can do this consistently, you'll reap the rewards!
Being healthy is actually simple. Unfortunately these days we have so many quick easy fast food options, among other things, hindering our health that makes it super challenging.
If you feel that your health has taken a hit or your progress in the gym has stalled, check out the pyramids below. Health is the foundation of EVERYTHING, & it starts with your Nutrition. Let's work on make small sustainable changes over winter, to get the most out of your body!
