Fit for Life: Simple Solutions for Common Problems

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

Matt Espeut

I find it mind-blowing that most television commercials are now selling drugs and harmful medications for symptoms that are mainly self-inflicted because of poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles.

I wrote an article about preparation a few weeks ago and you folks gave me some great feedback, so I wanted to give you a basic outline or blueprint to overall health, so you can follow without any guesswork or complications and avoid slipping into this whirlpool of taking harmful substances to mask symptoms that can be reduced or eliminated by changing your lifestyle for the better.

Psoriasis, arthritis, IBS, anxiety, depression & diabetes are some of the most common ailments that society faces today, and the truth is that many of these diseases can be treated with proper nutrition, exercise and changing our habits.

By no means am I a doctor and encouraging anyone to stop their meds because I said so, I am just asking you to make a few changes, try different things, and see what happens.

If you are seeing an ethical doctor that cares about you, they will reduce your meds when they see improvement.

I have several people working with me at Providence Fit Body Boot Camp that will testify that they have dramatically reduced or eliminated many of their previous medications since becoming a member and changing their routine and lifestyle.

Here are a few things you can implement today that are simple to follow and will get you feeling better immediately.

Wake up and get out of bed immediately. Don’t hit snooze, just get up and start moving.

Action beets anxiety.

When you hit snooze, a few things happen.

Most snooze cycles last 9 minutes, and each time you hit the button, it puts you 9 minutes behind in your day.

If you set your alarm earlier than you need to get up, you are interrupting quality sleep time, and will most likely just lie there and let the anxiety of starting your day build up to uncomfortable levels.

When we get overly anxious, it cripples our production causing a domino of stress that could lead to depression. So, get up and start moving and programming your mind for success.

Instead, just set the alarm for when you NEED to get up and sleep soundly until it goes off.

When it goes off, get up and immediately drink 16-20 oz. of water.

This does 2 things.

It hydrates you and gets you on point to drinking your required daily water intake. (1/2 your bodyweight in ounces a day. Ex. If you weigh 150 lbs. you need 75 oz of water daily) which is tough for some people to do.

So, when you get up and drink, you already registered a victory 5 minutes into your day!!

I like to have a glass by my bed, so I can drink it immediately without even thinking about it.

After you drink the water, move and stretch.

Even if you work out first thing in the morning, you should still do 5-10 minutes of stretching or some simple movement to get the blood flowing and get the nighttime kinks out.

I do 5 exercises 2x before I leave the house, and I feel great.

Good mornings, cross body marches, squats, push-ups, and glute bridges are my go-to movements.

I do 2 sets of 10 for each, and every part of my body feels awake and ready to go.

Total time = less than 2 snooze cycles and you feel 100 times better.

Regardless of your morning routine, nutrition is the key component to healthy living.

Eating breakfast is essential to get your metabolism revved up and keep you burning calories throughout the day.

You don’t need to eat a big complicated meal.

A protein shake, or a couple of hard-boiled eggs will do the trick.

Just get something in your system before you start your day.

It will also give you more energy, and prevent you from making an irrational decision like eating a donut or muffin because you are hungry.

After you eat breakfast, continue your day by eating small meals and snacks every 3-4 hours throughout the day.

You need to be prepared and bring healthy non processed food with you so it’s available for you to snack on all day long.

In addition to a healthy lunch, bring a healthy snack for between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and dinner.

Again, this will keep your metabolism stoked, and prevent hunger and bad decisions throughout the day.

Remember that ALL FOOD that you consume should be whole non processed food.

The reason for this is that food that contains gluten, wheat, dairy, and sugars feed the above-mentioned diseases and symptoms.

Psoriasis & arthritis are due to inflammation in the body. You get inflamed because your body is rejecting or is allergic to these substances.

This could be an article on its own, but the short version is that most processed food contains a ton of fillers, by-products, sugars, and chemicals that break us down and cause digestive disruption in addition to inflammation, so focus on whole, single-ingredient foods.

This not only causes the inflammation but also blocks nutrient uptake and weakens your immune system allowing sickness and disease to thrive within us.

This is the reason so many people take medication, however, the medication doesn’t cure the problem, but masks the symptoms.

Exercise is the next critical element in the quest for a healthy lifestyle. It doesn’t matter when you do it, just get it done.

Exercise will not only make you look better, but will make you feel better. It will give you more energy throughout the day, and enable you to sleep better at night.

You will stand taller, feel invigorated, and develop more self-esteem, and confidence.

So to sum it up, if you want to be more productive, feel and look better and eliminate medication that produces harmful side effects, give this routine a try.

There are only four components to living a healthy lifestyle, hydrate, exercise, eat clean food, and get some sleep.

Implement these today and feel better tomorrow, just remember that consistency is the key.

Getting yourself back on track requires you to perform these tasks on a daily basis, but the work and effort you put in will be well worth it.

Everything gets better with nutrition and exercise, and it’s a simple task that we are all capable of.

If you need help in this area, always feel free to reach out to Providence Fit Body Boot Camp and we will be there to guide you.

Committed to your success,

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitness consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one.