Making a change can be daunting and when you feel like you’ve made a decision that you want to be a better version of yourself it can be difficult to start because you feel like there’s so much to do and you are bombarded with ideas from left and right.

Here’s some key things that you can implement immediately that will give you a lift.

Start Using Supplements

I understand that this can be seen as a bit of a minefield with lots of different things presented as ‘miracle cures’ with superpowers to answer all your prayers. I have been recommending certain supplements to my clients for many years and use several regularly myself. Eating a well balanced diet of foods is never a bad idea and in my view adding in some supplements to your diet should not be an excuse to regress in this area.

Here are some supplements I would recommend using immediately if you are not already.

Vitamin D – This is great for boosting your immune system and for the strength of your bones. It’s difficult to obtain from food sources and with the weather as unpredictable as it is it is a must for all year round. 

Vitamin C – Again this will boost your immune system by helping your body repair and grow tissue as well bone and cartilage strength. 

Zinc and Magnesium – If you don’t eat a particularly nutritious diet, supplementing minerals like these can help aid your metabolism and digestion and studies have  shown them to significantly lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 

Nutritional Tweaks To Your Diet

Eat protein rich foods – One of the first things I will quickly address when working with a clients lifestyle and diet is how much protein they are consuming and often give them a target to hit. Not getting enough protein means that your diet will have a too high percentage of carbohydrates which will over time impact you hormonally and lead to insulin issues and bodyweight and bodyfat gain. Not only that but your body burns more calories digesting protein than fat or carbs and it contributes to the growth and repair of your muscles which we always need (Even if you aren’t a gym goer) 

Aim for nutrient dense foods as opposed to empty calories – Foods high in protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals are better choices vs processed, high sugar foods that don’t give the body much benefit.

Consider eating all your daily meals in an 8-10 hour window – The little and often grazing throughout the day can work for some people but having a period of abstaining from food like skipping breakfast, I find will lead to you eating less overall through reducing your hunger. This approach is called intermittent fasting.

Moderate your alcohol and fizzy drinks intake – Not fun I know, but this is such a quick win. I have seen so many clients do nothing else different with their diet or exercise but make a reduction here and get a positive result within a few weeks.

Watch the carbs – As a general rule you don’t want your diet to consist of much more than about 40-50% carbs as a maximum, in particular if you are not exercising regularly and are sedentary more often than not for work. You can use free apps to help you identify what foods are carbohydrate rich.

Be prepared by planning your meals in advance – High carb high sugar foods are going to more often than not be your default options if you’re busy day-to-day and eat from a convenience perspective. Take some time to prepare food with spare time at the weekend so you can get the right things in consistently.

Sleep Quality

And last but not least try and get good sleep…

When we don’t sleep we often get stressed and that is a problem in itself. Sleep is super important for the body’s recovery process and affects our blood sugar levels and mood massively when we don’t get enough of it. You can now get devices that can help track your sleep amount and quality which I would definitely recommend but it’s often the staying up late at night watching television or using iPhones or tablets just before we go to bed that cause us problems. As humans we need to recognise light and dark as a symbol to the brain of when we need to be active and when we need to rest. This is known as your circadian rhythm. If we are online shopping at 11.30pm looking at a big dose of artificial light then don’t expect to fall soundly asleep 10 minutes later. 

My advice here is to turn all electronic devices off around 2 hours before bed time, try to sleep in a dark room and maybe try a magnesium based supplement just before bed if you struggle with your sleep quality and pattern.