IS YOUR PHYSICAL WELLBEING THRIVING?

Last week we talked about Financial Wellbeing. 

Did you make some changes on where you spend your money or whom you’re spending your money on?

Are you becoming aware of your impulsive/emotional buying habits?


This week we’re going to talk about our 4th ingredient:  Physical Wellbeing

Did you know that every action we take in our lives is something that results in a net positive and benefits our health or net negative which could be detrimental to us?

When you look back on your day, how many things contributed to benefiting your health? 

Let’s put your Physical Wellbeing to the test.  Answer these questions honestly:

1.  Do you eat healthy foods more than unhealthy?
2.  Do you exercise regularly?
3.  Are you getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night?

The research shows that most people are less than satisfied with those areas in their lives and are falling short in living in excellent health. When we live a balanced life, our bodies will run more efficiently and affect our overall quality of life. 

Here are some interesting facts by Gallup:

·  Having a “high-fat hangover” not only slows us down but it can also impair our thinking.
·  Eating fried foods puts us at a 30% greater risk for a heart attack.
·  Genetic history is one way to predict our future health; we not only pass it to our children but our children’s children.
·  Women eating one serving of fatty fish (e.g., salmon) could reduce the risk of kidney cancer by 74%.
·  Having high levels of omega-3s can help moderate symptoms of depression, decrease impulsiveness, and boost our daily moods.

Balance is the key to healthy living.  When we eat the right foods it not only makes us feel better but also protects our future generations.  It increases our overall mood levels and helps us fight against depression and sickness.  

On your next trip to the grocery store, look for foods with dark tones of reds, greens, and blues such as:  
Red- apples, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, red peppers, radishes, chili peppers and pomegranates

Green- broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, spinach, sprouts, lettuce, arugula, collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard

Blue- blueberries, blackberries, cabbage and grapes

Along with eating right, we need to be mindful of the amount of physical activity we getting each week.  According to a survey by Gallup, among 400,000 Americans they surveyed, only 27% were getting the recommended 30 minutes or more of exercise five days per week.

They found that people who exercise regularly (at least 2 days/week) are happier and have less stress as well as having more energy. On top of being happier and less stressed, you also are twice as likely to feel physically attractive tomorrow. 

Who wouldn’t want that?

Sleep also plays a huge factor in our Physical Wellbeing.

Gallup says, “Getting a good nights sleep is like hitting a reset button.” They found that the average person was only getting 6.7 hours of sleep during a weeknight. The recommended amount is 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  When we don’t get enough sleep we move slower, have trouble concentrating, become forgetful, make bad decisions and are more irritable. 

Sleep helps keep us well rested as well as accelerates our learning.  Sleep helps us synthesize the learning and experiences of a day.  Essentially our brains are playing connect-the-dots until we wake up!

Here are 3 recommendations by Gallup to help us boost our Physical Wellbeing:

1.  Get 20 mins of daily exercise.  Morning would be ideal to help improve your mood.
2.  Sleep 7-8 hours a night.  Going over the recommended amount could actually start working against you.
3.  Load up on natural and healthy foods.

Haven't taken the StrengthsFinder assessment yet?!  Click here! 

Want to buy the book Wellbeing?  Click here!

If you're curious of where you rank in your wellbeing, take the Gallup Wellbeing Finder:  Click here!

                                                        reCreate's Strengths Mission
For strengths to come alive, we must have the opportunity to use them everyday and make them personal.  We showcase our friends, family, clients and anyone who dares to show us the personal side to what strengths mean to them. These post are meant to encourage, inspire and connect you to having a life well-lived in strengths.  

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