Ask yourself better questions to achieve better health

Last month, I stayed with my relatives in their country house in Sweden. They invited their neighbour, a very kind retired professor, and fried veggie chips on the table led us to a discussion about he managed to lower his cholesterol levels. "I've had terrible cholesterol levels for many years. Then, I just cut out all saturated fats and eat less meat. Now, my cholesterol levels are great and my doctor is very happy.", he told us. I congratulated him on his achievement and told him that he didn't necessarily cut out saturated fats because contrary to what society has been told decades ago, dietary cholesterol has little to no effect on blood cholesterol levels in most people. Lifestyle factors, from smoking, alcohol, sugar consumption to medications or liver function can have a much bigger impact, and that there are natural foods high in saturated fats such as avocados or salmon which do not impact your cholesterol levels negatively. An increase in cholesterol levels can be a result of an acidic environment in the body which can be balanced out by eating more whole foods, especially dark leafy greens such as spinach or kale, and even broccoli.

My sister-in-law then asked: "But how do you know how much vegetables you have to eat so that it's the right amount for you? I find it so difficult to know that." The professor agreed, forgetting that he also doesn't measure the exact reduction of his red meat consumption but swears by it. What amazed me in that moment was how our human brain is able to ask questions that drive us to do research and make fascinating discoveries. Yet, in our everyday lives the ability to think further can stop us from doing the simplest things in life. Simple things that would lead to better health easily. Yes, we all have different genetics, and yes, we all have different bodies, medical conditions and so on. But No, to live healthier you don't need to wait for the golden formula that tells you how many grams of kale you have to eat per day or how many minutes per week you have to exercise to create a significant impact. If you're not eating one portion of veggies per day at the moment, you start with one portion tomorrow. If you're not exercising at least once per week then you start with 20 minutes of any activity. It doesn't matter whether you go running, swimming or hit the gym. Stop letting your academic brain get in the way of doing the simple things in life we know we should be doing, like eating more veggies or exercising more.

A friend of mine came back for her second training yesterday, after a three year long break, and asked me if there was a guideline for when it's better for women to do physical exercise due to the hormonal cycle. "How do I know when I can train or when I should take a break?", she added. Fair question. There are tracking devices like the Whoop band that will tell you when you can train and when you need more recovery time. But as a busy working mom of two beautiful kids who hasn't trained in over three years and is totally out of shape, the real questions she should have asked herself is "How will I manage my week so that I can train at least once a week? What's my Plan B in case I have to cancel my regular training session? What do I not fall out of my routine when I'm on vacation?". If you know your body is not in the right healthy state as it should be due work, family or other stress factors then start asking yourself the right questions that will push you into the right direction, now and in the long-run.

In case we haven't met: nice to meet you! I'm Tommy and my mission is to help people live a healthier life through movement coaching, accountability, and health optimisation hacks. I'm also a creator and marketer: I had launched a $200K crowdfunding product, launched several food products into retail among other things. You can contact me here.