Preventative health involves making lifestyle choices that focus on optimising health, improving quality of life and preventing long-term illness. It encompasses the ancient such as traditional Chinese medicinal practices, and the modern like wearable tech that tracks your sleep, heart rate and blood pressure. Sometimes called biohacking, preventative health practices are increasingly being used to address common complaints such as poor sleep, bloating, brain fog and lack of energy.
The joy of the preventative health movement is in its accessibility. Switching out processed food for a diet based on whole foods, taking a thirty-minute walk several times a week and going to bed an hour earlier instead of binge-watching another episode of the latest Netflix show are simple ways to improve your health and will yield results in a matter of weeks. Happily, these small changes won’t cost the earth.
Read on for some of the best health hacks from leading preventative health advocates that can turbocharge energy levels, boost focus, improve your quality of sleep and leave you feeling on top of the world.
Simple Changes We Can All Make
1. Eat to Live Well
The simplest change you can make to improve your diet is to switch out processed food for home cooked meals made using fresh ingredients like lean meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses and nuts. Processed foods are typically very high in sugar, salt and fat. Opting for healthier alternatives will avoid the sluggish and bloated feeling that often accompanies an unhealthy meal.
Top Tip
Don't try to overhaul your entire lifestyle in one go. Instead, make small but manageable changes which together will contribute to better health over the long term.
Where to take things next will depend on your health goals and involves listening to what your body is telling you. If you think your skin could do with a boost, prioritise foods containing vitamin E (avocado and nuts), selenium (Brazil nuts, fish and eggs) and zinc (fish, lean red meat and wholegrains) and drink water, water, water! If you struggle with brain fog then be sure to up your intake of omega-3 which supports brain function and can be found in oily fish, walnuts, eggs, and grass-fed meat and dairy. Healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado and nuts as well as plenty of leafy greens will help counter that feeling that you just aren’t on top of your game.
2. Quit Smoking
If you use tobacco, quitting is the most important lifestyle change you can make. Smoking harms almost every organ of the body and causes chronic disease and, sadly, early death for millions of people around the world every year. Speak to your doctor about aids and therapies that can support you while you quit.
Top Tip
Speak to your physician about quitting smoking, they are there to help and support you!
3. Reduce Alcohol
The extent of the harm caused by overuse of alcohol is now becoming clearer with links being made to cancer and dementia. Alcohol affects cognitive function and sleep and long-term use can leave you feeling groggy and lacking energy. More and more of us are dabbling in the sober-curious movement in which we choose to drink less or not at all for personal or wellness reasons. There is nothing wrong with a cold beer at the beach or a glass of wine with friends, but moderation is the key. Cutting down on alcohol does wonders for mental health, focus, sleep and weight loss and can save you money at the same time – win win!
Next Level Changes
To really up your wellness game why not introduce some of the most popular preventative health practices that will help keep you in tip top physical and mental shape.
4. Time Restricted Eating
Popular amongst wellness fanatics, time restricted eating is based on the concept that all food consumption should be limited to a set window during the day. Also known as intermittent fasting (IF), the benefits can include weight loss, regulation of blood sugar, and a reduction in cholesterol and blood pressure. Even more appealing is the idea that when your body is not focused on digesting food it instead concentrates on repairing itself. In a process called autophagy, cells in the body turn to housekeeping: removing toxins and non-functional cell parts and regenerating themselves. The process is proven to protect against Parkinson’s disease, Huntingdon’s disease and certain types of dementia, and scientists are increasingly interested in whether it may also lower the risk of cancer and prolong lifespan.
There are many iterations of IF, including the original 5:2 diet in which you eat normally for five days but restrict consumption to 800 calories on two days. The popular 16:8 diet restricts eating to an eight-hour window giving your body a 16-hour fast from food in which it can initiate cellular repair.
5. Lion’s Mane
A feature of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, lion's mane is a mushroom that grows across the northern hemisphere, resembling a lion’s mane with long white cascades of growth. With a meaty texture, it is excellent in stir fries and as an alternative to meat. However, it is for its medicinal properties that lion’s mane has long been prized in Asian cultures and it is increasingly being consumed in the west to fight inflammation and aid digestive health. It is also said to assist in nerve regeneration and therefore may help prevent dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Traditionally, lion’s mane has been used to treat anxiety and depression and researchers are increasingly interested in its effectiveness as a treatment for low mood. You can find lion’s mane in the produce section at Kirk Market.
6. Ginger and Turmeric
Packed with flavour and prized for their medicinal properties, ginger and turmeric have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. Ginger is said to lower blood pressure and support heart health. The beautifully earthy turmeric root is rich in phytonutrients which are said to fight cancer-causing free radicals. Turmeric is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties, alleviating symptoms of arthritis, and can lower the risk of heart disease. Both are excellent in tea, curry, soups and casseroles, and make delicious juice shots. Both are available at Foster's supermarkets. Island Naturals offers a range of juices often containing ginger and turmeric blended with locally sourced produce for an extra health kick.
7. Cold Therapy
One of the first references to cold therapy is contained in Ancient Egyptian medical texts from around 1,600BC. Fast forward 3,500 years and cold therapy continues to be fêted for its therapeutic and health benefits. Cold therapy reduces the temperature of the skin and tissue in the body, reduces blood flow to treated areas and can temporarily inhibit nerve activity making it an excellent treatment for pain and inflammation. It is increasingly being used in wellness circles to boost the immune system and treat depression. If you are of a hardy disposition, head down to Cryo345, The Rec Room and The Well which offer cold therapies to support recovery and prevent injury and illness.
8. Wearable Technology
The wearable tech market has exploded in recent years and is no longer just the domain of marathon runners and triathletes. Watches, rings and other wearables that sync with your phone make keeping track of your sleep, food, activity levels, heart rate and blood pressure incredibly easy and can help you make daily adjustments to your lifestyle based on real-time feedback. The right wearable tech for you will depend on your lifestyle. Sporty types may look to classic brands like Garmin which allows users to monitor their cardiorespiratory fitness, meanwhile the Aura Ring and Whoop are perfect for those who don’t want another device with a screen.
Adopting just a few of these wellness trends will have you feeling your best in no time, giving you more energy to keep up with the kids at the beach and give you greater clarity and focus at work.
