Trending Wellness Microhabits for 2020

1. SLEEP

- Do not compromise on sleep. We all know that lack of sleep makes us grumpy and foggy, but did you know how much it impacts your waistline, and your health generally?

Most of us have experienced a few nights
of inadequate sleep, and know all too well how it makes us look old and tired. our skin becomes sallow and pale, our eyes swell, dark circles appear and our wrinkles deepen.

When we don’t sleep enough, our bodies also release more of our stress hormone, cortisol. When cortisol is released, it breaks down collagen, the protein in our skin that helps give it that lovely firm appearance.

Sleep could also be the culprit if you’re struggling to lose or maintain your weight. A recent study with over 200 participants undergoing a sleep-restricted week showed that sleep deficiency is linked to weight gain. After only a week, participants who slept just four hours a night gained an average of one kilo, compared to those who slept as much as they wanted to. Many similar studies have offered up the same conclusion – that weight and sleep are deeply intertwined.

2. EXERCISE

- What if there were a magic pill that could help with your depression, weight, posture, energy, and sleep, with no negative side effects. Would you consider it?

You would? Amazing. Because it exists. It’s called exercise, and it’s about as close to a magic bullet for health as you’ll ever get

Exercise can seem daunting to many of us because we think of it as painful, time-consuming or unrewarding. But it doesn’t have to be if you choose a form of exercise you like - and trust me, there is something out there for everyone. You don’t have to spend hours and hours exercising each day to benefit, either. But you do have to exercise. It’s a non-negotiable.

Again, do not compromise. Make time to exercise, and do whatever you can to get your exercise scheduled in and done. Don’t make excuses to other people about not doing it, and definitely don’t make excuses to yourself!

3. BUST STRESS

- When it comes to belly fat, most of us think those extra servings of hot chips are to blame. Of course, such foods are not completely innocent, but the factors involved in weight gain are more complicated than that.

Cortisol, our stress hormone, is a belly-fat culprit we rarely think of, but it’s hugely important.

The simple act of constant stress – physical, mental or even imaginary stress – makes our adrenals pump cortisol, which in turn, pumps glucose. Hello, adrenal fatigue and belly fat.

When we have too much glucose in our bodies, our insulin receptors essentially get tired and stop working; we can become insulin-resistant. When this happens, we become one of those people who just look at food and seem to gain weight.

If you feel like you’re eating well but seem to be weight-loss resistant, this should be a big red alert. Are you just a ‘stress head’ creating insulin havoc?