80:20 – a healthy life philosophy

Considering what it is I do (work-wise), I’m often asked what my philosophy is on living the ‘good life’.

My feeling is that attaining good health and ideal body weight is a fairly simple formula (note – I say ‘simple’, which may be different to ‘easy’!).  In a nutshell it goes like this…

I believe that a minimum of 80% of all the food we eat should be real (by that we mean that it should have grown on/in the earth, or swum in the sea without being processed or had additives, colourants, flavourants or preservatives added to it).  Let your hair down 20% of the time.

Raw food should be consumed before every meal – even if just a side salad, a fresh vegetable juice, al dente steamed vegetables, or traditionally prepared fermented vegetables.  These all contribute vital enzymes that will help you digest your food adequately.

Drink pure water in quantities appropriate for your body weight and take whole, unadulterated salt with your meals.  Drink alcohol in moderation and don’t consume daily.  Avoid sugary fruit juices, fizzy drinks and other such beverages.

Perform some form of exercise daily – even if only taking the dog for a stroll, walking on the beach, gardening, or house cleaning.  Exercise moderately/intensely at least three times weekly and in the mornings when your cortisol levels are naturally high.  Prioritise resistance training over cardio, unless training for a specific cardio event.

Get enough sleep (between 6 and 8 hours) and get to bed early enough to take advantage of your body’s physical repair phase (approximately 10.00pm-2.00am).  Get up with the sun, or as close to it as possible.   Keep lights dimmed at night; avoid working on the computer; avoid watching TV (for at least 60-90 minutes before going to bed) or reading a highly exciting book just before sleeping.

Practice good breathing technique and become aware of your breath throughout the day.  Eat slowly and thoroughly and relax while doing so – this all aids digestion, which helps promote good health and ideal weight.  Stay in the moment as often as you can (avoid dwelling on the past, or pondering over the future).

Manage the thoughts that cross your mind – remain positive, stay empowered and be gentle and tolerant with yourself and others.

So that’s about it really.  Stay as close to this as possible and I feel sure you’ll experience some pretty phenomenal benefits that’ll make it worth your time and effort…

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Tanya Wyatt

Owner at The Happy Body

Tanya started out as a professional ballet dancer. Swopping her pointe shoes for takkies, she decided being a hip hop dancer was way cooler, so chopped off her bun and joined a street dance company. For many years, she also taught dance and fitness classes in Cape Town before deciding that nutrition and lifestyle coaching was the way to help people change their state of health for the better. So, while writing two health and fitness books, she moved to London to study and began her ‘real life’ – that as a health and lifestyle coach. She’s been in private practice for 10 years now, is a mom of a 7-year old pig-tailed ball of energy, writes for various national and local health publications and is a health presenter when the occasion arises. Oh – and once a dancer, always a dancer – she’s also taken up ballet pole dancing 🙂 Click here to contact Tanya.

Latest posts by Tanya Wyatt (see all)

• DIE with a capital ‘T’ - 3 October 2014
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• Tips for avid Cheescake Eaters - 5 August 2014
• Falling off the Wagon - 2 July 2014
• The future’s a promissory note; the past a cancelled cheque - 3 June 2014