My Healthy Lifestyle Habits That Keep Me Young, Healthy and Lean, Year Round.
I believe my healthy lifestyle habits are the key to a long-term healthy, active life. Staying young, fit, strong, and healthy in your mid-thirties and beyond will not happen by accident. It takes consistent effort, both physically and mentally.
Below are my healthy lifestyle habits that I practice daily that help me stay on track and in optimal health.
These healthy lifestyle habits didn’t happen overnight. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to introduce a whole lot of habits into my life at one time. It’s taken me a few years to figure out what works for my body and lifestyle. I slowly introduced one habit at a time until I could do it consistently and make it a part of my lifestyle.
Some of my healthy lifestyle habits, in the beginning, were difficult. For example, trying to eat healthy eighty percent of the time was a bit of a challenge. So I aimed for at least a sixty percent adherence and gradually built it up to eighty percent. I’m certainly not perfect and don’t want to be. Just try to get a little better each day.
These healthy lifestyle habits have kept me young while maintaining optimal health and lean body weight year-round. Although, in saying that, these are the habits that work for me and my lifestyle, they may not necessarily work for you or your lifestyle.
I teach healthy lifestyle habits in my fitness and nutrition coaching program. I use a sustainable, practice-based approach to help build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time.
My healthy lifestyle habits
1. Surround yourself with healthy, active, like-minded people
Have you ever heard the saying, “If you want to be successful, hang around successful people?” Well, this is no different. Find someone or a group of people with the same common interests and goals as you.
A health and exercise buddy can be of great benefit. I’m pretty lucky; my wife is my health and fitness buddy. She has been a catalyst for what I do every day and inspires me to become a better person.
2. Know your daily food and drink intake and be mindful
Find out approximately how many calories you consume daily. I pretty much eat the same variety of foods each day. So it’s easy for me to quickly estimate my daily food and drink intake without counting calories each day.
Having an idea of my daily calorie intake is one of the reasons I have maintained the same weight for over 30 years. This is because I know how many calories I need to maintain my weight based on my physical activity.
Also, be mindful. Eat slowly and until you’re satisfied, not stuffed.
3. Eat healthy most of the time and then indulge a little
Don’t waste the majority of your calories on crappy, low-nutrient, high-calorie foods.
Eat nutrient-rich, low-calorie foods most of the time and then indulge a little in foods that make you feel good. Heck, you have to live, right!
I'll try not to compromise on quality. So, for example, I'll choose a good quality dark chocolate if I'm eating chocolate. Besides, I love dark chocolate.
4. Eat lots of vegetables and some fruit
I would say that about 80 percent of my diet is plant-based. The bulk or substantial portion of my food is vegetables. They are nutrient-dense and contain fibre, filling you up with fewer calories.
I also eat a moderate amount of fruit each day to provide nutrition and satisfy my sweet tooth.
Yes, I do eat a high carbohydrate diet. This diet works best for me.
I try to buy locally grown conventional and organic produce whenever possible that’s in season or grow our own.
5. Eat an adequate amount of protein, but don’t go overboard
I get most of my protein from plants and occasionally eat small amounts of fish, poultry and dairy.
Good sources of protein will provide a feeling of fullness and satiety. They will also help to maintain muscle and a lean body mass.
Maintain a minimum of 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. Bear in mind that the more you exercise, the more protein you need. I try to maintain between 1.5 - 2 grams, depending on the amount of exercise I do.
6. Reduce the number of processed foods
I'll try to minimise or avoid foods containing ingredients (or numbers) other than the actual food itself. Most of these packaged foods are generally nutrient-poor and calorie-rich.
7. Use quality nutritional supplements
I have been using quality nutritional supplements since 1990. I use a plant-based or whey protein powder daily from The Healthy Chef. I also use a multivitamin and mineral formula daily from Xtend Life.
8. Choose low-calorie beverages
I usually drink low-calorie beverages and occasionally have a glass or two of my favourite European wines.
I drink purified water and sparkling mineral water, preferably from a glass bottle. I think water tastes better in a glass bottle rather than in plastic. I also enjoy drinking Kombucha and herbal teas.
And I love coffee!
9. Exercise daily
My exercise includes walking, cycling, hiking, running around with my son.
10. Do some resistance-based training 3 to 4 times each week
I do resistance training workouts 4 times a week with a combination of calisthenics and weights. These workouts help me to maintain muscle and a lean body mass.
I primarily work out after my coffee or two hours after breakfast in the morning.
My agonist and antagonist muscle training program
11. Sleep
I love my sleep! I try to get seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night.
Good quality sleep is just as important as nutrition and exercise for optimal health. Unfortunately, some people underestimate how important sleep is. I see it all the time. Not getting enough sleep can compromise your ability to lose weight, age slowly, prevent certain diseases and perform at an optimal level.
12. Time-restricted eating
The last one of my healthy lifestyle habits is time-restricted eating. I have been eating this way since 2016.
I confine all my eating to a twelve-hour eating window. For example, I might start at 8 am and end at 8 pm. I try not to eat anything within two hours of bedtime and then do an overnight fast.
My day might go something like this:
I’ll have a glass or two of water upon rising.
I’ll then break my fast with my favourite beverage, coffee and have a workout.
After my workout, I will have breakfast around 10 or 11 am.
I’ll have lunch around 2 or 3 pm.
Dinner will be around 6 or 7 pm.
For me, this way of eating has become one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to maintain a lean body weight and the many health benefits associated with time-restricted eating.