Conferences


The Relationship with Your Physical State 

In this article I want to move from the psychological to the physiological, from the thinking to the being.  In all parts of the world there are continuing discussions about conservation of ecological systems, and sustainability of the natural environment, and our responsibility of protection and care of the planet earth.  But the irony is that the greatest abuse occurs with the way we treat the protection and care of our own body - ‘Planet You’!  As Eubie Blake said (On his 100th Birthday): If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself.

In this article I want to deal briefly with four basics of good practice in caring for your physical state - diet , exercise, sleep and breathing.

Diet:

There is no one answer - no common truth for all, but there are some common guides that could improve the way you manage your diet. The problems associated with not being careful about what you put into your body are obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes. The body needs a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat so the trick is to customise the balance and quantity of these in your diet, to your body’s metabolic capacity.

Every individual is different so you may also need to avoid some foods.  A food allergy test may be useful if you suffer from the effects of some foods on your feeling of wellbeing. Common allergies (foods to reduce or avoid) include dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, soy, wheat and gluten (plus all highly processes carbohydrates - e.g. sugar, refined breads, pasta, and processed fruit drinks)

1. I will cover our relationship with food more extensively in a later article which deals with understanding the psychological and physiological aspects of food management.

So, diet is a complex issue for most of us, but the effort o get it right is well worth doing for the payback of feeling well and living well.  A set of ‘more’ versus ‘less’ rules may help you if you feel that your diet is out of control.  Eat more fish, less meat; more raw fruit and vegetables, less processed food; more frequent, smaller portions, less one-off large meals; more in the morning, less at night.

Exercise:

“You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is.” - Ellen Degeneres 
Regular exercise prevents several chronic health disorders and promotes weight loss and better sleep.   The good news is 2 ½ Hrs of moderate exercise (brisk walking) spread throughout each week is all you need to promote a better physical state.

The Mao Clinic (www.mayclinic.com) web page offers seven encouragements towards making regular exercise part of your weekly routine.

  1. Exercise improves your mood.  Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that can leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out.  It can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

  2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.  Regular physical activity can help you prevent - or manage - high blood pressure and rebalance your cholesterol levels by lifting the "good," cholesterol (HDL) and lowering the harmful triglycerides.

  3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.  When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn - and the easier it is to keep your weight under control.

  4. Exercise boosts your energy level.  Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and organs and helps your entire cardiovascular system.

  5. Exercise promotes better sleep.  Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.

  6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.  Regular physical activity keeps you fitter and may have a positive effect on your sex life.  Physical activity can lead to higher self esteem and libido.

  7. Exercise can be fun.  Engage with others in exercise activity. Make it a family event; join sports clubs or social groups that have regular physical activity as part of their routines.

Sleep:

Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing, according to the American National Sleep Foundation (NSF).  During our waking moments our nerve cells are constantly active and become more or less fatigued. Sleep gives the body cells an opportunity of ridding themselves of waste and of repairing themselves.  The Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Maryland USA provides the following pointers towards building and maintaining good sleep practices.

Your Personal Habits

  • Fix a regular bedtime and an awakening time.
  • Avoid napping during the day other than short power naps (15mins)
  • Avoid alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime.
  • Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime.
  • Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4-6 hours before bedtime.
  • Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.

Your Sleeping Environment

  • Invest in comfortable bedding.
  • Find a comfortable temperature setting for sleeping and keep the room well ventilated.
  • Block out all distracting noise, and eliminate as much light as possible.
  • Reserve the bed for sleep and sex; don’t use it as an office or hobby area.

Getting Ready For Bed

  • Try a light snack before bed.
  • Practice relaxation techniques before bed.
  • Don't take your worries to bed.
  • Don’t watch over-stimulating television before bed
  • Establish a pre-sleep ritual.
  • Get into your favorite sleeping position.
  • If you get disturbed in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, don’t struggle with it - get out of bed and restart the ‘getting ready’ steps.

Breathing:

Keep your air clean and fresh and learn to breathe more effectively.  Of course you breathe instinctively now, but chances are your breathing technique is not good. In most cases we breathe too shallowly and too quickly, whereas our lungs and heart prefer longer, slower, deeper breaths.
General rules for a good breathing technique include the following.

  1. In general, inhale slowly and deeply through the nose. A healthy inhale takes about five seconds. Hold it for a few seconds and then -
  2. Exhale slowly through the mouth (about 8 seconds). Empty your lungs completely. Good breathers focus more on thorough exhalation than on inhalation.
  3. Engage your diaphragm for good breathing. With a good inhalation, your lungs puff up as your diaphragm drops. With a good exhale, your diaphragm rises. If you don't feel this muscle moving, deepen your breaths even more.
  4. Work toward breathing just six or eight deep breaths per minute. Most of us breathe more than 20 times a minute.

Learning to breathe properly using deep, slow, diaphragm breathing helps us in a variety of ways.  It helps in handling anxiety, improves blood circulation, and gives better delivery of oxygen to all the cells of the body.  Also, good breathing as described above helps to balance pH levels (acid/alkaline) in your body, through creating the right balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your respiratory system.

So, in conclusion looking after your physical state is a central element of displaying self love and self esteem.  Against all odds and risks you have been conceived and born as a magnificent life force.  Beyond all other responsibilities you surely have the duty of care to this beautiful creation.  Try not to spoil it.

Dr Leith Oliver PhD MBA MPhil
University of Auckland Business School 
Icehouse Growth Programmes
Icehouse Executive in Residence

Amanda Fleming
p: +64 21 357753
e: info@amandafleming.co.nz
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AUCKLAND