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Food, exercise, rest and stress: an expert explains how to improve them all with minimal changes

2023-06-06T09:44:21.623Z

Highlights: There are 5 things we must do to be healthy, get sick less and age better: eat correctly, do not stress, rest well, exercise, abstain from alcohol and tobacco. A specialist in personalized medical examinations at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London says that small changes in one of the areas bring changes in the rest. Safia Debar says that just by paying attention to one of them, the others will improve as well. The impact of stress all starts in the brain, she says.


While we tend to think of big, drastic changes, making small modifications in one area impacts the rest.


For some time now, we have heard and read again and again that there are 5 things we must do to be healthy, get sick less and age better: eat correctly, do not stress, rest well, exercise, abstain from alcohol and tobacco; all of which constitute a healthy lifestyle.

Now, if we stop to think about these guidelines, we will notice that they involve practically all areas of our lives, and even often go against not only our routine and the habits we have acquired; but of issues associated with pleasure and amusement.


When we are stressed or rest poorly, we eat worse. Photo Shutterstock.

The most common examples: a daily rhythm that does not leave time for exercise, looking at screens until late that threatens rest but is a moment reserved for daily pleasure, such as having a drink or eating unhealthy foods.

If, on top of all this, we consider improving all areas at once, the task seems practically impossible.

Precisely at that point lies the importance of what Safia Debar, a graduate in Medicine and Surgery, a specialist in personalized medical examinations at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, has to say: contrary to what we tend to think – that big changes have to be made in all areas, from one day to the next – she postulates that small changes in one of the areas bring changes in the rest.

Debar says that just by paying attention to one of them, the others will improve as well.

The organism is a whole and its areas are interrelated

"Traditionally, the medical model of care has been very compartmentalized, so we have specialties and different disciplines. Then, there is Orthopedics, which is subdivided into more specialties, or Rheumatology, where the same thing happens, and this works like this for all medical specialties, "describes Safar when explaining why we usually conceive each area almost independently.

"However, we, as organisms or human beings, are interconnected. So now, with all the new research, we know that we have different axes, for example, the gut-brain axis, so there is an established link between our mental health and our gastrointestinal health and vice versa, there is a bidirectional relationship, "he highlights in dialogue with Clarín.

Rest appears as the restorative and restorative mechanism par excellence. Photo Shuttestock.

In this sense, he underlines the implications of this change of approach: "Seeing them as a whole means that when we do something that has an impact in one area, that has a chain effect on others, for example by focusing on our sleep, it will improve our immune function, our metabolism, our mental health, our hormonal balance, "he describes regarding what he calls a holistic view of health.

The impact of stress

Debar explains that "it all starts in the brain." In this sense, he assures that when the brain presents a state of stress, the main concern of the body will be to face the perceived threats, while the other physical needs are relegated to the background.

"Our brain doesn't distinguish between threat perception and actual threat, so once you press that button, the same thing happens," he says.

When the brain is in a state of stress, the body's concern will be to deal with perceived threats. Photo Shutterstock.

Thus, stress can have an impact on sleep, food and exercise.

"For example, when the brain is in a state of stress, it thinks short-term and focuses on feeling better immediately. That's why it's common to crave fatty or sugary foods and not make the effort to exercise when you're stressed: the brain informs the body that it needs immediate energy," he explains.

Exercising has a positive impact on stress levels, as well as rest and eating. Photo Shutterstock.

The importance of good rest

The four areas mentioned are central to well-being and are interrelated, but if we had to prioritize, is there one that is more important than another, that brings more benefits than the others?

Debar points to sleep as the primary mechanism of restoration and repair.

"When we sleep, we are in a resting state and our brain usually works from a parasympathetic state. When we are in a regenerative, restorative and restorative state, our hormonal balance mimics that. Our cortisol levels are low and our immune system is geared toward repair and restoration."

"When our sleep is disrupted and not restorative, then our cortisol levels tend to be higher, and that leads us to make worse decisions," he warns.

And it also indicates why poor sleep can lead us to eat poorly: "Our cortisol levels are also linked to insulin, so we're more likely to have sugar cravings and make less healthy nutritional choices. When our cortisol levels are higher, we may feel different, so you may want to calm yourself down with food."

Why we sleep badly

Why does it cost so much good sleep? Here we notice, again, how the areas interrelate.

"One of the reasons we don't sleep is because we're in a state of stress, which keeps the body from switching off, because it doesn't consider it safe. In addition, we have an interrupted circadian rhythm: our biological clock is not synchronized, and that may be due to jet lag, to young children, but also to the use of screens, "he reflects.

"It can also be related to what we are eating, to alcohol intake. So sleep is really the combination of all those factors. You need to feel safe, you need to have the right environment," he explains.

"Sleep can be challenging because it's a combination of many factors, and on top of that, it's a learned habit, because if we then label ourselves as bad sleepers, that becomes a belief. So it's about more than just behavior modification," he says.

Change: How to Achieve Maximum Impact with Less Effort

What advice can we give people to improve these areas? "I always think about how we can harness our brain to get the maximum impact with the least amount of effort, because once you start, you start to feel better, and then you want to do more," he introduces.

"I recommend starting small, with things that can be achieved. Do not underestimate the impact that small behavioral changes can have, "he encourages, and ensures that starting with minimal issues can even be productive, since that makes our brains not perceive them as big things, which can generate resistance.

Therefore, he proposes to focus on these four areas separately: "Ask yourself, 'What is feasible for me?, What can I manage?' It's not necessarily sleeping eight hours a night, so it's asking ourselves 'how to get to bed better, how can I have a relaxing routine of 10 or 15 minutes', "he proposes.

"The other thing I recommend is to seek help early. A lot of people want to try to do things, but it's normal for there to be resistance, especially if they've gotten used to certain habits that are then done on autopilot."

He also advises asking yourself the following questions:

  • "What's my dream like?" If it's not good, maybe this is the area that deserves attention, going to bed earlier or changing another aspect of your sleep routine.
  • "How does my gut work?" If you have digestive problems, it may be helpful to improve your diet.
  • "What's my social life like?" That can affect mood, he warns.
  • "Do I feel like certain things are stressing me out?" For example, if checking email before bed or immediately after waking up causes you stress, think about changing that part of your routine to stay calm, she suggests.
  • "What kind of physical exercise am I doing?" If the answer is not much, try to find ways to incorporate more movement into your day, he recommends.
  • "Helping your gut or sleeping better may be enough for you," he says.

"The problem is not that a doctor says we should lose weight, sleep and reduce stress. When we understand the basis of health, it is no longer about having little self-control, procrastinating or not having discipline, "says Debar. "It's about how we incorporate these practices into our lives," he closes.

***

➪ Do you have any questions about health and wellness that you would like us to address in section notes? Enter the Clarín Help Center by clicking here, enter Message to the newsroom and then to Questions to Good Life. Write us your inquiry and send. Ready!

See also

Fibromyalgia: 10 keys to understanding the complex disease that generates pain throughout the body

The Best and Worst Diets for the Heart, According to an Expert Review

Source: clarin

All news articles on 2023-06-06

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