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[Wellbeing] A Balanced Lifestyle

Suggestions for enhancing overall wellness - By Lauren Jane, Jul 15, 08

Looking for ways to enhance the overall quality of your life? The simplest habits in life are actually the most important in determining balance and overall happiness. It's tough trying to juggle everything at once, especially living in Shanghai. And most of us don't always make time for all the things that make up a balanced lifestyle. Going to the bar, working late at the office, entertaining clients or friends in town - it's always hard to find the time for just one more thing. So I've put together some suggestions and facts to help you gain a deeper understanding of the importance the most basic lifestyle habits. These suggestions are all ways to boost energy levels, improve focus, and increase happiness. Take what you want from this and find out what works best for you.

Always eat breakfast!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never be skipped. A healthy meal in the morning can balance your blood sugar levels and give you the sustenance you need to handle physical and mental stress. While skipping breakfast is often a common strategy for losing weight, it actually has the opposite effect. Those who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.

What your body needs most first thing in the morning is protein and fiber. Fiber can be found in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits; foods rich in protein are low-fat meats, eggs, beans, and soy.

It's better to stay away from sugary cereals and pastries that will leave you feeling hungry and tired after only a couple of hours. A breakfast diet rich in protein and fiber will leave you feeling full and energized through until lunch. If your energy starts to fade and you need a pick-me-up, try trading in the chocolate and coffee and going for something with slow-releasing carbohydrates like popcorn, fruit, yogurt, or nuts.

Easy Breakfast Suggestions: Hard-boiled egg, an orange or banana, and a bowl of whole grain cereal (or) yogurt and a piece of whole grain toast.

Drink plenty of water

The human body consists of 50% to 70% of water, and it's our job to ensure that we maintain optimum hydration levels. The benefits of drinking plenty of water are endless. In addition to the fact that it's hot as hell in Shanghai, and naturally your body needs to stay hydrated, it's also really important for your health, figure, and overall wellbeing. Drinking adequate amounts of water is essential for maintaining proper energy levels and bodily functions. Some benefits include maintaining healthy skin, flushing toxins, reducing the risk of heart disease, sustaining energy and alertness, and burning fat.

Healthy skin: Water moisturizes skin from the inside out by cleansing skin cells and leaving the skin healthier and younger looking. The true fountain of youth can be found in a glass of water!

Flushes toxins: Drinking plenty of water helps remove toxins from the body, specifically in the digestive tract. This in turn can prevent things such as headaches and fatigue from occurring.

Reduces risk of heart disease: Dehydration causes cells and tissues to absorb water from the bloodstream and thus decreases the volume of blood flow. In other words, it raises your blood pressure. Drinking enough water can help prevent this from happening and ultimately reduce the risk of heart disease.

Energy & Alertness: Even minor dehydration can cause impaired concentration, headaches, and fatigue. So often when we feel we need that mid-morning energy boost it's often due to lack of water. As your body takes in more water, the oxygen levels increase in your bloodstream, which gives you more energy. Try to replace that second or third cup of coffee with a glass of water. Drinking plenty of water can also help you think more clearly and focus on the task at hand.

Burns fat: Maintaining the proper level of hydration can help increase your metabolism and thus keep your weight at a healthy level. Water is calorie free, so it's a great alternative to sodas or sugary drinks. It can also act as an appetite suppressant, making you feel full.

So, just how much should you drink? You should drink about 50 to 75% of your body weight in ounces.

Exercise at least three times every week

Some form of regular exercise is absolutely essential to maintain a healthy body and mind. Life in Shanghai can be insanely busy, but so making time for exercise will help keep you focused, calm, and energized. Below are some of the main benefits of exercise:

Improves Mood: Exercise provides an opportunity for your body to "de-stress" which can ultimately elevate your mood and self-esteem. Feelings of stress, anxiety, and even depression tend to melt away during a workout, and a regular exercise routine can help manage these issues. Exercise stimulates brain chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, which often leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than before you began exercising. A regular workout routine can even reduce your frustration with daily problems - like the common outbursts in taxis we all seem to have.

Strengthens Heart and Lungs: Exercise aids in the prevention of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes. Blood travels more efficiently by bringing the essential oxygen from your lungs, and nutrients to the rest of your body. This is why we often feel more refreshed and energetic after a workout.

Look (even) Better: Exercise has the obvious benefits of looking better in addition to the health advantages. You'll feel better about yourself, lose weight, or maintain an ideal weight. Studies have also shown that athletics help you sleep better thereby enhancing your appearance. And those that sustain long-term exercise programs will age better than those who don't.

Builds Strong Bones and Muscles: Aerobic and strength training are the two essential components in an exercise routine. Aerobic training is any kind of exercise that gets your heart pumping and quickens your breathing. It makes your heart stronger and more efficient in delivering oxygen to all parts of your body. Strong muscles can help burn more energy when a person's at rest than fat does, so building strong muscles helps you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight. Building and maintaining strong bones is especially important for women because they're more prone to osteoporosis later in life.

Enhances Sex Drive: If you're too tired or feel too out of shape for intimacy, regular exercise can heighten energy levels and also improve your circulation which can lead to more satisfying sex.

So even when exercise feels like the very last thing you feel like doing because you're stressed or tired, try to remember that once you take that initial step it becomes much easier, and eventually you'll be anticipating your workouts!

Even if you don't have a gym membership you can still add a regular exercise program into your weekly routine. I know it's tough to exercise outside in Shanghai, but finding a park to jog in would be pleasant compared to dodging bikers and random stray walkers on the sidewalk and street. Running, biking, hiking, and climbing walls are all great ways to cardio train. Yoga and Pilates are also fantastic for strength training and increasing flexibility. And all of these activities are available in Shanghai.

Okay so maybe you really are "too busy" to belong to a gym or maintain a regular workout routine. Here are some options for you to help get the blood flowing: When you wake up first thing in the morning, try doing some basic stretches and/or some push-ups or sit-ups before you get into the shower. This should only take you about 5 or 10 minutes. Walk or bike to work instead of cabbing it. Studies have shown that a brisk walk can dramatically alter consciousness. A morning walk can help you mentally prepare for your day, manage stress, and even sleep better at night. If you need a mid-day energy boost, try walking or jogging up and down a few flights of stairs in your building.

For information on gyms around Shanghai click here

Get enough sleep

Getting the proper amount of sleep every night is a challenge we all face living and working in Shanghai. With the work hard, and play even harder mentality sleep become a secondary concern at times. If you experience low-energy levels on a regular basis it may be because you're not getting enough sleep.

When we get less sleep than our bodies need each night, or we're just not sleeping well, sleep deprivation develops. This "sleep debt" will continue to build over time and promote a host of problems. Even if you don't feel sleepy during the day, sleep debt can still have powerfully negative effect on your daytime performance. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can lead to a number of issues including heart problems, obesity, mood disorders, mental clarity, memory, and an overall poor quality of life.

Sleep is an active process of repair and restoration. Generally speaking, sleep is compromised of two states: REM and Non-REM (rapid eye movement). REM is responsible for our mental and emotional wellbeing, and Non-REM is for our physical wellbeing. It is essential to achieve both states of REM when sleeping to avoid sleep deprivation.

While many people claim they can function on 6-7 hours of sleep, extensive research studies show that most people perform best with 7.5-8.5 hours. Find out what's right for your body and try to make more time for a healthy dose of sleep each night. You'll wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Proper sleep can also keep you looking young. Long-term sleep habits have been known to directly affect facial features, weight, and even lifespan.

Maintain a healthy and balanced mind

The overall wellbeing of our emotional state is equally important as the aforementioned routines, and is often the most overlooked. People need just enough stress to maintain energy and alertness, but too much can lead to a "burnout" and/or disease. Finding the right balance in life is extremely important. Here are a few suggestions on how to manage stress and maintain a balanced state of mind:

Deep Breathing: Take a few moments each day to relax and take several deep belly breaths (inhale slowly through the nose and into the abdomen, not the chest). This can help control stress and give you sense of calm.

Simple Stretching or Yoga: Both are great ways to promote mental and physical relaxation and balance.

Journaling: Writing in a journal on a daily basis can help you feel focused, process negative emotions, solve problems, and lead to increased self-awareness.


Try implementing some of these routines one by one into your schedule and you're guaranteed to see an improvement in quality of life. Just remember to breathe and relax....Life is beautiful.

For further reading and some of the author's references please click here,
here and here.

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