Permission to take the path of least resistance. Really.

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Life is busy.

And when you combine our hectic lives with the overwhelm of health information coming from all directions, we often end up taking the path of least resistance (or perhaps even the path of no resistance!), especially when it comes to our health.

The good news is that there are a number of things we can do to move the needle forward that take minimal time and energy. Spoiler alert – none of this is new (well, hopefully not). BUT, I urge you to read below because sometimes all it takes is a second (or third) nudge to embrace simple hacks towards better health.

Note - what inspired me to share some of these is the item at the TOP of my list… something I want to shout from the mountain tops to everyone that will listen.

USE UNSCENTED LAUNDRY DETERGENT!!!

(Yes, the use of caps is me shouting from the mountain tops).

First off, a small caveat – I am highly sensitive to scents and they give me headaches almost immediately depending on the strength, so I can pick up a mile away when someone is using a scented laundry detergent - whether it’s sitting in a restaurant and the “offender” is three tables over, or I’m out for a walk and someone is walking ahead of me (well ahead of me).

But this morning was the final straw. I received a courier package, and it reeked of laundry detergent. Seriously.

The fragrance of scented laundry products (including dryer sheets) are not natural, nor are they regulated. They are chemicals, many of which are endocrine disrupting compounds (aka hormone disruptors).

Note that the words “natural”, “non-toxic” and “green” can be used indiscriminately. They may mean something, or they may not.

But I digress… back to fragrance. As mentioned, fragrances are loaded with hormone disruptors (toxins). We both inhale these chemicals and absorb them through our skin.

They can affect our cognition, our respiratory function, metabolic function (diabetes, obesity) and oncogenic function (cancer, especially breast and prostate). For me, they trigger migraines. We are surrounded by these toxins, from the carpets in our homes to the clothes that we wear (flame retardents) and the food that we eat (pesticides). So the more we can do to decrease them, the better.

If you want more detailed information, check out this research, or, for help decoding terms on packaging, check out this. EWG (Environmental Working Group) is a great place to start to find information on personal care products (and food) - the good, the bad and the ugly.

If nothing else, buy unscented laundry detergent. And truth be told, think about unscented everything (especially deodorant). I’m not suggesting that you have to buy expensive alternatives that are free of all chemicals (although that’s always an option) rather, for the easiest path of less resistance suggestion, simply look for unscented products.

And ditch the dryer sheets immediately. Like right now.

“Fast” for 12 hours

There is so much talk about intermittent fasting / time restricted feeding, and for good reason. There are a myriad of benefits, one of which is to give our digestive system a break. We were never supposed to eat/graze non-stop throughout the day and evening.

Fasting also challenges the body, which engages stress response pathways, ultimately strengthening our overall system.

And yet the whole idea of fasting and/or longer time restricted feeding windows (ie - 16:8) can seem (and be) overwhelming. But you don’t have to go to extremes to get some benefits.

Do a 12-hour “fast”.

You may actually be doing this without realizing it. If there are 12 hours between the end of your last meal at night and the beginning of your next meal the following day, you are already there. For example, if you finish dinner at 7:30pm, then don’t have anything to eat until 7:30am the next morning, you're doing it.

The challenge for many? No snacking at night. Would it help if I said that every circadian rhythm specialist and sleep specialist would agree that snacking at night is not a good thing?

Our bodies (and brains) go through a cleansing / detoxifying process at night – food in our system disturbs this. Snacking at night can also impact weight gain, inflammation and sleep quality.

If you feel you must snack at night, make sure it’s a high fat food, such as macadamia nuts, olives or avocado, and hydrate alongside (with water or herbal tea). I will say though, like anything, over time your body will get used to not eating after dinner. This strategy also helps with sleep - ideally we don't want to eat anything three hours prior to bed (especially anything that raises our blood sugar).

A 12-hour "fast" is the easiest way to derive some of the benefits of time restricted feeding, which include:

  • Improved gut microbiome

  • Weight loss/management

  • Improved sleep

  • Improved circadian rhythm

  • Reduced inflammation

  • Increased cell maintenance and protection

  • Removal and replacement of damaged cells

  • Healthy longevity

It’s definitely something to work towards if you aren’t already doing it.

Move

I know. I sound like a broken record. But I can’t help myself. Hopefully I am preaching to the converted and this will be the last time I touch on this subject for a while.

But I am getting very lonely walking up the subway stairs on my own.

Do you know that movement is at the top of neurologist Richard Isaacson’s list when it comes to Alzheimer’s prevention/risk reduction? That’s before nutrition and sleep. He calls exercise “miracle grow” for the brain.

If daily exercise is not an option at the moment, there are other EASY ways (aka path of least resistance) to start incorporating movement into your life: take the stairs; walk to the store; stand up every 25 minutes from your desk; put on some music and dance; do squats or lunges while your coffee brews; do exercises while brushing your teeth (knee bends, squats, balancing on one leg); park in furthest spot in a parking lot… anything to get the blood flowing to your body and brain.

And if you can take it to the next level, get your heart rate up while you move – incorporate a hill or stairs on your daily walk, walk up and down the stairs in your house consecutively a few times/day, do 20 squat jumps two to three times/day; buy a skipping rope and start skipping 1-2x/day… heck do squats while you are reading this on your phone!

Why is movement important? It delivers oxygen and nutrients to our brains, improving mental health and cognitive function; it delivers oxygen and nutrients to our organs, improving our bodily functions; it improves our cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure (which leads to a myriad of other benefits… did you know that high blood pressure is one of the “precursors” to dementia?); it improves our moods (literally and physically), it gives us increased energy and it decreases stress.

Ok. I think I've made my point ;-)

The Physiological Sigh

Again, we’ve been here, but I am stating again because this small but mighty tool needs to be in your toolbox.

Stress in our lives is pervasive nowadays. One of the easiest ways to decrease stress and engage our parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest system) is to breathe.

I’ve spoken in the past about the physiological sigh, and I’m mentioning it again because it’s free, easy, accessible, takes no time and very effective. It’s a pattern of breathing that involves two inhales and a long exhale, done 1-2x, sometimes 3.

Total time to do three rounds would take you under 10 seconds – probably the fastest, most effective de-stressor out there.

Not only can this breathing exercise help us sleep, as well as help engage our feelings of relaxation, but it can also help our bodies digest food by engaging our parasympathetic nervous system (aka rest and digest system), increasing absorption of nutrients and potentially lowering digestive issues. When we are in a chronically stressed state, blood leaves our digestive system and moves to our extremities (prepping us for fight or flight mode), hence decreasing our ability to digest food effectively.

Supplement with Vitamin D

Not doing this yet? I really don’t like to push supplements, but vitamin D is super important on many levels, especially as we age. It is one of the easiest vitamins to become deficient in. It’s critical to get tested to see what your levels are at. In Ontario we have to pay for this lab result (approx $35) but it's worth it.

Vitamin D helps protect us from acute respiratory tract infections, including colds and flu (note that cold and flu season is upon us), and has also been related to a lower risk of COVID-19 infection.

It has been shown to treat and prevent osteoporosis (a mostly silent disease) as our body needs vitamin D to help the absorption of calcium. Note that D works synergistically with vitamin K2 to aid this absorption, so try to get a supplement that has both Vitamin D and K2 (they come in drops as well).

Along with bones, it makes sense that vitamin D is also essential for healthy teeth – possibly one of the most important nutrients for our teeth.

And if that’s not enough reason, Vitamin D also has a huge impact on the health and function of our cells. It reduces cellular growth (which promotes cancer) and improves cell differentiation (which puts cells into an anti-cancer state).

Anywhere from 2000 to 5000 IU’s is recommended for daily use, although you will want to confirm your personal needs with a health professional. Again, get your tests done first to see what your levels are at. Note that you should take vitamin D with food containing fat to get all its benefits, as it is a fat-soluble vitamin.

The Power of Water

A few key facts:

  • Our brain is up to 80% water. Even mild dehydration can trigger cognitive issues

    • water is needed by the brain to make hormones and neurotransmitters

    • every chemical reaction in the brain depends on water

  • Our heart is 73% water - dehydration strains the heart

  • Our lungs are over 80% water, our muscle and kidneys are 79% and the skin is 64%

Water helps deliver oxygen to our bodies and brain. It is essential, and most of us don't drink enough. Generally, use the eight cups a day rule (2L/day) as a guideline. And keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are mostly water - if you are loading up on them, that counts!

Suggestions include keeping a jug of water on your kitchen counter; a glass or stainless steel water bottle on your desk (or a pot of herbal tea), and/or a water bottle in the car, especially if you spend a lot of time driving.

In the mornings, try to have a glass or two first thing, before your coffee, because we wake up already dehydrated. Even better - drink it warm (or at least room temperature). Warm water is more hydrating than cold because of its vasodilating effect, which promotes absorption.

Water is key to the metabolism of both our body and our brain.
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So there you have it – six things with high impact you can easily incorporate into your daily routine that take minimal time and effort. Hopefully you are incorporating at least some, if not all of these now. If you are, keep up the good work! Your body will thank you in the long run :)

Remember – the average life span is getting longer, but not necessarily better. We want to ensure those extra years are as productive as possible. In order to do this, we need our health. So let’s start thinking more in terms of “health span” rather than “life span”. What's the point of a long life if we feel like crap...?

Thanks for reading.

Gillian xx

PS – if you need help navigating anything to do with nutrition, sleep, cognitive health, stress management or ways to incorporate more movement into your life, let's chat :)