9 things to do before 9; may help avoid T2 diabetes
Reversing diabetes or prediabetes symptoms demands routine. Having a healthy blood glucose at the start of the day will set you for with more determination and motivation.
Without question having a good start to the day can make it a more successful one in terms of achieving more and generally enjoying the day more. Every day is a gift but do you treat it as that?
“Not enough hours in the day” is a common phrase. In fact this is an excuse that many people make to neglect their health. No time for healthy eating, exercise, meditation and as for sleep – barely enough time for that.
But that’s just an excuse with no truth behind it. It’s a choice.
Having a good start to your day where you feel in control, rested, clear and healthy will always make your day better. If you start your day with healthful choices the likelihood is that your blood sugars will be more stable, you will feel better and you will sleep better that night. And good sleep is crucial for blood sugar control.
We all have different routines and our circadian rhythms can be different (night owls versus morning people) but the vast majority of us will benefit from getting up a bit earlier in the morning and making time for some healthful activities – both physical and emotional.
This is my favourite list of things to do before 9am:
- On waking do a quick mental gratitude list including being grateful for waking up!! This immediately puts you in a positive frame of mind.
- Drink some boiled water with lemon juice. This is cleansing for you liver, is refreshing and also it can be good for helping with blood sugar regulation. Plus it knocks the edge off craving sweet foods if you are inclined that way in the morning.
- If you have not mastered the ‘art’ of meditation please be assured it’s not really an art! You get more skilled at it with practise but even sitting still for ten minutes benefits your whole body. The benefits of meditation are so immense particularly when it comes to being more mindful and purposeful in decision making. While sitting still after a night of sleep may seem like a waste of time or even a luxury you don’t have time for you will find that you feel more rested more grounded and more energetic throughout the day.
- Research show that we are most creative in the morning and the part of our brain that works for problem solving and clarity is at its peak first thing in the morning. Some people like to free write and do a brain-dump. Others like to plan their day, write their intentions for their day or just to keep writing to solve an issue that’s bothering them. Clarity can come with writing so this is a great time to arrive at solutions. It also gets your creative juices flowing freely which will be very beneficial to you throughout the day.
- We all know that having a plan especially when it comes to mealtimes is so much easier than trying to decide what to eat or feed others on the spot. Being clear with yourself in the morning what you are going to have for each meal for that day makes life so much easier and hugely important when making changes to your nutrition. Also consider snacks and make sure that you will not be caught out during the day packing some fruit, chopped raw veggies, nuts or seeds.
- Decide what’s most important. If you really want to focus on your health but you have 100 things to do then decide what’s getting dropped. What will you say no to. Make your necessary health activities a non-negotiable. Some days this may be a challenge but it’s a great habit to get into and it works. No matter what allocate some time for exercise, meditation/mindfulness, finding healthy food, getting to bed on time for the required quality and quantity of sleep for your health.
- While doing exercise at any time of the day is hugely beneficial exercising early in the morning where possible has added benefits. If you need to burn fat (external or internal) exercising first thing in the morning before eating will mobilise fat burning. It’s easier to lose weight by exercising first thing if possible. If you are taking insulin/medication you need to be careful with this to avoid hypoglycaemia but your health carer should be able to help you get around this. Other benefits are the lift in good mood hormones that greatly assist you in getting off to a more positive and motivated start to your day. This is gold for making your day so much better plus you have the added benefit of having done your exercise for the day rather than trying to fit it in later. It’s worth getting up earlier for that alone!
- Cold shower. Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it! Start off with having lukewarm showers and turn it to cold for a few seconds at the end. Then gradually increase the length of time that you can tolerate the cold water for. This is amazing, yes it feels slightly torturous in the beginning but once you start to experience the rush of happy neurochemicals and you let yourself laugh out loud you will love the boost that you get after it. Keep your mindset in positive, do not focus on “I’m freezing”, rather say what I am doing is amazing and I feel grateful for the opportunity to experience this. Its’ simply taking you out of your comfort zone, we all need to take that trip at least once a day so as above isn’t it great to do it first thing in the morning! And you totally feel alive!
- Breaking your fast has attracted a lot of attention recently as many studies are now showing the benefits of having a longer ‘fast’ time between your evening meal and your breakfast. 12-14 hours is ideal to aim for and you may even find yourself extending this. It has been shown to be particularly beneficial in inflammatory diseases like diabetes, good for your gut health and also for people who are trying to lose weight. Try to leave breakfast until last rather than starting your day with it. This can be a gradual process but powerful in terms of blood sugar control and digestion.
This is putting the important stuff first. You. Your Health.
Yes it may mean getting up 45-60 minutes earlier.
Which in turn means going to bed 45-60 minutes earlier.
But as the saying goes “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it”.
Even adding in a few of these morning activities can make the world of difference to how you feel, not only in the morning but for the whole day. For most of us willpower is strongest first thing in the morning. Grab it and work that muscle ?
