Protein, Sleep and Posture

Ashvitha Ram : I am a Chartered Accountant by profession. When I’m not indulging in numbers, you can find me soaking in books and speaking on stage thrills me the most! Also I believe in chasing sustainable fitness goals.

Propel the fire in your belly to make it to the big leagues with the holy trinity – PSP: Protein, Sleep and Posture!

In the process of chasing our dreams, the most overlooked factor is our health. We fail to understand that in the marathon of life, the greatest companion of all time would be our health. In a recent study done by Apollo Hospitals – Health of the Nation 2025: it is identified that the nation is moving towards a silent epidemic of undiagnosed chronic diseases.

• 65% of the individuals screened had fatty liver disease of these 85% were non-alcoholic fatty liver cases.
• Increase in health risks for women after menopause: Prevalence of diabetes jumps from 14% pre-menopause to 40% post-menopause
• Rising Obesity and Pre-hypertension in Children and Adolescents; 8% of primary school students were overweight or obese.

The heart of the matter is lifestyle changes. Gone are the days when we walked down the street to the nearest shop to buy a pack of milk. Everything is just a click away making it cozier and adding to the risk of sedentary lifestyle. How do we keep ourselves healthy in this era?

Pep up with Protein:

Feel foggy and scattered? It’s time to check your protein intake! Protein has been the buzzword of all time, and it is an important component that makes our meal balanced. They build our body block by block.

Let’s assume that our body is a puzzle and when we eat protein rich foods, the body breaks them down into essential amino acids. These act as the tiny pieces of the puzzle and help build and replenish our body.

The quality and the quantity of protein we consume directly affects our focus, memory, energy and even mood – all the key things to make it big in life! It is said that a normal human being requires 1gm of protein for each kg of the body weight and if someone is regular in exercising/working out, they would need 1.5 to 2gms of protein per kg of the body weight to maintain the muscle mass.

It is normal for us to experience higher amount of pain as we cross 30 years of age, one of the main reasons for this is that we lose our muscle mass, the armor guarding our tender organs and as a result even a smaller injury can result in higher pain. Enough protein intake results in maintaining the required muscle mass and helps us stay healthy and age gracefully! Not just that! Proteins act as biochemicals that affect our brain structure. These are converted into neurotransmitters like Dopamine and Serotonin affecting our moods. Ensure to add a source of protein in every meal.

Pep up with protein to stay strong physically and mentally and stay focused on your goals!

Rest and Reset:

Take the example of a train, it works on schedules. Similarly, our bodies work based on circadian rhythm- the internal schedule that helps with the normal functioning of our bodies. It is our body’s 24-hour natural clock. This helps us stay synced with the day and night cycle. When we work against the rhythm of our body, like staying up late just to catch up on the “one-more” episode of our favorite Netflix series, it would be natural to feel thrown off!

Sleep and rest are the best medicines to fight any health conditions, it directly impacts our longevity and slows down the aging process of our body by streamlining our metabolism, fighting inflammation and repairing our cells and organs.

Set up simple goals to work in line with your circadian rhythm. Maintain your mealtimes, preferably eat every meal on the same time each day. Have an early dinner and reduce the intake of caffeine and fruits post 5pm, these delay the production of melatonin an important hormone that induces sleep.

Get your Vitamin D! Work on naturally boosting the levels of Vitamin D by getting enough sunlight and having foods like eggs, salmons and mushrooms. This regulates the production of melatonin. You might still be working out and chugging on protein shakes but not notice visible results. The missing link is the magic that happens when your body goes into the sleep mode. Hit the bed around the same time each day and limit the usage of screens at least half an hour before bedtime. Practice mindfulness techniques like journaling and meditation before hitting the bed and experience the difference in the quality of sleep! Quality sleep = Higher productivity.

Tiny moves Big wins:

The best way to increase the brain power and boost your performance is by engaging in any forms of physical activity. A simple routine to include as minimum as a 30-minute work-out in a day can make all the difference! From a variety of workouts like HIIT, strength training, Pilates, Zumba, Yoga, choose anything that might suit your vibe.

Physical activities increase the blood flow and oxygen levels to our brains and helps us think clearer and faster promoting creative thinking and problem solving. It can elevate our moods and leave us energized and focused! Simple activities like walking and stretching can help in creating newer connections between the brain cells and improving our memory.

Engage in your favorite sport. Take a small break post every 45 minutes of work to stretch. Prefer the stairs over elevators, try walking during less important work meetings, go on brisk walks post lunch.

Work on your breath. Techniques like box breathing can help us regulate our emotions and the rhythm of our body. This can result in fewer mental crashes and promote better sleep. Workout to “Feel-Good.”

To stay ahead in life, honing our overall health is as important as honing our skillsets. We chase big dreams and fall back on quick fixes that do not give sustainable results. Let’s take the case of my friend Ishaan. Ishaan, is a compassionate person and is so full of life, topped his professional exam at age of 21. He kick-started his career with one of the world's largest consultancy firms and was on a mad rush to make waves but at the cost of his health. His life suddenly involved crazy travels, eating out and working triple shifts. A decade later a ride on my two-wheeler hit home the hard truth! He realized something about his back was not fine and resorted to a luxurious spa session. Would frequent spa sessions give him the resolution to his health problems without addressing the route cause? Instead, the silent game changer would be fixing the wellness trinity – Protein, Sleep and Posture!

The key to achieving these goals is consistency. Routines build habits and habits build identity. Build routines by just showing up, go on a brisk 15-20 mins walk on those hectic days. Daily small wins are better than not showing up at all. Stay consistent and do not lose track of the purpose of your life! Eat clean, stay hydrated, sleep tight and most importantly make it a point to move your body and declutter your brain!