4 things we can do to help our bodies function better

We as humans think about an endless amount of things but how much time do you really think about your body and its needs. I am going to guess these thoughts are fleeting and few and far between than other thoughts you have. The last year has really put our health in the front of our minds, hasn't it? We call all agree we can do better at looking after our bodies. We go about our day to day lives and just expect our bodies to keep up with us and get annoyed when we get sick. But do we put real effort into making the changes our bodies really need? Today we are going to talk about the little changes we can make that can make a massive impact on our lives. 

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Fitness 

Fitness is a necessary part of keeping our bodies in the best condition possible. Now I am not saying if at the moment you do not partake in an exercise that you need to go run a marathon. What I am saying is it is time to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle. We can all do better when it comes to adding extra fitness into our lives. You can make simple changes like walk the children to school instead of driving them or instead of meeting a friend for a coffee why not go for a walk. There are so many simple changes we can make to become more active. 

If you want to be more active the world is your oyster. You can join a gym now they are reopening, you can take up a new hobby like biking or swimming. You can find thousands of free workout classes on youtube and you can easily pop on some trainers and start running. You can order some home gym equipment. I don't mean you need to spend a fortune but you could start with a set of exercise resistance bands set they are simple to use and help achieve awesome results. 

There really is a sport or fitness activity for everyone you just need to find one your like. I recommend trying lots of option and finding one you are passionate about as you are more likely to stick to it and feel the benefits of being fitter. 

Allergy testing 

We all put up with stomach upsets and bloating. Did you know that most people have food intolerances and allergies?  No, I didn't either. It is quite shocking to read that 1 in 4 adults have allergies. I guess when you have lived with the odd upset stomach and bloating all your life you become used to it and forget it is not normal. It is one of those things, isn't it? Oh, I feel a bit ill you take a painkiller and forget about it. But wouldn't it be better to find out what is going on. I think so. 

I think one of the best things we can do is find out what is good for our bodies and what is not. Getting an allergy test is one way you can find out what you are either allergic to or have an intolerance to. This way you can remove it from your diet and help your body run better and more efficiently. Lets face it it works best when we treat it right. plus find out what we are allergic to can save your lives in extreme circumstances. 

There are so many allergens you can have issues with from cows milk, peanuts to soya to even dust mites. There is an extensive list of possible causes of allergic reaction. I found out later in life that I am intolerant to lactose. I have now cut this from my diet and I feel better I have more energy and no more bloating. There are lots of ways to get tested but I prefer an at-home allergy test as I can do it from my own home no need to make an appointment. 

Today I am working with klarify.me Home Allergy Test to let you know about their at-home allergy tests. They are really simple and easy to do at home yourself.  All you need to do is take a small blood sample and post it to their professional laboratory for testing. It is fully explained how to do this in the Klarify.me test kit. Then just wait for your comprehensive result and you are on your way to finding out what you need to eliminate from your diet to help your body function better and you will feel and look better. 

About the test 

The test will check your sample for 294 allergens using the best and most sophisticated technology. This is a home to lab test and your result are back within two weeks.

Home-to-lab allergy blood tests

If you want a comprehensive view of your allergy you can test hundreds of allergens with a home-to-lab allergy blood test detecting IgE in your blood.

A home-to-lab allergy blood test comes with everything you need to collect a small blood sample from your fingertip and instructions on how to do it. With these types of tests, you have to send your blood sample to the lab for analysis. When your sample has been analysed you can usually access your test results online. Your test results will give you an overview of the allergens that you are sensitised to. 

What is sensitisation?

Sensitisation is the first step of developing allergy. Allergic reactions do not happen the first time you encounter an allergen. First, your immune system has to meet the allergen. For example, by being stung by a bee. Then your immune system memorises the particular structure of the allergen so that it can produce specific IgE antibodies against it. This process is called sensitisation.

There is a misconception that we all seem to think we can eat and drink whatever we want but this is not the case at all. Everybody is different and has different requirements and needs. With this also come different things it doesn't want and definitely don't need. The only way to find out is to get tested and find out for sure what your unquiet needs are. 

  

Eat right

Now we know what our bodies are not allergic to or have intolerances to we can plan a healthy diet. Again I am not saying cut out all treats and only live on healthy food. What I am saying is we need to really think about our bodies like the most important machine we are ever going to own. If we do not look after our machine how can we expect it to live a long and healthy life. That is just not going to happen, is it? We all make choices in our lives with the food we eat.  We might grab the quickest but not the healthiest option on the weekly food shop as it saves time. But it is time to think about what our machine needs to function at its prime not what saves time. Dont worry there are healthy quick meal options out there. I was just using this as an example. 

What are the vitamin, mineral and proteins you need to include in your diets? Can you do better. I will be the first to say yes I can do better and I will try harder to make my body my priority. 

When was the last time you actually thought about the meal you are making and its nutritional value? I know my eyes have been opened and I am including a lot more variety into my diet. I have in the past had an iron and vitamin d deficiency and I do not want to go there again as it was not a pleasant experience. So I make sure to add extra to my diet. 

I am currently experiencing a spate of bad health and have been advised to add yoghurt with good bacteria in it. I am not a yoghurt fan but I know my body needs it so I do it. It is important to enjoy your food yes but it is also important to make sure you are eating right. 

Drink water 

Our bodies at up to 60% water. Yes, that much. How often do you feel lethargic and dehydrated? Or what about a headache mid afternoon? Did you know the most likely cause is lack of water? Do you drink a lot of caffeinated products? Tea? coffee? Fizzy drinks? If the answer is yes you need to up your water game. We should all be drinking 1.5 litres of water a day and more if we are working out or sweating. 

The lack of water can not only cause the symptoms above but it can also affect your skin, your eye and even cause dizziness and constipation. Water should be a really important factor in your daily life. 

Why not try taking a water bottle with you when you leave the house or add one to your desk. I always make sure to have a glass of water when I wake up to make sure I am topping up my levels I have lost whilst I slept. You could always swap out one of your coffees for a glass of water with a slice of lemon. 

I hope you have enjoyed this post and it helps you to make your body your priority.