How can executives maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Steady blood sugar is the key to being a healthy, happy human, not to mention a top-notch executive. Embrace PFF (protein, fat, fiber) as your BFF to nourish your brain, energize your body, boost metabolism and slash sugar cravings. Start by making a list of whole foods you like to eat and come up with PFF combos that are quick and easy to prepare. A few of my go-to PFF combos: *Full fat greek yogurt w/berries and nuts *Any-style eggs, avocado on high fiber toast *Oat bowl oats-1/3c oats, 1 TBSP chia seed, 1 TBSP ground flax, unswtnd coconut milk, 1/2 banana, 1/4c nuts, 1 scoop vanilla protein It's a smart decision to invest on the front end with the 4Ps- Plan Purchase Prep Pack-to save time, money, stress and poor choices on the back end.

A valuable tool for executives is to adopt a standard of performance with their nutrition. This term was introduced by Bill Walsh, who led the San Francisco 49ers to multiple Super Bowls. he describes it as "a way of doing things, a leadership philosophy, that has as much to do with core values, principles, and ideals as with blocking, tackling and passing; more to do with the mental than with the physical." Adopting a "standard" with your nutrition helps eliminate the guesswork and relying on how you feel to make food decisions. For example, what's the standard at breakfast? For example, could it be a smoothie with protein and other fruits and vegetables for breakfast?

If you can lead an organization to success, you don't need someone to tell you how to plan yourself to success. But, here it is... Step 1: Have your assistant open your calendar on your computer. Pick 5 times through the day, evenly spaced. Have your assistant block 15 minutes. Step 2: Decide if you have enough time to cook at home or if you're going to eat out. If you're going to eat out, have your assistant find a health-conscious choice. Step 3: During each of those 15-min blocks, eat EITHER an apple and some mixed nuts, a yogurt OR 400 calories from that healthy place your assistant picked. If you forgot to put the yogurt in your bag, ask your assistant to go get you one. Step 4: Repeat Step 3 in each 15 min slot.

Preparation is key when you are a busy exec. There is always the next reason to not do something. Make bad habits hard and good habits easier and understand it's an exchange not creation. It's an energy you're trying to transfer from one habit to another. My biggest life hack was to just weigh up the time to cook, prepare, and clean. Versus ordering balanced meals. I was a lot better off swallowing the bullet and ordering food. Lowered my stress to prep, and clean up gave me more free time and budget wise was only slightly more than I would spend if you also factor in time spent preparing.

One can't overemphasize the importance diet plays in the well-being of professionals, a healthy meal regimen bolsters mood and keeps one going.

You live by your schedule! So looking ahead at your schedule and planning workout times is essential to your success. But the most important habit is MOVING the workout on your calendar instead of deleting it when meetings come up or run long. Many executives just skip over but the most successful clients i've had adopted the habit of moving the workout appointment to a new slot instead of just deleting or ignoring it.

Fitting in a workout is a choice. We all know your schedule is packed. You either have to make it work, or it won't. Take a walking meeting. Keep some weights in your office and on a listen-only meeting hold them and move your arms around the duration of the meeting. Get a Peleton. Do all of these things and more - but just do it. It's not easy, it's simply required.

Regular light routines can help keep the mind and body sharp. Mobile Apps with set reminders can go a long way in maintaining consistency and momentum

One of the biggest mistakes I see is adding stress and upregulation on top of our already stressful jobs. For example, when you take a 10 min break, are you still using screens, social media and watching youtube? Or actually doing something to downregulate your nervous system, come back to your body and recharge? All breaks are not the same. More people are under rested and overstimulated. Everyone knows the difference between trying to push during a workout when you are well rested and feeling pumped, vs. exhausted and depleted. The same is true for mental work, but we don't notice or see it in the same way.

In my experience breathing techniques ( SKY breathing technique taught by Art of Living, globally) is one of the most time effective ways to manage stress. As minuscule as it may sound. 10 minutes of practice a day helps to overcome stress for the whole day and a regular practice almost eliminates bad stress ( stress that doesn’t amplify any productivity)

Stress is a part of the job, however managing it well would keep an executive in the balance. Breathing exercises, and taking time outs are part of the strategies one can use to effectively take charge.

Stress is now the norm. You must be okay with going against the norm to break away from stress. This means setting boundaries of what is or is not okay with you. Carving in time for self-care must be one of those boundaries and the courage to draw the line and stand by it. People are afraid to set boundaries for fear of repercussions. However, I have found that people respect someone who sets healthy boundaries and can effectively communicate so that there is no ambiguity. When you can take care of yourself in whatever way you find to alleviate stress, it must become a priority. There are tons of ways to manage stress; you have to find what works for you.

The importance of sleep on performance is hugely underrated. Many executives don't get enough sleep or high-quality sleep, but sleep is not just about going to bed at a fixed time each day and clocking enough hours (although it certainly helps). Quality of sleep is hugely impacted by stress during the day, what we eat (and the health of the gut microbiome), and how much we exercise. I'm trying my best to spend active time outdoors every single day, at least an hour, and to slowly but surely change to a more nutritious diet.

Sleep is a major one, napping in the daytime can be a huge help to make up for lost sleeping time. To improve sleeping at night, it's advised to keep gadgets away, the likely culprits being the mobile phone.

One thing that has helped me, and I often advise now, is to script the beginning and end of your day for 60 minutes, preferably 90. Think of this as your priming and regeneration routine. Great sleep starts earlier in the day. Part of your am routine could involve getting sunlight to align your circadian rhythm. At night, investing in blue-blocking glasses could be of use and a signal that your pm routine has started.

There is a certain percentage of people that can sleep regularly less than 8 hours and still function at peak performance levels. That percentage is 0. You need to prioritize your sleep as a professional. While not always possible it should be as much as of a priority as working out. Get into a rhythm and keep it. It's all too easy as business execs and just think I'll just do this next task or finish this report, next thing you know it's 1am. To function and perform at you best sleep needs to be #1 one with working out and eating properly.

An overlooked way for executives to invest in themselves is through their health. Specifically, their nutrition in the form of meal delivery. Many do well with their initial meals, but in the middle of the day, many struggle due to meetings and other unexpected events. Leveraging a meal service will keep executives on their plan and supply them with ample nutrients to perform at a higher level throughout the day.

Personal development is something that nearly every successful business person, owner, & athlete will tout as a key to their success. Having a routine that puts yourself first each morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. I personally encourage my clients and team to have a personal development routine that follows tried and true practices such as meditation, visualization, affirmations, writing, reading, and exercise. You don't have to commit 30+ minutes to each of these but even committing 5 minutes to these areas will have a drastic impact on your life. I truly believe you cannot be a great leader if you are not taking care of yourself first. Prioritizing your personal development and having a healthy mindset are key.

The most worthy investment is in oneself by way of skills improvement. LinkedIn Learning comes in handy here through its wide catalog of courses.

Why would you expect anyone to follow you if you're not making the choice to model actions to take care of yourself?! Stop thinking it's easy or someone can tell you how to do it. You're smart. You know how to get things done. You don't have the problem taking decisive action in your work, so take decisive action in your health. You'll feel more confident, you're brain will be sharp as a needle, and you'll beat your competition! ... well, that last one depends on a lot more than just your health, but at least it's going in the direction that sounds AMAZING!

It's universally understood that what gets measured gets managed, and accountability is two critical long-term success pieces. A straightforward tool that includes both is leveraging technology in the form of wearables. Your data from your health wearables can serve as a mini-check-up each day since you'll be provided key foundational health metrics. You'll also learn how your day-to-day behaviors affect your health.

My live tasks are as follows: - Regular exercise sessions - Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night - Eat mindfully - Stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking water - Practice meditation - Set clear boundaries for work and personal life - Delegate tasks when necessary - Get regular health check-ups - Take a daily tech detox, especially in the evenings - Surround yourself with positive people - Go on vacations without work - Take time for self-reflection and work-life balance By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can improve your overall health and maintain high performance in your executive role