Which comes first, diet or exercise?

This is a question I am asked all the time. When it comes to changing your health, it depends.

It depends on one factor only.

But before we get to that, let me explain.

Clients often come to me because they are tired of feeling tired. Tired of having no energy, being uncomfortable or in pain, and feeling unwell. One of the first questions I ask is where would you like to start? With your diet or with an exercise routine? You might be surprised to hear that it doesn’t matter which one you choose.

Why doesn’t it matter?

Regardless of the ultimate goal, starting with the easiest changes, not trying to make a drastic life renovation, works best and lasts for a lifetime. This is my experience with hundreds of people. If you want to change permanently, start with the easiest thing, and once you have that down, move to the next thing.

It works every time.

It works if you want to lose weight, improve fitness, or manage health conditions. The small successes are motivating. You start feeling confident and believing that you can do this, and one positive change leads to another.

There is only one problem with this approach, well, maybe two. Human nature and the internet.

First is human nature. We want change to happen fast. When we decide that we want to be healthier or fitter, we want to see a difference instantly. “I ate a salad. How come I haven’t lost weight?” Rationally we all know this is not how it works, but emotionally it feels unsatisfying.

That is where the internet comes in. We start looking for inspiration or a quick fix (IMO, they are pretty much the same thing). I realize and understand that seeing other success stories is motivating. Usually, it is motivating to look at other success stories, not be one yourself.

The quick fix sells. No one wants to hear, be consistent, and take small steps. It all adds up. The internet is full of look at me, before and after, 6 weeks to something fabulous. All of it lies, or at least misdirection and half-truths. A fantasy land of “living your best life,” I suggest that it should be used for entertainment purposes, not for making positive change.

One of the most important changes

The hot topic in research (and on the internet) is gut health. There is more and more evidence that the health of your gut microbiome affects every system, including your heart, brain, and emotional health.

Mental health, does it start in your guts?

More good gut news!

New research from the University of Calgary has more good gut news!

In a study of adults between 38 and 65, the researchers found that exercise improved gut health! Researcher Jane Shearer, Ph.D., professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and the Cumming School of Medicine, says,

Encouragingly, the study found that physical activity of moderate duration (greater than 150 minutes per week) increased both the richness and diversity of the gut microbiomes compared to study participants that exercised less. Given this, more exercise appears to be important in improving microbiome health and individuals should aim to meet the Health Canada recommended 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.

Dr. Jane Shearer

More good gut news

Increasing the amount of exercise, not the intensity of exercise, was more beneficial for gut health. Meaning that being active will bring benefits without having to do high-intensity exercise. The researchers also found that having a healthy body weight is important for gut health. Being overweight influences gut health on its own, and individuals of normal weight had more benefits from exercise.

Another study that was done on mice, not humans, showed that having healthy gut bacteria boosted exercise motivation. The researcher found that mice who performed the most voluntary exercise were not genetically different from sedentary mice but had substantial differences in their gut bacteria. When they gave the exercising mice antibiotics, their exercise time was reduced by half!

How fit is your gut?

Eating well, eating more plants, more fibre, and less processed foods improves your gut health. Getting more exercise improves gut health. Scientifically proving my experience of change what is easiest, the rest will follow.

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla