In this article, we talk about our talented colleagues. Who are they — our #leverxpeople?
What words do you associate with people that lead a healthy lifestyle? Cheerful, strong, energetic? They are all about our colleague Olena Nadtochii. If you are constantly thinking of starting a new healthy life every Monday, read the interview with this inspiring girl and find out how to turn self-care into your daily habit.
Spoiler: it’s easier than you think :)
Could you tell us about your hobby?
— I've been into sports for about ten years. I regularly go to the gym and do jogging. It has been part of my life for a long time. For me, jogging is a great way to relieve stress, reboot, clear my mind of negative thoughts, tune in through the senses, and boost my energy for the whole day.
What do you like about jogging?
— Jogging helps me keep fit. Gym workouts enhance muscle growth, and jogging shapes your body. Moreover, it builds up your physical and emotional endurance. I like to feel how I get a second wind when it seems the strength is running out. Jogging tempers your character and helps you overcome many life challenges.
How often do you go jogging?
— I make it two — three times a week in the morning. My usual distance is about seven kilometers. It helps me recharge my energy and be in a good mood for the whole day. I feel the runner's high at the end of the race and really like this feeling.
Not everyone can get up early in the morning for jogging. What's your secret?
— The most important thing is to understand why you need it. It's important not to force yourself but enjoy the process. It's much easier to get up early in the morning when realizing you're doing it for your health. It may be challenging first, but it will get easier day by day. Of course, if you won’t slack off. In the end, jogging will become a habit.
As office employees, we spend a lot of time on the computer. Lack of physical activity can lead to being overweight. How can jogging help to avoid this?
— In this case, I wouldn't put physical activity first. Balanced nutrition is more important for weight loss. If you want to lose weight with a sedentary lifestyle, physical exercise three times a week will not be enough. In addition to working out in the gym or at home, it's essential to incorporate minimal physical activity into your daily routine, such as walking from home to work and back, taking a walk during lunchtime and in the evening before going to bed. Physical activity keeps the body in shape, strengthens health, and accelerates blood circulation, which is beneficial to mental activity.
How did you become interested in a healthy lifestyle and healthy nutrition?
— Since childhood, I have wanted to have a beautiful body. My grandmother used to cook delicious pancakes, rolls, and cakes. Of course, it affected my body. When I became a teenager, I tried to figure out what happens at the biochemical level when eating, and what we should eat to be healthy. In 2020, I took two nutritionology courses that turned on its head my brain and my relationship with food.
What does healthy eating mean?
— It's reasonable nutrition without restriction. Each person has their food consumption rate based on height, weight, and physical and mental activity. With these individual rates, you make your meal balanced and useful. I also recommend eating three to four meals daily, but this is all individual.
You don't have to be afraid of food. Many people, especially girls, give up cakes, pastries, and similar products. If they eat a piece, they blame themselves and go hungry all the next day. It’s wrong. Cakes and muffins aren't dangerous if your diet is correct, if you know your macronutrient ratio and comply with it.
You said people should eat three times a day. But what about splitting five-six meals a day?
— A healthy person should have three meals a day without any snacks. Every meal, including snacks, affects our hormonal state, especially insulin production. Frequent fluctuations in insulin levels can lead to diabetes. That’s why there should be a 4- or 5-hour gap between meals. And portions should be large. You shouldn’t eat like a bird. The body will be under constant stress due to a lack of necessary macronutrients. Due to a stressed body, every piece of cake or other snacks are accumulated in the body and don't convert to energy because you haven't given food for your body's life. This is how we put on weight..
Is healthy eating expensive?
— It's cheaper than fast food. You don't have to buy elite meat or fish and exotic vegetables. It's enough to eat the necessary amount of slow carbohydrates (buckwheat, oat and pearl porridge, pasta from durum wheat, vegetables), proteins (lean meat, for example, chicken, as well as all sorts of fish), and fats (avocado, walnuts, butter, cheese). I don't think there's something expensive on this list.
What healthy advice would you give to #leverxpeople?
Movement is life. Here are a few recommendations to keep fit:
If you want to learn more about a healthy lifestyle, subscribe to my Instagram, where I share many valuable things about healthy eating :)