10 things to do more of in 2020!

This is the time of year for us all to panic and feel overwhelmed as we make new year's resolutions which are often re-scheduled to the following year before Burn's night! This is largely because we make a plan to deprive ourselves of all the things we like and not only that but we actually make the mistake of assuming that we need to  deprive ourselves of the very things our body needs e.g. fat! 
Living well is not about deprivation. It's about recognising what's good for us and having more of it! When we seize with both hands all that is good for mind body and soul, we look better, we feel better, we think better, we love better. 
The wonderful thing is that to enjoy all of these simple but proven health tips we don't have to spend lots of money joining expensive clubs. Nor do we have to count anything, unless it's your blessings or the number of colourful veg on your plate!
Life is for living. Give it your best shot and choose habits that bring nourishment to both body and soul. A body that is deprived of neccesary nutrients will find itself hungry for anything it can get its hands on. This is nature! My clients are always delighted when I ask them to eat more in order to find their way to a body weight which is ideal for them. We can't boost our metabolism by eating foods low in calorific value, we boost metabolism by eating Nutrient dense foods which nourish us! The bottom line is, if we support our natural physiology by enjoying all the good things nature provides, it will support us! If we try to go against nature, our body will let us down.
So, go easy on yourself this year. Love your body, love your mind and replace deprivation with indulgence of all that is good. The rest will take care of itself!

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1. Drink more water (for every caffeine drink have a glass of water) and remember non caffeine herb/fruit teas count towards hydration. 



​2. Sleep more. Go to bed an hour earlier. Wake up fresher. There's an old saying that an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours after! More tips here 
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3. Alkalize more. Start your day with half a lemon in hot water. This will boost your immune system and protect you year round. You can of course alkalize by green juicing or green smoothie making. You choose which works for you. 

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4. Rest your liver more. Enjoy a glass of resveratrol packed red wine on the weekend but avoid on a school night as your liver needs to rest to work properly. (based on guidance from British liver trust) Or... just don't bother drinking at all. Give yourself a month or two and see how you feel. 

5. Move your body more. Choose a space in your day  to walk outside whether to and from work or during the working day. Set your timer to beep every hour to remind you to move around. Remember as far as risk factors for ill health are concerned, sitting has been dubbed the new smoking. 

6. Eat more colour.  More colour means more veg! Create a plate of colour at every meal as each different colour provides different health benefits all of which we need. Don't miss out!


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7. Eat more fats! Support your physiology with the good fats it requires to function. These are olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, grass fed butter, oily fish, organic eggs and chicken, grass fed meat and nuts and seeds. 

8.  Eat more protein. This basically means including a protein source at each meal and snack which will sustain you and maintain blood glucose levels. Try a handful of nuts in place of your morning biccy or make your own protein balls to take to work. You will find that maintaing body weight is difficult without this important habit!

9. Be more thankful. Counting our blessings has proven health benefits. Either write them down or count them at the end of each day. Some people like to create a blessings jar so they can remind themselves of all the good in their lives. 

10. Meditate more. No this doesn't mean being able to shut down completely, but it does mean learning how to use the dimmer switch on all that chatter going on in our brains. The wealth of research on the benefits of meditation and calming the mind  is not to be ignored. One of the most important stragegies for maintaining health at every level is to learn how to do this even for a few minutes per day. Check out headspace to give it a try.

Beverley x