My Top Tips For A Healthy Lifestyle

For February's first post I have decided to share my top tips for living a 'healthy lifestyle'. A lot of my friends ask me how I do it, I eat healthy all the time, I exercise at least twice a week and have an active social life with my family.

This isn't a 'new year resolution' type of post, no, this is about finding the right balance in your life to live healthier and happier by changing or adding a few things slowly into your everyday life. Never forget that you should always love yourself no matter what and all the positive changes in your life should be for you, and if this reflects on your relationships with others then you are on the right path.

So here are the things I do on a daily and weekly basis to help me live a healthy life...

DRINK MORE WATER/HERBAL TEAS

First and foremost, our body's are made up of up to 60% water and as an average guideline we should be drinking at least 2 litres a day. A lot of people I talk to, such as clients or family/friends tell me they either don't like water or always forget. It is important to always stay hydrated, remember if you are thirsty that means your are already dehydrated. I would suggest:

* Always carry a bottle of water out with you so you don't have the excuse you couldn't find any

* When you pour yourself a glass drink the first one, then pour a second

* Herbal teas are a good source of water, such as, Roobios, Camomile, Green Tea (decaf), Peppermint 

* Always keep hydrated during and after exercise to help the body restore the water you would have sweated out
* Add chopped fruit to infuse the taste of your water; strawberries, lemon, cucumber and mint are a few of my favourites

EXERCISE/ GYM

If you haven't got a gym membership then thats no excuse to not exercise. Exercise is not just for weightloss but for enhancing your well-being and creating energy in the body and mind, making you a fitter and happier person.

Your two options are to:

* Join a gym. Usually your gym membership will include a few PT sessions to show you how to get the maximum out of your gym sessions. The gym is good because of the equipment it provides, especially weight machines and free weights, which is a great way to strengthen the body and tone your physique 

* Go on-line and watch Youtube workouts and follow Fitness Experts on social media, such as Joe Wicks 'The Body Coach' . Take 20 minutes out of your day to do a quick session, you will feel good for it after, trust me. You can do this when you want in the comfort of your own home and it will cost nothing

VITAMINS

I always thought that taking vitamins and supplements were for those that don't eat well but actually that is far from the truth. Vitamins should be taken to enhance your daily intake in conjunction with a healthy well balanced diet. I eat healthy all the time, I eat fresh and clean meals but have an issue with Iron deficiency so I take Multi-Vitmains with Iron and recently been told to take Omega 3 Oil supplements daily too. Vitamins can easily be picked up in your local Boots or Pharmacy and there are always Healthcare professionals that can advise you, or ask your GP for more advice if you are unsure. 

SLEEP

This is the hardest one for me as currently I'm not a very deep sleeper and any little noise wakes me. As humans our sleep patterns are forever changing. Stress and illness are the most common causes of sleep problems and natural remedy sleep aids are great to help soothe you into a great sleep, such as Lavender Oil, Camomile Tea, a cool bedroom (leave a window slightly open) The benefits of a good '8 hour sleep' include:

* Allowing your body to repair its self 

* Allowing your mind and body to relax and relieve stress and tension, to increase concentration when awake

* Allowing your body to regenerate and fight any illness (this is why we want to sleep all the time when we are poorly)

* Allowing you to wake up feeling more refreshed and ready to start a new day

HEALTHY EATING/ HEALTHY SNACKS 

This one is a given. Eat good healthy food and your body will thank you. Eating healthy doesn't mean you need to go on a diet or cut out carbs. Eating healthy is not for losing weight but for improving your well-being you will notice it gets easier every week. Eating freshly cooked meals that are full of fruit, vegetables, protein and yes even carbs will help you feel happy and full of energy. Some of the  benefits you will see from eating well all the time are:

* clearer skin

* more energy

* less colds/flu

* you will lose weight in a healthy way, no yo-yoing 

* fuller for longer, so you wont want to snack on the naughty things

It is recommended that we have three main meals every day, which should include vegetables, protein, oily fish and carbs. Along side this, a mid morning snack and a late afternoon snack, which can include, fruits, naturals yoghurts, nuts, dried fruits, protein bars, oat snacks etc. 

This lifestyle choice is challenging to start with but now I find it is a part of who I am and I never struggle with my eating habits and never feel bad for eating a biscuit or ordering dessert if I go out for dinner. Check out my Instagram for daily food inspirations. 

GREAT SKINCARE

This is important especially if you are doing all of the above. When you are exercising it is a good idea to get into a good routine using specific body creams to help to tone and firm to increase visible results. Eating healthy, like I said before, helps keep your skin clear so it is important to look after your skin from the outside, especially the skin on your face. Getting into a good routine morning and evening will improve it's appearance and give you a more radiant and even skin tone. What you should be doing morning and evening is...

* cleansing and toning

* applying eye cream or gel

* serum

* moisturising 

On a weekly basis, you should also be exfoliating your face and body and using a face mask to clear and brighten the skin. Check out my post on How To Improve The Appearance Of Post Pregnancy Skin for tips on how to improve minor skin issues (not just for post pregnancy). 

YOU TIME

Finally, remember to have some 'you time'! Go for walks, read a book, have a bath. It is important to have some time, even if its not daily but at least weekly to sit and reflect and do something that will relax you and help you clear your mind. Being an adult is hard, the stress or work, relationships, money and so on can really take its toll and lead us into an unhealthy way of life. I like to keep a daily journal where I plan what I eat, when I exercise etc, check out my post on this here.

Don't look at this post as a 'I have to do this all now to be happy' but take it slow and work on one thing at a time and without realising it will all be apart of your natural everyday routine. (You may have to force the exercise part on some days though :) ) This has been my lifestyle for 3 years now and I feel happier and more confident for it. 

I hope this post inspires at least one person because at the end of the day we must learn to look after and love ourselves through our lifestyle choices. 

Love & Light

♥ 

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