You my friend are a powerhouse, absolutely no doubt. Sometimes our brilliance hides behind a mist of low energy and frustrations but it is always there. Our lifestyle choices determine how much of us radiates through the junk to beam brightly onto the world, creating happiness for us and all we come in contact with.
It is so easy to get caught up in the task list, responsibilities and stressors of life, I get it. I have been there with the best of them! Which is why I can say with so much certainty that your lifestyle choices have the key to turn it around. Here are my top tips for being the brilliant human being you were born to be! (Please note, this information is general in nature and does not take into account any illnesses or conditions that may need attention)
EXERCISE
Exercise and keeping active not only release feel good chemicals in your body, it also strengthens your heart, strengthens your physical body, promotes circulation, brain health, allows you to deal with stress more effectively and helps keep your weight in check. A variety of different movements is best. Try not to only focus on your strengths, get outside your comfort zone and try something new… If you can’t touch your toes, go to
yoga. If your abs suck, hit a Pilates or core class. If
huffing and puffing scares you, try it. It isn’t as bad as you think. The point is, we need to get outside our comfort zone. Nothing amazing happens in the land of safe. Get outside your box and push your boundaries. Feeling proud of yourself helps build self esteem, you have nothing to lose – except some untrue ideas about your limitations!
NUTRITION
Nutrition is key. Think about it, you eat food, it enters the stomach, the stomach breaks it down and then the process of eliminating waste and toxins commences as well as the extraction and utilisation of nutrients. If you are eating foods that are jam packed full of vital nutrients, your body gets what it wants and can function at its best for you. If you are eating crap that is predominantly waste, not only is your bod super busy trying to clear the garbage out, it is struggling to function properly with the little nutritional support it is getting. Eating a balanced diet, full of different colours, flavours and food groups is a simple starting point. To keep you feeling full and your energy and mood stabilised have plenty of protein such as wild caught fish, grass fed meats, eggs, nuts & seeds (combined) and pea protein. A low GI diet is also essential for stable energy and moods.
Find the GI index here. Try to limit or avoid the nasties; processed foods, white foods (breads, pastries, sugar, pastas), excess sugar and alcohol. We all have moments of temptation, we are human after all however the aim of the game is to ensure you are eating foods that nourish your body most of the time. My go to eating style is; smoothie for breakfast, salad and protein (usually eggs or salmon) for lunch, bliss balls or hummus if I get peckish in the afternoon and dinner is a little more varied… always veg or salad in there though. It is simple, practical and contains a variety of nutritional support.
MORNING ROUTINES & RITUAL PRACTISES
The days I get up and do my morning routine are the best days I have. Whenever I skip it, I feel the effects all day. Morning routines are such an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. It can be a ten minute routine or a two hour routine, it needs to be designed to suit your life. For me, the first thing I do is gratitude, I wake and be thankful for my life. Depending if I am teaching a class at 6am or not, I will then either
exercise or
meditate and pray (the order of these two switch depending on my day ahead). My morning routine takes approximately 90 minutes, however I shorten it when necessary. The point of this is you are starting your day right. Jumping out of bed and going straight to email or screaming at a child to find their socks doesn’t set anyone up for success. If mornings are a rush for you… get up earlier. It is worth missing out on 20 minutes sleep for peace, I promise. If you spend the first part of your day in a whirl, change it. This is the catalyst for poor energy and an oversensitive stress response. Design your mornings to set you up for a magical energised and connected day. Keep it simple if you are not fresh as a daisy first thing (this is another topic that needs addressing!) a shortened routine could be; Gratitude, set your intention for the day and possibly go for a 20 minute walk around the block.
Ritual practises throughout your day are essential too. Have visual queues to take deep breaths, to pause and smile for no reason, to fix your posture or to contact someone special to let them know they are loved. Throughout your day make choices to keep the positive energy flowing in and around you by choosing to stop every so often and be present, to be happy and to share the love. This simple act has profound benefits for you and those around you.
MEDITATION
The positive effects for
meditation are endless, science has finally caught up with this ancient practise and shows us that meditation not only impacts our mental well-being, it also improves our physical health too. Try downloading a meditation app such as; Omvana, Headspace or my favourite, Insight timer. You can choose from thousands of meditations to help with almost anything from anxiety, sleep issues, gratitude or just tranquil music to get lost in for five minutes out of your day. Once you start, you will soon realise its transforming effects.
All these tools combined are what make you a powerhouse, on their own they are helpful but together they become the healthy habits of a happy human being capable of anything.
Spend sometime tweaking your lifestyle and make changes where you can gradually until they just become who you are.
Big love to you friends,
Melinda x
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