12 Tips for (surviving) Christmas … and beyond – Part One.

You’ve read them all on IG, but these are important tips for not only surviving Christmas, but WAY beyond, so we thought that we would give them to you again.  There is a bit here, so we’ve split it into two parts for you… here you go!

1. Move more everyday

Get that beautiful body moving!  No, we aren’t talking about your morning PT session or your scheduled pilates class (although they have their own very important benefits) we are talking about how much you move OUTSIDE of your structured exercise regime… and if you really think about it – some days it might not be much.  We live in an increasingly sedentary world and the wonders of modern technology and the resulting convenience, have us sitting down a lot – driving everywhere, sitting at our keyboards and watching tv – are all affecting our health.

While the grandiose statement that “Sitting is the new smoking” might have you feeling a little sceptical, it has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and even depression.  But… this doesn’t apply to you right, as you do your one hour of exercise every day/ second day/ third day?  Wrong! Unfortunately, outside of structured exercise, regular exercisers sit just as much as non-exercisers and can face the same health risks as their completely inactive counterparts (regardless of how often or how hard they work out)!  Yikes…. That’s not what we wanted to hear.

But, it makes sense, our bodies were made to move, and move often.  Sitting for extended periods of time causes your body to shut down on a metabolic level.  When your circulation slows you use less blood sugar and burn less fat – increasing your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Feeling uncomfortable?  Good!  The answer is as simple as standing up and taking active breaks.  So, keep up the training, but it’s also time to focus on what you are doing the rest of the day, as this seems to be the time that matters most!  Get up off your butt. Keep moving.  Everyday. Being more active throughout your entire day with regular movement has enormous health benefits.  So what are you waiting for?  Get moving!!

2. Start the day right.

Life is busy and there is no doubt that when things get tough – nutrition is often the first thing that goes out the window.  BUT, if you can at least start the day right, nutrition-wise, whatever happens for the rest of the day will have less of an impact.

So, what’s the best option?!  In summer we love nothing more than a big nutrient-packed green smoothie.  If you are in the middle of winter though, you might be opting for a nourishing bowl of warm porridge or some eggs, spinach and avocado on toast.  Think you don’t have time for a good breakfast?  Well, do you really have time to be feeling below-par for the whole day?  We don’t!!  A little bit of prep can make the mornings pretty smooth(ie) sailing 😉 A good beginner smoothie to get you started:  1-2 cups spinach, ½ frozen banana, ½ zucchini, ½ small avocado, 2 tbsp cooked quinoa (or soaked oats), 1 tbsp protein powder (optional), 1 tbsp natural yoghurt, 1 cup water (coconut water or milk).                           

Kitchen hack – to save time in the mornings, throw all of your smoothie ingredients into a Ziplock bag in single serves, pulling one pouch out each morning.  Then all you need to do is empty the contents into a blender.  Add your protein powder, natural yoghurt, quinoa or oats with liquid of choice.  Blend for 60 secs.  Enjoy!!!

3. Dress for success.

If more movement is your goal (and we hope by now it is!), you need to dress the part.  Every morning, get up and put your activewear on, first up. Dressed right, you are more likely to do an exercise session of some sort (and just be more active in general) as opposed to having to find time for it later in the day.

But, we hear you asking, ‘will starting your day in your activewear really increase your motivation for daily movement’? You bet it will!  Most of our daily movement pattern is habit.  So if we want to be more active – how can we change our habits?  By using our body to influence (or trick) the brain – it is simple behavioural change science.  Pop on your active wear and already your brain is expecting to move more.  And, the best part is, it works! Plus, we find the opposite also to be true – once you are dressed otherwise, who wants to sweat in our civvies or have to get changed later to go for a walk?  Let’s face it – it is probably not going to happen.

With your active wear on, you are more likely to walk to the shop, park that bit further away, attack errands around the house with a bit more energy – it literally puts a spring into your step and if you work up a sweat, it is no biggie!

And, apparently wearing your active wear out and about (aka the ‘athleisure’ look) is very on-trend, so why not use it to your advantage!!  We are often in ours from dawn til dusk.  Lay your gear out at night and put it all on as soon as you get out of bed – sneakers and all – before your brain has time to register what is happening!

4. Take your own.

We have all been caught out at work, a party or dinner having to eat something that we otherwise might not. So, why not Take Your Own (TYO) to make sure that there is always something for you to eat?

If sweets are your weakness, why not take a plate (or serve) of nutritious and delicious sweetie treats so that if and when you indulge, you can do it guilt-free and in-line with your own food philosophy?  If you are more of a savoury/ salty kind-of-girl make sure you have a plate of healthy appetisers or a big flavour-packed salad on hand to fill up on at meal time.  We ae certainly never against a little indulgence on the food-front (it is after all about balance!), but you want it to be on your terms, not because you had no other option (we find that is when we make poor food choices).

5. Take ten for some zen.

Down-time.  ‘Me” time.  Time out.  Whatever you want to call it – you know what we are talking about. Too often we view this time as selfish, we feel guilty about it and push it way down our priority list, putting everyone ahead of ourselves – often to the detriment of our own health!

But, just as they ask parents on airplanes to put their oxygen masks on before helping their kids, we are suggesting you do just that.  Look after yourself, so that you are in the best position to look after everyone else!  So, look to take (at least) ten for some zen.  We aim to make our zen some relaxing movement – online yoga sequence, dynamic stretch in front of tv, foam rolling before bed.  But your zen might be a massage, long bath, meditation or pedicure… whatever allows you to take some time out.   You will feel better, move better, and even sleep better, but best of all – you will be better placed to be the best mum, partner, friend, colleague that you can be!

6. Pack some snacks.

If you are prepared, it is easier to stay on track with healthy choices. With the kids on holidays, I never leave the house without a bag full of snacks, in anticipation of the inevitable “I’m starving!”  Likewise, if I know that I am out for the day, working and running errands, I pack some nutritious options for me to eat, on-the-go.  It can save you a LOT of money and you haven’t compromised your nutrition because you had no other option.

Of course, all of our basic nutritional guidelines apply here too – Make sure that your snacks include some protein and good fats to keep you more full for longer!  Our cacao and coconut bliss balls (earlier post) are a winner and keeping a stockpile of more nutritious baked goods on hand, also saves overloading on processed options. Win-win.

So, there you girls – if you haven’t already, give one or two of these a go… The second half of our 12 Tips to surviving, will be up live tomorrow.