Diet & Exercise
I personally don't think it's talked about enough how much of a positive effect exercise can have on your mental health as well as physical. When did you last do a really good, sweaty workout? What was your mood like afterwards? Happy? Motivated? Energised? Supple bodies = healthy minds.
- First things first - I strongly believe that you should eat well and work out to nourish and improve your body, not to 'fix' it. Love your body, be grateful for it and take care of it
- Exercise increases our resilience and ability to deal with stress
- Listen to your body – eat when you are hungry
- Get a gym membership – some are linked to health insurance plans. I use Nuffield which is linked to Vitality Health Insurance
- Drink plenty of water
- Do yoga – it is linked to health benefits for both the mind and body, doctors prescribe it for natural healing and clinical psychologists prescribe it for depression
- Limit alcohol, soda and coffee
- Go for a walk or cycle outside. Exercise AND fresh air - win win!
- Eat organic where possible
- Eat a balanced diet with plenty fruit and veg
- Vary your types of exercise – gym one day, swimming the next
- Vary what you have for breakfast - I believe in treating yourself in moderation. If you have one morning where you treat yourself, stick to something healthy the following morning like an omelette and/or fruit salad. This way, you get to try all the delicious breakfast items without over-indulging too much!
- Eat vegan, or at least limit animal and dairy products. I use the HappyCow app which locates nearby vegan/vegetarian eateries
- If you’re not confident using gym equipment or you’re not sure what workouts you should be doing, invest in a personal trainer. They will help you workout in your home gym, and this also gives you inspiration for what kind of workouts to do in hotel gyms when you’re down route
- Don’t eat late at night or go to bed on a full stomach
- As well as working out/going to the gym every other day, be sure to incorporate little bursts of exercises throughout the day. This includes things like walking instead of taking public transport (as long as your destination it’s too far away to walk to!) and taking the stairs instead of the lift
- Drink raw juice, especially greens. I love Juice Press!
- I always bring snacks on trips with me, but as I'm sure we all know, countries have restrictions around what kind of food can be brought in so make sure you're aware of this. Generally no fruit, veg, meat or diary are allowed. My go-to layover snacks are Mugshots/Cup-A-Soups (no meat flavours), crackers and protein bars
- If you believe that you are affected by certain foods and/or you think you may have an allergy, then it is worth getting food sensitivity testing