Healthy lifestyle habits you can start making today

Healthy lifestyle habits you can start making today

Has life been so busy and obligations gotten you feeling stressed?  There are ways to feel peace, enjoy your happiness and create better health in the rat race of life.

Whether you are looking to  adopt a plant-based diet, add in more exercise or become more productive in your life these habits will help you to be more present en begin achieving your goals.  

I am constantly trying to be the best version of myself.  I am not perfect by any means, but I have found these healthy lifestyle habits that I implemented to have positively changed my life. Better still, you can start out with one and see how it goes. I have learned a tremendous amount from books, my yoga, tai chi and meditations, my knowledge on nutrition, my mentors and hope you will find these lifestyle habits helpful.

MORNING HABITS

What do you do when you wake up? Do you hit the snooze button? Or immediately go on your phone or computer? Rush out the door and skip eating breakfast? Or meditate, breathe and visualize your day?

It’s so easy to be in a negative mindset, to wake up tired, feel stressed or you do not want to get out of bed because its cold. Those thoughts alone need to be positively changed.  With a 15 minute yoga stretch or meditation session,  you can become more centered, more in tune with your body and mind to start your day.

Next, try switching to some herbal tea instead of coffee. Check out my TheE-book for more inspiration on healing herbal teas.  

Are you out the door already, without eating breakfast. You do know that it’s the most important meal of the day?  If you prep in advance it is so easy to make time for. Here is a link to my veggie smoothie and overnight oats.

While you are eating , you may want to journal and look at your to do list.

I also find my mornings to run a lot smoother if my outfit and the children’s have been chosen for the day, my purse and meeting essentials are packed all the night before. We all benefit from doing this, so our morning isn’t rushed.

YOGA AND MEDITATION

Practicing yoga and meditation will reduce stress levels, anxieties, inner calm and positive attitude. I have learned for over 15 years the benefits and impact of yoga and meditation in my life.

There is no right or wrong way of doing it!

Begin to meditate by learning one simple technique and practicing it every day.

  1. Sit or ly down comfortably and focus on the breath.
  2. Learn to sit still and do nothing and try to follow the breathe.
  3. At first start with five minutes and work your way up to 10, then 15, and you will be able to increase the time from there. What ever your pace, it’s fine.
  4. Your eyes can be open or closed. Focus on the breath moving in and out of your nose or on the rise and fall of your belly.

Yoga.. continued
Over time you will be able to add yoga and meditation moments to your day, when convenient for you. If you don’t have time to meditate in the morning, you can try it throughout the day, while you are at your desk, maybe during cooking, or before bed time.

Yoga and stretching can improve flexibility and lower stress. Yoga has something for everyone. For the fitness fanatics to help build lean muscle mass and flexibility or its mental benefits. According to new scientific research, yoga may help prevent heart disease.

DE-CLUTTER

 Another tip for a healthy lifestyle change is to de-clutter your whole house, your office and as a woman I would like to add your bag to it too. De-cluttering gives you more space, mentally and physically. Schedule a de-cluttering weekend and take one section at a time and simply get rid of material things you no longer use or need. You can keep track by making a very simple checklist. Aim to take care of these items on a weekly or monthly basis, so materials don’t build up.

MEAL PREPPING

You want to eat healthier, but you don’t know where to start? Planning, preparing, and portioning your meals ahead of time will save you money.  It’s really easy and does not take much time at all. Choose a meal you’d like to prepare for. Keep it simple by starting with one you usually eat out or skip altogether. Determine how much you want to prep.

  • Stock up your fridge, weekly
  • Pre-cut your vegetables
  • Pre-soak your beans and lentils
  • Pre-freeze your vegetables

You may want to prepare your daily breakfast and smoothie the evening before. You don’t want to wake up and stress out about what to eat. Check out my pancakes.

A few simple steps can go a long way toward improving your diet and wellness. Start with one change a week if you like.  

If you’re trying to live a healthier life, focus on the foods you eat, your excercise, quality of sleep, and social relationships.

With the tips above i’d love to hear what habits you have created for your healthiest life.

In balance and harmony

 

Claudia

Foods to boost your immune system

Foods to boost your immune system

First of all, what is the immune system? Immune system is the body’s defense against infections.

The question is how can we give it a boost? On the whole, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against infection. Your immune system keeps a record of every germ it has ever defeated so it can recognise and destroy it quickly if it enters the body again. But sometimes it fails. A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. What if you could intervene in this process and boost your immune system? How about improving your diet? Take vitamins and herbal supplements?

Your first line of defense would be to lead a healthy lifestyle. So let’s increase immunity the healthy way…

I’ll get straight to the point. Feeding your body certain foods may help keep your immune system strong. If you’re looking for ways to prevent winter colds and the flu, your first step should be a visit to the organic supermarket or your (local) grocery store.

Prep and plan your meals to include these powerful immune system boosters is half the work.

Most turn to healthy clean eating and vitamins after they have caught something or when they have  become ill.  Programmes must help change the need in society, the environment but most of all the individual to make healthier accesible choices.

If you think citrus fruits have the most vitamin C of any fruit or vegetable, think again. Red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus. Besides boosting your immune system, it fights infection and may help maintain healthy skin. Because your body doesn’t produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C for continued health.

Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C.

Another favorite is broccoli, one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on the table. Best eaten raw to keep all its nutrients. Broccoli is packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber.

Garlic is used as a dietary supplement for many purposes. It adds flavor to food and it’s a must-have for your health, especially during cold and flu season. Garlic can affect your adrenal glands, response to stress. So, eat garlic, and your adrenals produce less stress hormones and may reduce your level of fatigue.

Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick. Ginger has a history of medicinal uses and may help decrease inflammation, nausea, chronic pain and cholesterol-lowering properties

Thanks to their high antioxidant content, berries have many potential health benefits. They’re loaded with antioxidants and could have benefits for your brain, heart and overall health. They also deliver healthy fats and fibers.

Spinach is well known for its nutritional qualities. It is a plant with remarkable abilities to restore energy and increase vitality. It is rich in iron which plays a central role in the function of red blood cells which help in transporting oxygen around the body and energy production. Spinach is also an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate as well as being a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2.

You may know turmeric as a key ingredient in many curries. But this has also been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating both  osteoarthritis and rheumatoid.  Turmeric and its most active compound curcumin have many scientifically-proven health benefits.

Sunflower seeds are full of nutrients, including magnesium, phosphorous and B6. They’re also incredibly high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.

For more foods that may help boost your immune system, try adding legumes containing zinc, foods high in probiotics (such as yogurt and kefir), and green tea to your diet.

To keep your immune system healthy, it’s important to get sufficient sleep, exercise regularly, and manage your stress.

In balance and harmony

Claudia