We are going through crazy times at the moment…
People are crazy shopping and stocking on food and toilet paper. Being locked down at home, gyms closed and any place that allows for social gathering. Many of my friends have to work from home while watching their kids who can’t go to school - not adding to their zen attitude. Clearly, spending so much time with our loved ones and being forced to remaining in the same place will require a lot of patience.
Frustration, irritation and boredom are the worst companions that trigger stress and consumption of comfort foods, alcohol and other things that fill up our fat stores and make our muffin top grow… but also exactly want we want to avoid as it weakens our immune system!
Plus you can’t go to the gym anymore and you don’t have space at home to work out or your kids all over the place?
So how to stay away from the cookie jar or not indulge in a bottle of wine in the evening after a stressful day?
Here are some tips that may help you remain calm and slim during these challenging time
Take 5 minutes every morning to meditate, do a sun salutation or write a gratitude journal. Meditation can help create a healthy immune response and reduce anxiety. You can use apps like Insight timer for instance.
Stay hydrated. This is really important for adrenal health, as these glands produce hormones to maintain your blood pressure. Also, often when we think we’re hungry, we are actually thirsty… So, before putting food in your mouth, hydrate first and reevaluate.
If you can, go outside every day: go for a run, Nordic walking or just walk your 10.000 steps (it can also be shopping if you need a reason to go outside)
If you can’t go outside, work out at home! There are tons of places offering (free) online classes at the moment: - yograroom.be offers free online classes at the moment you can donate for the teachers. My friend Nancy is also offering yoga classes online, you can contact her at: nancy@richanelli.com. Mindful movement that connects to your breath can help you feel centered. - tmacfitness sign up for a 15-day free trial - fitnessraum.de you can try 1 week for free - Les Mills has a free trial to do online yoga, pilates, barre, weight lifting, cardio kickboxing, and a whole lot more. - Create your own exercise circuit you can even do this with your kids, your partner or the whole family: rope skipping (if you don’t have a rope just do air rope skipping), jumping jacks, push ups, planks, mountain climbers, etc. Use a timer and do each exercise for 1 minute and do it over and over again. - Take some time every Sunday to schedule your workouts so you don't leave them up to chance. You can do the same with your meals, having ready food in the fridge makes you being less tempted to get overwhelmed with making choices and ending up ordering a pizza
Don’t have foods in the house you should not eat (or drink)! If you need an indulgence: - Hydrate! Make an herbal tea or drink water first - Use peppermint essential oil : just smell on it or put it on a paper tissue. Peppermint oil helps avoid cravings, this can also help for cravings to smoke. - Call a friend - Go for a walk or exercise - Brush your teeth - Close the kitchen: close all cabinets and put food away from where you can see it - If you still crave an indulgence now, make a healthier version yourself like my chocolate protein bars.
Let me know how you do with these tips and also share yours if you have any I didn't mention :-)