Exercise

If you find yourself sitting for long periods of time regularly, your posture is at risk of being compromised. This can result in tight back muscles, and weak chest muscles, which manifests as hunched forward shoulders and a slack core.

One effective way to fix or prevent this is to regularly practice a couple of Pilates shoulder movements. The first exercise can be performed lying face down on the floor with your head resting on a folded towel, with your arms by your side. Begin by squeezing your shoulder blades towards each other as well as down towards the opposite pocket of your jeans. Hold the squeeze for a second, before relaxing to starting position. Repeat this move for 10-15 reps.

The second exercise can be performed lying on your back face up with your feet planted on the floor and knees bent. Taking hold of a towel between your hands, raise them to directly above your head. While keeping your arms straight, lift your shoulders off the ground as you raise your hands higher towards the ceiling. Hold upwards for one second, then return to starting position. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Join me for a 10-minute Pilates shoulder workout here: https://youtu.be/pGOul3tFLDQ

Nutrition

Lentils are nutrient superstars! They are high in protein and fibre, a good source of iron and folic acid, and high in magnesium. Try this savoury breakfast that will keep you fuelled for hours!

Lentils on Sourdough

Makes 6 serves

2 cups red lentils, rinsed 4 times

Water to cover, twice

2 tsp Celtic salt

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp basil or Italian herbs

4 Tbs olive oil

1 avocado

3 tomatoes

6 slices of sourdough (or gluten-free bread if intolerant to wheat/gluten)

Instructions

1. Bring the red lentils to boil and rinse again. Cover with fresh water and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
2. Add the turmeric, salt, herbs and olive oil. Mix well and allow to cook for a few more minutes until all lentils are soft.
3. Serve on toast with avocado and tomato (you can serve the tomato fresh, or chop it up and cook it in the lentils).

Mindset

If you own the morning, you own the day! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again because it’s so true – having a morning ritual mindset makes waves in your wellbeing. Two more super important morning rituals that will get the day off to a great start are moving and nourishing.

MOVE

Doing some form of exercise is one of the top morning rituals among the world’s successful people. This is often for the simple reason that doing it before the day gets moving means it gets done. We all know the benefits to exercise so I won’t bore you here. It’s good to know, however, that even just 5-10 minutes of movement in the morning can be highly beneficial for your nervous system and your energy levels throughout the day. If you can, ideally get your workout done in the morning so that other things won’t take priority later on.

NOURISH

Being the first meal of the day, breakfast is your chance to set up your day with great food choices. A nourishing breakfast can keep you feeling sustained throughout the day, and less likely to reach for the unhealthy snack or make poor choices later in the day. Aim to include a whole-grain food source to make it a substantial meal, such as whole grain oats, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, or even brown rice. Include fruit too, as it provides flavour, sweetness and colour! Some tips for an epic breakfast:

• Eat breakfast like a king, make it your largest meal
• Think outside the box – savoury breakfasts are great! Homemade baked beans with veg, scrambled tofu, breakfast burritos are just some ideas
• Have quick healthy options when you’re short for time (meal prep in bulk whenever possible) and more elaborate options on days when you have more time.

So make sure that nourishing, nutrient-dense breakfast happens daily, and make your movement a priority if at all possible in the morning so that it’s done and dusted!

Copyright © 2021 Alisha Christie