Image Source - Pexels 

Learn To Love Fruits & Vegetables 

First things first, if you want to lead a healthy lifestyle after your diet change, then you need to learn to love fruit and vegetables. There’s no good way to be a vegan without consuming an excess of fruit and veg, as this should be the main source of calories aside from carbohydrates. Fruits are packed full of different vitamins that you need to flourish, including vitamin C in oranges, vitamin A in grapefruits and a wealth of antioxidants in blueberries, so you should always aim to eat at least 3-5 portions of fruit in some form each and every day. Vegetables are also high in lots of nutrients, including vitamin D in mushrooms and even vitamin K inside broccoli and spinach, so chowing down on a big bowl of salad is the perfect way to put some pep back in your step. Combining your fruits and vegetables with added extras can make them easier to swallow, so consider adding a handful of berries to a coconut-milk yoghurt or even eat some carrot and cucumber sticks dipped in chickpea hummus! 

Limit Your Fast Food 

It’s fair to say that almost everything on a fast food diners menu is going to be off limits to a vegan, as it’s all too common for meat and vegetable dishes to be cooked in the same spot using the same utensils. Rather than run the risk of accidentally consuming something that you shouldn’t, it’s a good idea to try and limit your fast food consumption so that you can lean towards a healthier diet for the sake of your mind and body. You’ll no doubt start to feel the repercussions of eating nothing but French fries, biscuits, bagels and vegan sweets, so moderation should always be the aim of the day. Visiting fast food joints can also lead you astray, as you risk giving up on your vegan lifestyle efforts so that you can eat some chicken nuggets or a beef burger - steer clear if you want to be a healthy, happy vegan. 

Transitioning to a plant based diet in the most enjoyable and balanced way has never been such a simple task when you can utilise the ideas and recommendations that have been carefully detailed above. When in doubt, choose whole foods!

Lots of love,

Jenna

Credit: Pixabay CC0 Licence

If your athletic performance has started to slide without any real explanation, it can be very frustrating. However, the reality of the situation is that there must be a reason behind your struggles.

Of course, getting older can play a role. Nonetheless, there are many other factors that could be harming your progress. Here are five that you must consider:

Inadequate rest

The value of getting a good night’s sleep cannot be emphasised enough. Even one poor night’s sleep could impact your sporting performance on the following day. Meanwhile, falling into bad sleep habits can bring long-term disruption to your progress. Aside from a lack of energy, it stops your muscles from recuperating properly. 

In short, getting enough rest is a vital ingredient in the recipe for success. The average adult needs 7-9 hours per night, but you should take the time to determine what works for you.

Additionally, consider WHEN you sleep. Do you turn into a crazed beast post-10pm if you're not in bed asleep? I do. I've learned that my ideal sleep time is between 10pm-6am then I can mostly work with the natural light and be my best early-bird self. Sleep taken earlier is more replenishing than sleep taken post 11pm. Google that.

Untreated injuries

When you experience a major injury blow, you will almost certainly complete a rest and rehab programme. But underlying issues could be causing reduced performance levels despite not causing too much pain. Chiropractors and other professionals can help. By managing those issues, it can unlock a return to optimal performance. My chiropractor has made a huge amount of difference to the bursitis I experienced! I always feel so relaxed after seeing her.

Aside from aiding your sporting activities, it goes a long way to improving daily habits. And preventing postural problems in later life. So, it is vital that you take this step seriously.

The wrong attire

Wearing the right workout clothes doesn’t only make you look and feel good. In many cases, the right items can actively support your performance. Choosing the right running shoes, for example, can shave seconds off of your 5k time. Similarly, selecting the right base layer can prevent discomfort. This allows you to perform without distraction.

It should also be noted that weight lifting belts and gloves can help you keep a better form and lift more weight. This is in addition to preventing injuries, which should be deemed vital. Gloves are essential for me even when lifting my 8kg kettlebell to avoid blisters!

No enjoyment

Even if you used to love a particular sporting activity, it is possible that your passion will fade over time. When this happens, sports coaches can help you find a better activity. From solo activities to team games, the fresh surroundings can keep you mentally engaged. In turn, your speed, strength, and athletic performance can soar.

Besides, taking a break from your former favourite may see your love return. Even if it doesn’t, doing an exercise that you love will lead to consistency as well as better results. For me, reuniting with a childlike play experience of trampolining really helped me in losing 13kg last year! It's SO much fun to bounce and dance and make up dances and mime the words to the songs all while burning loads of calories and getting a really good workout in general!

Workout timings

If you’ve ever felt that you perform better either in the morning or at night, there is a good chance that you are right. This could be due to your job, nutrition, or mental state at different times of the day. So, while it may seem a little illogical, finding the best time for your workouts is a genuine method to restore your performance levels. Are you better after eating? Do you prefer working out fasted in the morning? Keep a track of it and work with yourself!

As with many aspects of your fitness routines, the key is to find what works for you. Once you have, you’ll feel far more confident in everything that you do.

Don't forget just reading this is a good step towards increasing your performance! You're doing good :)

Now go take action!

Pexels CCO License

No Tracking

First, it’s important to make sure that you do control how much you are working out or dieting by tracking it. If you don’t track your progress, then you’ll never know how much you have achieved or how far you have left to go. One of the ways that you can handle this is by using the right technology that is available to you. For instance, you might want to think about using a smart watch. The best smartwatches can track everything from your heart rate to your breathing and more. I love the Zero app for tracking my fasting, my Garmin watch for tracking my sleep and my Renpho scales for measuring my body.

No Cheat Days

Next, you should think about ensuring that cheat days are part of your plan. People tend to avoid cheat days because they think it’s ‘cheating’ on their plans. But cheat days are beneficial. Regardless of whether you are ordering delicious treats from somewhere like Chummys Bakery or another store, a cheat day can stop you from going on a binge. It can prevent you from ruining your plans and destroying your wellness strategy. It will also help ensure that you can deal with stress and tension that could be building in your life as well. Remember: progress over perfection! If you fall off your routine it's ok to simply put yourself back on it. Don't overthink it. It's not 'all or nothing'.

No Routine 

It’s great if you can get into a wellness routine. This should include dietary choices as well as a fitness strategy. If you don’t do this, then it’s far more likely that you won’t reach the level that you need to see key results. Setting a routine can also allow you to form habits which will be important. The right habits will mean that you can ensure that your diet choices and your fitness routines eventually become second nature. They will be an effortless and seamless part of your daily lifestyle. This brings us to one final mistake that you should strive to avoid. 

No Lifestyle Changes

Finally, you need to make sure that you are making changes to your lifestyle. If you don’t do this, then the impact of changes to your diet plan or your fitness routine are always going to deliver more limited results. For instance, you should consider the amount of downtime that you have throughout the day. Downtime has a huge impact on your wellbeing and will hurt any plans that you have to improve your wellbeing. That’s why you should make sure that you’re not spending hours on Netflix every day. It will hurt your health in the long term. Embrace doing nothing! Or at least something more meaningful.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key mistakes that you can make on your road to getting fit and improving your wellbeing. By avoiding these minefields, you can guarantee that you do see far better results along your fitness journey and gain the significant benefits of these changes. 

You've got this!

Lots of love,

Jenna

p.s this post contains collaborative content

Image Source - Pexels 

Don't Eat Before Bed 

One of the best ways to boost your likelihood of benefiting from a good night's sleep is by avoiding food for at least 2 hours before bed. When you go to sleep at night, your body starts to slow down and enter a kind of hibernation mode; during this time, your metabolism (and digestion) slows down dramatically. This can mean that it's much more difficult for you to digest food during the night, especially when it comes to foods which are spicy or oily. Eating something spicy just before you go to bed is a sure fire way to reduce your chances of getting a good night's sleep, as you will experience gastrointestinal distress and discomfort throughout the evening as your body attempts to digest what you have consumed. Be aware of alcohol consumption - quitting is your best bet for the most amazing sleep (once your dopamine levels and other chemicals have rebalanced) but if you do drink, try to stop drinking at least four hours before going to bed so that your blood sugar levels don't wake you up in the middle of the night.

Make Exercise A Daily Priority

Working out daily is another excellent way to improve your sleep schedule, as you should aim to take part in at least 30 minutes to an hour of vigorous exercise if you want to get a good night's sleep. Exercise is vital as it provides you with the opportunity to burn off excess energy, encouraging your muscles to tire out and require a rest. Taking the chance to exercise every day will transform your sleep quality, helping you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. It's important that you can remember not to exercise within an hour of going to bed, as you will likely experience a rush of endorphins during this time that can cause you to feel more awake and alert. Schedule your exercise sessions for the morning or mid day to benefit most. Going outside for at least 30 minutes before midday is even better as it helps your circadian rhythm to realise what time it is so that helps you fall asleep at night too.

Explore Natural Sleep Boosters 

There are many natural sleep boosters that you can utilise to improve your chances of getting a good night's rest, starting off with chamomile tea. The chamomile plant has long been known to have sleep inducing effects, as many cultures have used the flowers to make holistic medicines for hundreds or even thousands of years. Drinking just one mug of chamomile tea around an hour before bed will encourage you to drift off faster and experience less interruptions during the night, so it's a brilliant option to explore. Other natural sleep enhancers include things like night-time CBD oils, which have grown in popularity over the past decade. Just make sure you have that extra wee before bed!

Earplugs & Eye mask

If you're one of those light sleepers like me, an eye mask and ear plugs are also essential to get that sweet deep kip. Especially if you sleep next to a snorer! The mask blocks out not just streetlights or natural lights coming through windows but also any lights from electronic devices that can interfere with your sleep. An extra tip is to remove all devices - I charge my phone in another room overnight to reduce that light pollution.

Relax Before Bed

Try a meditation or some deep breathing, breathing in for the count of 4, holding for 7 and exhaling for 8 is a good one that activates your parasympathetic nervous system and gets you feeling calm, safe, relaxed and ready to sleep. A hot bath also helps you to feel sleepy and relaxed. There are some great free meditations on Insight Timer as well as Hypnotherapy recordings on apps such as Gaia that can help you reduce teeth grinding and jaw clenching also if you suffer from that.

Getting a good night's sleep has never been so simple when you can utilise some of the excellent ideas detailed above! 

Image From Pixabay CCO License

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury, infection, or irritation of any kind on its cells. It occurs when the white blood cells release chemicals that cause redness, heat, and swelling at the site of damage.

Our immune system reacts by sending defense mechanisms to fight off harmful bacteria and viruses that enter our bodies. This mechanism sometimes becomes overactive due to conditions like chronic stress, obesity, heart disease, or aging.

In some cases, this can lead to chronic inflammation, which causes a number of problems. Chronic inflammation has been linked to conditions like arthritis, asthma, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. It is also thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Finding ways to prevent chronic inflammation is vital if you want to protect your health and reduce the chances of serious illness in later life. Here are some of the most effective ways to prevent chronic inflammation.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

One of the best ways to prevent chronic inflammation is by eating an anti-inflammatory diet. This means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Some of the best anti-inflammatory foods include:

• Blueberries

• Brussels sprouts

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Olive oil

• Turmeric

It's also important to manage your blood sugar levels. Eating foods that are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can contribute to chronic inflammation. As a general rule, try to avoid processed foods with added sugar as much as possible. Eating lots of whole foods, cooked from scratch, is the best way to stay healthy. 

Supplements

There are some great supplements that have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body. If you are concerned about inflammation, you could consider using Stenabolic on a regular basis. As well as cutting inflammation, it can also boost your metabolism and make it easier to manage your overall health and wellbeing.

Regular Exercise

Another great way to prevent chronic inflammation is by getting regular exercise. Exercise helps to keep your body in good shape and helps to reduce stress levels. It also helps to improve circulation and increase oxygen uptake, which can help to reduce inflammation. Being overweight also increases inflammation a lot, so staying fit and healthy makes a big difference too.

Exercise doesn't have to be strenuous to be effective. Moderate aerobic exercise like walking or swimming is ideal for preventing chronic inflammation.

Stress Management

Managing stress is extremely important if you want to reduce inflammation in your body. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, which is a hormone that causes inflammation.

By managing your stress levels and learning how to relax, you can help to reduce chronic inflammation and prevent further health problems in later life. If necessary, seek advice from a doctor or therapist who can help you learn how to manage your stress effectively.

Chronic inflammation can lead to a lot of serious health issues if you do not get it under control. By making these simple lifestyle changes, you can drastically reduce the chances of developing chronic inflammation. Meditation is a great way to manage stress in your body. Click here for free guided meditations or click here to learn more about my Positive Mindfulness course.

All the best and lots of love,

Jenna

Pexels Source CCO License

Diet Concerns

First, it’s important to understand that your issues with sleep could certainly be tied to your diet. There are foods in your diet like garlic that can lead to disturbed levels of sleep and lower levels of energy through the day. If you are facing this problem, then you might want to consider using a garlic substitute in your food instead. Similarly, some foods are beneficial to your sleep health like bananas. These are rich in potassium and so can help you stop tossing and turning all through the night every day. Remember, it doesn’t matter what time you go to bed if it’s not the right quality of rest. For me, no caffeine after 2pm is a hard and fast rule if I want to be sleeping nicely by 10 or 11pm. Also, fasting really helps me to ensure deep sleep as well as eliminating alcohol and sugar. Even cutting down on any of those can have a big effect so don't feel you need to completely cut them out if that's not for you.

Stress

You might also want to think about issues with stress in your life. Stress can be a huge issue, particularly when it comes to sleep. High levels of stress are always going to be something that’s enough to keep you up at night. The question is how should you deal with stress the right way. There are a few ways that you can deal with stress. For instance, you might want to think about using calming exercises such as meditation. Meditation has a slight learning curve but once you adjust the practices you’ll quickly recognize the benefits in as little as just 15-20 minutes. You can also keep a pad of paper and a pen next to your bed to journal any unwanted thoughts before bed so that you can rest assured they have been expressed in a safe way. Getting them out of your head and onto paper has a profoundly relaxing effect. In all the work I do for people as a stress management coach, this is one of the most effective strategies.

A Low Energy Day

Next, you should consider issues with your daily routine. During the lockdowns, a lot of people were doing far less than their typical routine. Instead of going out, they were staying in and probably weren’t using nearly as much energy. This meant that when it was time for bed they weren’t getting the right level of sleep because their body wasn’t ready to rest. If you are struggling with this issue, then you should think about setting a daily routine that you can always follow and that does make sense for you. That way you will be tired when it’s time for sleep. Using a watch to measure your active minutes is super helpful. Alternatively, record when you exercise on your phone notes or a pad of paper so you have data on it. That way you can track it and compare sleep quality with exercise time and types.

The Wrong Environment 

Finally, it’s possible that the reason that you are struggling to get to sleep at the right time each night is all to do with your sleep environment. You might want to think about taking steps to change this to ensure that it is more comfortable and suitable for you. There are lots of possibilities that could be worth exploring here. For instance, you might want to think about changing your bed. A bed is a highly personal choice and if your bed is too soft or too hard then it could be enough to throw off your sleep pattern completely. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you should take to ensure that you are getting a great night of sleep. Don’t forget, your sleep is crucial for good health because it provides your body with the recharge that it desperately needs after a long day. 

For me, an eye mask, earplugs, a dark room with no electronics even plugged in and the window open are absolutely essential! As well as ensuring the bedsheets have been changed in the last week. I always sleep deeper when the bed sheets are fresh, don't you?

Sleep tight!

Lots of love,

Jenna

Photo by Victoria_borodivina on Pixabay

Sports are one of the best ways to spend your time, they are a great form of physical exercise giving you a healthy body and mind. But they are also incredibly fun. However with that comes the possibility of pain and injury. While many players of all sports are bound to wind up injured (it comes with the territory of physical stress on the body), contact sports ramp up the possibility tenfold. The sheer velocity at which some players travel across the pitches and courts, colliding with one another means that problems are inevitable and unavoidable.

(Unsplash CC0)

Joint pain is common, especially as we age. Knee pain is a common complaint but we can also experience pain around the joints in our arms, shoulders, and hips too. I experienced hip pain this year and found great relief from seeing a chiropractor and adopting a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods including reducing sugar, cutting out alcohol and eating mostly plant-based.

In some cases, joint pain is due to the natural wear and tear in our bodies. However, certain health conditions, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout can also be to blame. Workout injuries are another common cause of joint pain, which is why we should always be mindful not to push our bodies too hard. 

If you are experiencing persistent joint pain, it's important to visit your doctor. You may have caused damage to a particular joint if you have been in an accident or you may be suffering the symptoms of one of the health-related conditions we previously referred to. 

It is possible to relieve joint pain via medication. However, there are natural ways to relieve joint pain too. These include the following. 

#1: Warm up or cool down your joints

Applying something warm or cold to your painful joints can ease the discomfort you feel. 

Heat increases blood flow to sore muscles and loosens stiff joints and this does much to relieve the painful sensations you may be experiencing. A warm compress, such as an electric heating pad, or a hot water bottle (with a towel around it) can be used to apply warmth to your body. A hot bath can also work wonders. 

If your joints are inflamed, a cold compress can reduce inflammation and ease the pain. It can also interrupt pain signals by slowing your nerve impulses. Ice packs are an effective form of cold compress although you can also make your own if you don't have an ice pack to hand. 

#2: Gently stretch your body

The last thing you might think about doing is stretching your body when it is in pain. However, physical inactivity can make your pain worse so it's important to flex your body a little. Provided these are gentle stretches and not anything too strenuous, you will increase your body's range of motion and relieve the pain you're feeling. Speak to your doctor or physical therapist about the types of exercise you should be considering. 

#3: Use a CBD-related product

Research has shown that CBD can help with some forms of joint pain, including that which is experienced by arthritis sufferers. CBD can be inhaled via a vape pen, taken in liquid form, or applied to the skin with a patch or CBD Muscle Balm. If you experience unpleasant side effects you should stop using the product immediately. However, in most cases, CBD is safe to use, provided you follow the instructions that come with your purchase. 

#4: Enjoy a massage

A therapeutic massage can loosen your tight muscles and get your blood flowing, and if done correctly, can work to relieve the pain you are feeling. You can visit a professional for a massage if you choose to. However, there are also ways to self-massage, which can be useful when you need quick relief at home. 

These are some of the ways to relieve your joint pain. Consider each the next time your body starts to ache but remember to still visit your doctor if pain persists, as you may also need medical attention. 

Image Source - CCO Licence

Your Job

One of the biggest causes of a lack of health for most people is that their work is not really doing their health any favours. You might know that this is the issue for you, or you might want to look a little more closely to see whether it is the case in your life. There are some signs that your job is harming you, and one might be that you have aches and pains after a shift. Make sure you take breaks and ensure your work-life balance has been consciously considered to ensure better health.

Your Diet

Clearly, what you eat is of central importance to how healthy you are. In fact, you could say that your diet is pretty much the most important thing of all when it comes to your health. As long as you are eating right, you can be sure that you are going to have a much easier time staying healthy. All you really need to do is to make sure that you are eating plenty of whole foods like fruit and veg, and avoiding processed foods as much as you possibly can. That is going to bring about some much stronger health for you in no time.

Your Activity Levels

Along with diet, you need to make sure that you are also staying as active as you can in general. This can come in many forms. It might be going for a morning jog, or it could be more along the lines of playing a sport that you love with a team in your local area. Whatever it is, you are going to be feeling a lot healthier if you are moving around each week at least a few times in the week. Make sure you start doing this if you are not already doing it.

Image Source - CCO Licence

Your Hygiene

You should also take a look at your hygiene, in particular your oral hygiene. You might not think that occasionally forgetting to brush your teeth could make all that much difference, but the truth is that this is linked to some pretty serious conditions, such as heart disease, in later life. Getting on top of that is going to ensure that you can remain much healthier in general, so it’s something that you could look into.

Live well!

Lots of love,

Jenna

If you want to lose weight, the entire body has to get in shape. You cannot just get onto a bicycle at the gym and pedal your way to victory. Sure you’ll lose weight but not nearly as fast as entire body workouts. It's been proven that exercises such as swimming, running, and rock climbing use every single muscle group in the body. For one thing, your entire body is always moving when you do these workouts and that can only mean, your heart rate is constantly being pushed. Even if you take it easy, in order to keep going you have to move all parts of your body. But how do these exercises do this?

Swimming wins the test

Heart rate zone 4 is where you will burn a lot of fat and heart rate zone 5 is where you burn carbs. You want to stay in zone 4 the longest, which is where your body uses fat stores for energy. You occasionally want to be pushed into zone 5 and begin to sap the muscles of their energy but this is only to then push the body to burn fat again. Swimming passes this test because the only way you can stay afloat is to use all parts of your body and hence, your heart rate will always stay in zone 4. Speak with a swimming Coach about how swimming can maintain your heart rate in zone 4. They’ll teach you the basics and tell you how your body can lose fat by swimming. 

Running with proper form

If you don’t run with proper form, some muscle groups in your body won’t be tested, like your traps and shoulders for example. However, if you brace your core, lift your leg using your hip flexors, swing your arms in an up and down motion, not side to side, this should solve the issue. Proper form while running is key, this is how you can burn a lot of fat in a relatively short session. For example, keep your heart rate in zone 4 and you will find that in just 30 minutes, you could burn anywhere from 250-400 calories. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jE1CzW54KCg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Why rock climbing?

Rock climbing is the ultimate calisthenics. You’re pulling your body up vertically with every fiber of your being, testing your core strength. It can feel like an entire whole-body workout even when you haven’t moved much. You're fighting against gravity, trying unique holds, and the only thing preventing you from falling is your muscle tension and tendon toughness. This is why rock climbing is actively being taught to people who want to lose weight, by their personal trainers. 

Keep your heart rate in zone 4. For those of you that don’t know, zone 4 is when you take away your age from 220 and then minus 20. In this range is where your body burns the most fat, so try one of these workout types and see how you feel. Have fun and be strong!