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In the past, I've moved to Donostia in Spain, albeit only for three months - click here to find out the best places to eat and work remotely there. I've also spent time in California. Click here for delicious places to eat in Southern California. Now in the process of planning to move abroad more long term, I understand there is a lot to look at! So I thought I'd share some tips for you too.

People from younger generations have been moving abroad more and more frequently. In many cases, this can be temporary, although it could also be permanent. Despite this, some older people are also starting to move abroad.

That doesn’t mean that we all know what they’re doing! Instead, we can often overlook certain aspects of the process. While some steps will be specific to where you’re moving to and from, some things are quite common. These can’t be overlooked, as they’ll be essential components of moving abroad.

Moving Abroad: What You Need To Know

Visas

Visas will naturally be one of the first things that you’ll need to think of. While these won’t apply to movement between certain countries, they will with others. If you’re moving to or from the United Kingdom, for instance, then you might need to get them.

There is a range of them available, although these apply to specific groups of people. Finding out what you’re eligible for is the first step in this. Anybody married to a United Kingdom citizen, for example, is eligible for a spousal visa.

Getting a spouse visa extension is also quite easy. Knowing what you’re eligible for and then applying will be the first step in this.

Tax

Tax isn’t something that many people think about when moving abroad. It can affect all areas of your life, however. You’ll need to know how much tax you’ll be paying before you move over. There are also the likes of filing deadlines and much more.

These can vary drastically from country to country. Since there can be quite severe penalties associated with filing late or incorrectly, it’s worth knowing all of this in advance. Some countries will also have different taxes that apply to your paycheck.

While you might know exactly how much is taken out in your home country, that isn’t the case abroad. You wouldn’t want to be too surprised when you get your first paycheck in a new country. It might be worth checking with an accountant who is based in your new country, if possible, if you'd like a more professional and personal approach.

Education

If you have kids, or are planning to, then you’ll have to think about education. There’s a lot to consider about this. If you’re moving to somewhere where English isn’t the main language, for example, then lessons wouldn’t typically be taught in English.

Can your children speak the local language well enough to go to school? Can they learn it fast enough? If not, you’ll have to think about private schools where the curriculum is taught in English.

It’s best to research this in advance and then start visiting schools as soon as you move there. Knowing where the closest schools are beforehand will help you get started. You can also find out what ones are worth considering and touring.

Climate/Location-Specific Norms

Wrapping Up

If you’re on the verge of moving abroad, then you could find yourself stressed. That’s natural and something that many people feel. After all, moving house is stressful in itself. Add in a different country, and it could be overbearing. You can try journalling your thoughts to explore what's coming up for you and create a list of what you can't control and what you can control. For what you can, make a plan! For what you can't, let it go.

Keeping the above in mind and being smart about the process will keep you covered. Patience is key, as is researching as much as possible ahead of time. Don't forget that daily guided meditation can help with stress management and resilience.

Regardless of the severity of your injury or the length of your recovery, it is critical to give your body the rest and recovery time it requires before returning to training. If you train wisely after an injury, you can get stronger and fitter than before without overdoing it and impeding your progress, or making it even worse.

Here, we look at some things that you can do to help you get back on your feet and recover from workout injuries.

(Disclaimer: Always seek help and guidance from a certified professional - I am in no way a qualified injury specialist, far from it. I did, however, coach someone today who has a block standing between himself and exercising four times a week, despite his best intentions. He currently has an ankle injury. We explored those blockers standing in his way and co-created an action plan so he could best support himself in service of his goals. Contact me here to enquire about wellbeing coaching tailored to your needs)

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#1 Speak to the professionals

You should not return to the gym or resume your workouts until the pain, inflammation, and soreness have subsided significantly. Pushing yourself too soon may aggravate your injury and lengthen your recovery time. Remember that the pain and discomfort is there for a reason; it is your body's way of telling you that something is not right. Listen to it. 

When you are ready to return to training, consult with your doctor or physiotherapist first. If you have been seeing a physiotherapist, they should have taught you some exercises to help strengthen and stretch the affected area. An osteopath can also help you to make sure you are ready to get back to it. 

#2 Be patient

It can be tempting to resume training as usual after an injury in order to get back into shape, but this increases the risk of aggravating your injury. As a result, it is critical to keep a realistic timetable in mind for when you will be back to peak fitness. The length of your recovery will be determined by the type of injury you sustained, but again, it is important to be guided by professionals. 

#3 Listen to your body

Once you have received the all-clear and feel ready to return to exercise, spend some time evaluating your old exercise routine and considering any reasons why you were injured so you do not make the same mistakes again. For example, if you have only been doing one type of exercise, such as HIIT or strength training, consider changing up your workout routine to achieve a better balance.

#4 Ease back into it

Weight training after an injury is especially difficult to resume because some people may be annoyed that they are no longer as powerful as they were before the injury. However, keep in mind that no path is predictable and that everyone must begin somewhere. So, once you have been approved to perform bodyweight movements, you can start thinking about transitioning to light weighted moves.

#5 Look at what you can do

Try to stay as positive as possible and seize this opportunity to develop and transform your weaknesses into strengths. Use this time to lay a solid foundation so you can return to training fitter and stronger than ever before and avoid future injuries. The stronger you are, the better you can bounce back. If your ankle is twisted, you can use your upper body and focus on that while your ankle heals, there's always a way if you are willing to look!

Lots of love,

Jenna

Tips To Enhance Your Health and Overall Wellness

When you talk to people about their goals in life, health and overall wellness are usually on the list. Even though people want them, doing the necessary steps to achieve them is usually an uphill task. And, this results in many failing to achieve the goals totally or doing it partially. 

Accomplishing wellness requires you to have the right mindset and determination to succeed. You can adopt a practice and be consistent in it over time to gain good health. Besides, you can change your habits to better your general well-being.

Here are the various ways you can use it to boost your health and wellness.

Increase Water Consumption

Hydrating is a better way to stay healthy and improve your general wellness. A person who takes 6 to 8 glasses of water tends to have glowing skin, making them appear younger. Besides, water is life, and 80% of your body comprises water, implying your life depends entirely on it. So, do the noble job of taking more water!

Get Enough Sleep

Getting to rest every time doesn't mean you get enough sleep. To be healthy, you need to sleep 7-9 hours every night. This way, your body will have enough time to rest and rejuvenate come morning for it to function well. 

If you struggle to sleep, consider yoga, taking a bubble bath, drinking chamomile tea, and many more to have a peaceful night's sleep. I personally restrict all caffeine after 2pm, wear ear plugs and an eye mask religiously each night and aim to be asleep by 11pm because between 11pm - 1am is when your adrenals do their recharging thing. What time you go to sleep really can make more of a difference to how refreshed you feel the next day rather than the amount of hours you get. Also, alcohol messes massively with sleep, contrary to some faux-pop beliefs that wine helps you sleep. It messes with your blood sugar and can wake you up. Avoid alcohol for at least 4 hours before bed, remember each unit takes an hour to metabolise and if it's metabolising while you are sleeping, it may cause a rubbish night's sleep. Abstaining from alcohol for long periods of time gives you some of the best sleep ever. It's a beautiful thing that can only be experienced after seven or more completely dry days as alcohol takes ten days to fully leave your system. Then, the more dry days you do, the better it gets!

Eat Healthily

A main way to enhance your health and wellness is through eating healthy foods. Food is a staple of health and gut health precedes brain health and mental health. It's up to you when you take your meals at the right time for you and in correct proportions. I am a huge fan of intermittent fasting (IF) which has many many health benefits including increased longevity and weight management as well as anti-aging, increased focus and decreases sugar cravings. Whenever you like to eat, whether in a restricted time window like IF requires or as you feel necessary, ensure you eat a balanced diet with fruits, many deeply and brightly coloured vegetables, and other subgroups, to get the required vitamins and nutrients. These are what will make your body strong and resistant to diseases. I like to break my fast with a high-protein smoothie. If you prefer, bowlfuls, consider Growli Muesli which is also a nutritious package offering the required nutritional values. 

Meditate

Meditation has been a practice over the centuries. It has a lot of health benefits which in turn improves general well-being. You can take 5-10 minutes each day to meditate; the practice clears the mind and helps you regain self. 

Besides, meditation helps increase creativity, improve the immune system, lower blood pressure, and many more, boosting general health and wellness. It changed my life so much I decided to become a teacher of it and regularly help my coaching clients with mindfulness. You can find my free guided meditations here.

Photo By Kelvin Valerio from Pexels

Socialise Outdoors

Man is a social being since time immemorial. Hanging out with friends, family, and other people can increase your mood, boost creativity, improve your immune system and lower your stress levels. When you share ideas, laugh, and do all sorts of other things, you'll be revitalising your system. 

Besides, staying outdoors in the fields makes you breathe fresh air full of sufficient negative ions that boost oxygen flow to your brain. Sunlight gives you vitamin D that is beneficial for your bone health and it helps serotonin production. Doing this often will improve your general wellbeing and health altogether. Walking dogs is a great way to get outside often! And fun!

Conclusion

Enhancing your health and wellness can be achieved by simple practices every day. Doing one or two a day routinely will see you improve by a greater percentage. Keep going. Every little positive habit helps, from an earlier bedtime to an extra portion of veg, that extra glass of water or that additional day without alcohol. For more regular wellbeing tips, you can follow my wellness coaching Instagram here.

Lots of love,

Jenna

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Healthy glowing skin is to a large extent, determined by what you eat as quell as which products you put on your body. So, if you want to look radiant and heave the healthiest skin possible, it stands to reason that you should focus on your diet. 

With that in mind, here are some of the best foods to choose if you want to eat your way to healthier skin…

Turmeric

Turmeric is known to be an excellent anti-inflammatory, which is why lots of people with arthritis and similar conditions have added it to your diet. If you have skin conditions, like psoriasis, which are likely to be caused by inflammation, using turmeric in your diet could help you to better control your symptoms. Used in conjunction with good anti redness products it could also help to reduce, red, puffy skin to some extent too. Golden milk, a traditional Indian drink made of warm milk and turmeric is a great way to start the day right for your skin.

Avocado

Avocados, as you will probably know, are packed full of healthy fats, which means they are great for helping you to maintain skin elasticity and a healthy glow. There is also some evidence to suggest they can help to protect your skin from UV rays, due to the fact that they contain sun-protective compounds, that can also reduce the formation of wrinkles. As if that wasn’t enough, they also contain a healthy dose of vitamin E, which can prevent oxidation to help your skin look younger for longer, too.

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Walnuts

Walnuts are not only a delicious snack food, but they are also great for your skin. Rich in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, they will help your skin to look plumper, smoother and younger for longer. They can also help to lower inflammation levels. So if you have eczema or other skin issues that cause redness and swelling, they can be very effective.  So, don’t be afraid to eat a handful each day.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a slow-release carb, which means they are great for controlling blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight. Importantly, they are also rich in beta carotene. This is good news for your skin because beta carotene can help to protect your skin from sun damage. They are also high in antioxidants, which will help to slow down the ageing process when eaten regularly, too.

Broccoli

Eating your greens is so important for many reasons, and when it comes to your sin, broccoli is hard to beat. Why? Because it is packed with zinc, vitamins A and C, lutein, all of which can help to prevent wrinkles, dryness and oxidation, for healthier, younger-looking skin.

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Soy

Soy, whether in the form of milk or tofu, is great for healthy skin because it contains isoflavones which can block estrogen in the body and help to improve skin elasticity in middle-aged women, according to at least one study.

Eat these foods on a regular basis, and your skin will be glowing in no time at all. Wash it all down with a few pints of filtered water and organic herbal teas per day and you'll glow even brighter!

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If you feel like you've been covered with sand over the past few months and buried in a yellow pyramid of inactivity it's time to break out of the lethargy and start moving those limbs once again. Summer is the perfect time to get back into healthy habits. Start with small achievable goals and work towards big results. 

Vegan Diet 

Eating a healthy cruelty-free diet is undoubtedly the trendy thing to do these days, but preventing the needless death of countless living beings and supporting a vast industrial death machine aren't the only reasons to ditch the beef.  

A vegan diet is guaranteed to help you lose excess weight, prevent type 2 diabetes from developing, and guard against an assortment of risky cancers. On the whole, vegan foods are jam-packed with fiber, nutrients, and proteins, so like Aerosmith, your body won't miss a thing. 

Outdoor Exercise 

At some point there's no more excuses, the afternoon is beaming and you've been staring at your smartphone for far too long, it's time to remind your body what it's there for and get some exercise. Think running, cycling, yoga, swimming, or something more imaginative. Your body and brain will thank you. 

The summer is the perfect opportunity to pick up something new or to get back into that healthy habit of exercise that's gathering dust over the winter and spring. You get a solid four months of long days with pretty good weather, so why not make it a memorable year. 

Morning Yoga 

Do you feel tired in the mornings, unable to get out of bed for about an hour, or even at all? Morning Yoga can help. It not only gives you that excuse to get up and get moving, it also provides you with an extra energy boost for productivity, the best energy boost you'll find anywhere. 

That's not all morning yoga is good though. If you have a repetitive strain injury from working too many hours at the keyboard, or, with other work equipment, a regular morning yoga routine will show you how to prevent RSI and maintain healthy joints.

Meditation 

A garden takes a lot of maintenance and management, especially in the summer months when there is so much exponential growth. You need to till the soil, weed the paths, plant new seedlings, and paint the fence: surprise, surprise, it doesn't last for long. 

Your meditation practice is like this. Unless you stay on top of your sits in the morning and evening, missing as few as possible, the mind-weeds will start to grow again and remind you that you need to pay more attention. But a healthy habit can be as little as ten or fifteen minutes per day. I provide free guided meditations here on the free app, Insight Timer.

Forest Bathing

You might have heard of mindfulness by now, and you've definitely heard of nature walks – but what about "Forest Bathing?" The terminology might not be as common – here in the west at least – but the concept is much the same, with a few tweaks here and there. 

Forest Bathing originates in Japan where it was used as some kind of nature therapy for stressed-out inner-city workers. It involves walking in a lush green forest and absorbing nature's healing Chi. What do you know, it's summer now, and green Chi is everywhere. 

If you can't find any wonderful forests, get in the sea! I have personally conducted research that explores the numerous wellbeing effects of the sea!

Loads of summery love,

Jenna

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Success isn’t something that happens overnight. Neither can you achieve it by doing only one thing in your life. To be successful, it starts from what you do when you wake in the morning until you go back to bed in the evening.

Sure, whatever you do within a day may seem trivial will less impact, but with persistence, you may notice pleasing results at the end of a week, month or year. Whether good or bad, daily actions can determine the person you will be in the next few months or years.

And if you want to improve your life, I, as an accredited, professional full-time personal development/empowerment and executive coach" invite you to make the following choices (it's an invitation because you have to make the decision and do it yourself! No one can tell you until you are ready to listen!)

To Be Better Everyday

The first choice you could make to improve your life is to be better every day. Make it your mantra that you will find ways to improve yourself every day. What 'better' means to you will be different to what it means for the next person. E.g. 'better' might mean fitter. Or 'better' might mean more present. Whatever it is, define it and start by setting realistic and achievable goals.

Such goals may include supplementing your income, improving your skills by learning something new or investing in buying a house or car. You can identify what’s keeping you stuck and find ways to get out of your comfort zone. Doing this daily will ultimately improve your life.

Eat Well and Exercise

You can also choose to eat healthily and work out. Of course, various setbacks and temptations can limit you from achieving such a lifestyle (Easter eggs anyone?). However, eating good food and working out daily depends on the choices you make. It's also about getting back onto your routine, with a healthy dose of self-compassion for being human, if you fall off.

If you choose to procrastinate preparing healthy meal plans, you will never eat healthy food. If you decide to skip going to the gym or work out at home, you will never improve your physical health. You can do exercises with your body weight; no equipment needed, such as press-ups and squats, that work major compound muscle groups.

To make things easier, consider rewarding your efforts. Rewarding yourself after exercising can motivate you to move forward. Create a tick chart and decide when your reward will happen, after 7 days? 10? Sometimes a streak can be the most motivating thing as you don't want progress to be lost. Apps can help keep you accountable if you don't want to work with a coach.

Additionally, if you want to boost your morale and productivity, you should consider healthy snack box treats. Healthy snack treats can boost your enthusiasm to work out, and they are healthy, which means they won’t interfere with your healthy eating.

Never Procrastinate

Another choice you ought to make is to avoid procrastination at all costs. It is easy for a person to procrastinate on a specific task, especially if you promise to do it later. We normally procrastinate when a task seems too big, so breaking it down into smaller and measurable tasks helps chip away it at in a managable way that leads to a sense of accomplishment.

But the truth is, there is no better time to do something than when you are supposed to do it. If you want to improve your life, avoid this habit by prioritizing tasks. Also, set deadlines, be organized, rid yourself of distractions (put that phone somewhere you cannot see it!) and use incentives to reward such efforts.

Establish Meaningful Relationships

Lastly, choose to build relationships that will have positive impacts on your life. This can be as simple as having a workout partner or someone you can start a business with. It can also be having a group of friends where you motivate each other to be financially disciplined.

However, you ought to begin by evaluating yourself and know who you are. Identify what behaviours you can tolerate in someone and your boundaries. This can lead to long-lasting healthy relationships improving your life. Have a friend who likes to workout? Ask them to share their workouts with you for extra inspiration. Tag people on social media in posts you both could do so that you're working with a partner on your shared goals.

Improving your life doesn’t have to be a big gesture. All you ought to do is implement incremental changes and work on bettering yourself every day (Nudge is a good book to read on the power of tiny little incremental changes that fuel big outcomes) With the above choices to make, it will be more than manageable. I believe in you!

If you want to work with an accountability partner in the form of a qualified, certified, empowerment coach, contact me here to get started.

The last few years have seen the proliferation of the use of CBD oil for various ailments and people who use it swear by it for all kinds of medical reasons. CBD oil is derived from the cannabis plant but unless it contains THC will not cause any psychoactive changes and is used simply like any other supplement.

But some people can have negative reactions to CBD oil, especially those on certain medications such as Zoloft and Prozac among others. Some also don’t like the idea of consuming something that is derived from such a controversial plant and are strongly against the use of cannabis in any form.

CBD has been proven to be a good remedy for many common ailments such as inflammation and severe ones such as depression, anxiety, and even epilepsy. 

For those who don’t want to consume CBD oil, or can’t afford it since it is expensive, then there are certain foods that contain CBD, including:

• Broccoli

• Nigella

• Chocolate

Broccoli is all kinds of good for us and contains CB2 while nigella seeds are a good source of CBD and chocolate can enhance the effects of CBD.

Nutrient-Rich Superfood

Most of us probably hated broccoli as children but as adults, it is one of the most amazing ingredients to liven up any meal. Broccoli can be used in many pasta dishes or served on the side such as with a Sunday roast.

While the health benefits of broccoli are widely known such as its high vitamin and mineral content of A, C, E and K as well as potassium, iron, calcium, selenium and magnesium, the vegetable (and it’s cousins) also contains a CB2 receptor that is similar to the anti-inflammatory aspect of CBD oil medicine.

No, Not the TV Chef

These tiny black seeds have been used as an accompaniment to other spices for centuries and are also known as black cumin. When dry roasted they can be ground into a fine powder and added to spicy foods such as with Indian cuisine to provide a soft smoky flavor.

While they aren’t commonly found in most people’s kitchens, based on their proven health benefits they should be purchased by the bucket load. Nigella sativa is an endocannabinoid which basically means it is an alternative source of CBD over cannabis and has been found to have the same health benefits claimed by CBD oil researchers such as anti-inflammatory effects, epilepsy treatment, reduced cancer risks and stabilised diabetes.

Finally, an Excuse to Eat More :)

Chocolate is one of the biggest commodities on the planet and has been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years with evidence that the Maya of South America were drinking hot chocolate (with chillies) long before we were consuming it on a cold winter’s day in the modern world. While chocolate is loved by many enthusiasts, it is notorious as a contributor to weight gain and tooth loss because of the high sugar content.

However, this sugar is added in the manufacturing process and Cacao, the main ingredient of chocolate, is quite bitter with hardly any natural sugar and as we know by now, if it’s bitter, it's medicine. Cacao has been proven to contain a high amount of antioxidants and new research has shown that while it doesn’t contain CBD itself (which was suspected) it enhances the effects of CBD and THC by means of an anandamide reuptake inhibitor.