9 minute read
Health
Good Intentions 1 Achievement 0?
NEW YEAR GOALS GONE OUT OF THE WINDOW ALREADY? WELL, LET’S SEE IF WE CAN GET YOU BACK ON TRACK TO A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, AND FITTER YOU!
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By Nicole Watson
Nicole works for Paragon Holistique, facilitating Body Groove Dance, Young at Heart Dance, and Chakra Dance. She is also a Meditation Teacher, an Angelic Reiki Master and Crystal Therapist
E: paragonholistique@outlook.com
Ienjoy watching various quiz shows on the television but recently the answer to one question made me sit up and think. The answer to the question was that statistically the majority of New Year health and fitness resolutions go out of the window before the end of January! Whilst it is admirable to start any health and fitness programme, ‘giving up’ after just a few weeks seems a shame. Most of us at some point in our lives have done it; we’ve pepped ourselves up to go to the gym, or to get out for long walks, we buy alcohol-free drinks to replace our ‘cheeky tipple’, and we fill the fridge with healthy fruit and veg. It’s like a military operation. “This year I WILL achieve my desired goals to be healthier and fitter”. So, why is it, even with all that strategic planning, we often struggle to continue with our goals? My natural reaction to the eye-opening quiz answer is that perhaps people are focusing on the result they want and not the method to achieve it. In other words, if you could find something you love to do, then this could be the answer to help you succeed with your resolutions. The majority of New Year’s resolutions are set around exercise and dietary changes. Personally, I think they go hand in hand. Yes, it is better to do something rather than nothing, but what’s the point of attempting a healthier eating plan without also picking the exercise? And there’s little point in running five times a week if your diet comprises curry and chips every night! We are all different shapes, sizes, and ages, and have varying degrees of mobility. However, age and limited mobility shouldn’t be a barrier to keeping fit and healthy. There is something out there for everyone. My husband and all three of our daughters love to run (in fact one even does triathlons) but that is just not my cup of tea. Exercise programmes? I’ve tried most of them but found for various reasons I couldn’t stick with them. Then, about a dozen or so years ago, I realised that I wasn’t enjoying my exercise and that was probably why I wasn’t sticking to it. Changes had to be made! As if by magic I rediscovered my love of dance; I realised my go-to exercise is ‘moving-and-agroovin’! I’m not talking about the stuff they do on Strictly Come Dancing (I wish!), I’m talking about how you feel when you dance around your kitchen without a care in the world. Hiding on the back row of a class and not being able to keep up with the pace isn’t much fun. What if you could just be your own unique self, move how you wanted, all the while gaining confidence in yourself whilst getting fitter? Think about it, it makes sense that when your exercise is fun it doesn’t feel like hard work. If you don’t like group exercises, don’t go to a class - if you don’t like the outdoors, don’t exercise in it! Choose what you like, there’s no point otherwise! So, what can we do to help continue with our New Year's resolutions? Setting realistic short-term goals can be easier to keep and a friend or group’s support can motivate and keep you on track. Rewarding yourself at set periods with something that doesn’t contradict your goal is a great idea too. Ultimately, don’t beat yourself up over the occasional slip, do the best you can each day, and take it one day at a time. They say it takes around 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months for it to become part of your personality. Concentrate on ‘doing’ rather than just on the end goal. Get releasing those happy hormones! Whether it is running, going to the gym, meditation, taking a yoga or dance class, practising Tai Chi, going for a nice walk, crown green bowls, or singing to the radio, when we raise our serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin levels we promote positive feelings, happiness levels, and even help essential processes like heart rate and digestion. With all these happy feelings released we are more likely to continue achieving our health and fitness goals. Do a bit of research, check out what is out there for your circumstances that looks like fun. When your exercise is fun then it’s not really exercise, it’s a hobby. One last thing... a wise lady once advised me ‘everything in moderation, including moderation’. Perhaps it is time to stop giving yourself a hard time, be kind to yourself, get back on the horse and have another go at your goal! Oh, and if you want a biscuit then have a biscuit, just don’t eat the whole packet! Keep going, you’ve got this! (Don’t forget, it is recommended that you talk to your healthcare provider before commencing any exercise programme, especially if you have existing health issues.)
BEET KVASS
PACKED FULL OF ESSENTIAL VITAMINS, MINERALS AND NUTRIENTS, THIS CLEANSING DRINK IS PERFECT AFTER THE CHRISTMAS INDULGENCE AS WELL AS INCREDIBLY EASY TO MAKE
It’s hard to find a tasty fermented drink that uses winter veg and has that warming quality we associate with this season, but here is something for you to try. If you have been getting into kitchen fermentation this year, you may have a nice ready batch of fermented honey garlic ready for use in your salads or by the spoonful to ward off colds, and hopefully you now have a daily kombucha tea which will all be giving you an immune boost. Kvass is a novel addition to this and once again it’s very simple to produce. Kvass was originally made with rye grains or stale bread and was a staple drink in Russia and Eastern Europe. Beetroot is a
substitute for the grains and many of us have a few of them knocking around in the garden at this time of year. They are traditionally a very sweet vegetable and by making kvass you can use the naturally occurring yeasts on the vegetable to grow your own immune-boosting probiotics in the kitchen, making use of what grows in the garden. Beetroot is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients and are known as an excellent liver cleanser. Something that many of us could do with after the Christmas and New Year period. Some studies have shown that they significantly reduce blood pressure, so including kvass into your diet is great for people with hypertension. Beetroot is antiinflammatory and since inflammation is at the root of so many chronic illnesses, reducing inflammation in the body all round is a great way to improve everyone’s overall health. Beetroots are sweet, delicious, and fairly inexpensive. If you grow your own then you already have the best quality, organic, and locally produced vegetables possible and this is a wonderful way to preserve your oversupply.
Equipment:
Chopping knife and board Large glass jar Muslin and rubber band Ingredients:
2-4 organic beetroot (beets) unpeeled 2 tbsp sea salt 1 ltr room temperature filtered water Steps:
1. Always sterilise your clean jar prior to use - you can do this by pouring near boiling water into it and leaving it for 5 minutes (make sure your glass jar is heat proof). 2. Scrub and chop the beetroot into centimetre cubes and place into the jar 3. Add the salt 4. Add the filtered water making sure that the beetroots are fully submerged 5. Cover the mouth of the jar with muslin or coffee filter and secure with an elastic band 6. Shake to disperse the salt evenly (it will dissolve naturally) 7. Leave in a cupboard or pantry to ferment for two weeks. Notes… The bubbles created as a byproduct of fermentation tend to push the pieces of beetroot up upwards. Simply check the jar every day and push any beets that are exposed to the air back under the water. You can taste the kvass out of curiosity to see at what point you start to like the flavour. 1-2 weeks will leave you with a delightful tangy beverage, full of probiotics that are excellent for your health and host numerous benefits for all kinds of ailments. It’s an acquired taste but many people really enjoy this with meals to aid digestion. It’s a beautiful colour and very seasonal, and is a great way to use up beetroot and try something completely different. If you want, you can add grated ginger and carrot to further batches as you experiment to find the flavours you enjoy most. Enjoy kvass also as a liver-repairing and immune-boosting drink for your post-Christmas and New Year’s Eve recovery!
By Amanda King
Amanda lives near Ruffec and is in the final year of an Advanced Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She holds a BSc in Human Biology and Counselling /Psychology. Amanda is passionate about living in harmony with nature and innate wellness.
amandakingnutrition@gmail.com www.amandakingnutrition.com
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