Health is the new wealth - Seven Lemons Top Tips to feeling rich in life.
Confession time. I have never been an investor of money, an impulsive spender more than a saver.
I am an Integrative Nutrition & Health Coach, trained nurse, and Cordon Bleu cook - so when it comes to enjoying a healthy lifestyle I’m your woman.
Cooking and eating (with abandon) mostly plant based food is my passion, I devour and buy cookery books with the same greed, I endorse the philosophy that ‘food is medicine’ whole heartedly. We have two beautiful dogs that need walking, I cycle when I can and enjoy regular yoga practice. My lifestyle and interest in wellness and self care has always led me to believe that I was on track to becoming well invested for my long term health, so you could say pretty comfortably ‘rich’ in health.
My belief that I was heading towards the Sunday Times rich list in terms of my health, was confirmed by a gentle glide through the menopause attributed I thought by my love of yoga and loads of beautiful hikes on the beach with the dogs, I know this is sounding smug. And yes I was feeling happy and maybe a bit smug.
To invest all your cash in one venture is never wise, and this is also true for your health. Although eating well, enjoying movement and loving life I was neglecting other investments in my health which manifested in sleep deprivation, anxiety, stress, night sweats and hypertension.
Seven Lemons little habits to grow your health bank account and make you happy too:
1. EAT WHOLE FOODS (that would be recognised by your grandparents or great grandparents!) - a no brainer and the most basic form of self love. It’s really hard to feel 100% if munching processed food is your thing. If your dinner has more packaging than an amazon delivery and a list of chemicals as its ingredients it probs won’t supply the nutrients your body craves to nourish 50 trillion cells. Big Food don’t care about your health, that is your job! Your body is amazing and worth the investment so crowd your plate with lovely home cooked veggies, served up with quality protein and healthy fats, and crowd out the fake food, keep well hydrated by drinking water and moderate your alcohol and caffeine intake and BINGO! nutrient intake is sorted. Nothing else to think about. Start with learning how to cook, keep it simple. I read this saying the other day ‘ Eat all the junk food you wants long as you cook it yourself’ and thought yep, fair point - but how do you make Maltesers?
2. HAVE A DATE WITH FUN - and get out of the Fight, Flight, Freeze stress zone caused by stuff that doesn’t matter. Stop being mean to yourself and have FUN. Doing stuff just for the hell of it, in a gang or solo, needs to be a priority in your diary as it will help you down regulate your cortisol levels and keep your stress in perspective. Who cares what you do, if you love it and you get to have a belly laugh at the same time, there you go! Netball, 5 a side, pottery, line dancing, learning to knit, whatever floats your boat, it’s not about ‘fitting in’ with someone else idea of fun, or being cool, or being seen at the right place, but you ‘fitting out’ with your desire. Sadly its the first thing to be binned when we can’t be arsed with effort, Netflix and the sofa seem more appealing but its not fun, its zoning out of life. Go on, tear your clothes off and do a skinny dip in the sea. No one cares and if they are watching give them a wave! Life is precious and so are you.
3. BEAUTY - So this is not about getting het up with stuff to make you look younger. Stressing about imperfections activate our cells into fight and flight mode through psychological pressure, this is not a good thing! We are all drawn to our perceived imperfections… wobbly bits, big boobs, no boobs, grey hairs, limp hair, fizzy hair, love handles, moles, stray hairs, moustaches and wrinkles etc. Daily caring habits to keep our magnificent bodies fragrant and delicious are an act of love, but also an act of calm, rest and relaxation Caring that you are wearing clothes that make you feel fabulous, and rocking a cool haircut gives you confidence. Spend some time throwing out your grey knickers, love your own unique style and embrace an uncluttered boudoir that you can create at home. Invest in some new non toxic candles, some skin kind bath oil and be a goddess or god of beauty.
4. SLEEP LIKE A BABY - When my daughter was little and she became grissly at the end of the day, my mantra used to be ‘Sophie its time for bath, bottle, bed’. Her bed time routine was non negotiable. Food. Calm. Sleep. Getting a grip on your bed time routine is a solid gold investment for long term health. We know this, it’s something we ask all ask friends when they come to stay “ did you sleep well?” As adults we are guilty of de-prioritising sleep, its a brag often bandied about as a macho or superwoman signpost. Get a great bed time routine. Get your 8 hours. Mostly we don’t get sleep because we don’t ‘get’ sleep. You can’t tap into your ‘wise’ if you are not taking care of you, sleep your way to the top!
5. FEEL THE LOVE - In the uk, half a million people go at least 5 days a week without seeing or touching a soul. Be the lovely person who notices people, smile and make eye contact with those you might usually ignore, loose your sense of hierarchy and show acts of kindness and manners every day. If you are lucky enough to have people in your life who you love let them know and make time for them. Give and receive 3 hugs a day - notice your mood before and after, its a great stress buster. Losing someone you love is not the time to realise how much they meant to you, so cuddle your dog, hug your loved ones and let your nearest and dearest know how much you value them in your life. Be a go giver and feel rich in your wellbeing.
6. GROWTH - Having a sense of purpose is what life is about. It doesn’t matter what that is. If you are feeling lost take time to think about you and who you are now at this stage in your life. Maybe its time do something scary like take off to India and study yoga ,run off to the circus and become as a trapeze artist like you always dreamed or learn a language, quit that awful job, start that business, find your purpose, do it NOW.
7. FIND YOUR PEACE - We all live with perceptual pressure, being busy is how we describe our days, and over stimulation is the norm, with non urgent crap overtaking our thoughts. We are all guilty of creating drama and turning our lives into a manic nightmare. We are on hyper alert for that text, email, etc. Crap traffic, fake news, appointments to keep etc. So start to disconnect from electrical gadgets and be techno free for a specified time every day. Findingstillness will enable your brain to rest and you will see things differently.
Health rebels Leader of pods, health rebel!
So before I tell you about me check this fact out.
Did you know that killer whales the only other mammals to experience menopause? The post menopausal whale becomes leader of the pod, recognised as the most knowledgeable on where to find food. Yay! I love killer whales and I am a leader and so are you!