I’m a Beginner Yogi, and These 4 Goals Are Keeping Me Motivated on My Mat

Believe it or not, I'd say that I've been a yoga beginner for nearly a decade. That's because I've only ever practiced periodically - maybe once a week for a month or two before rolling up my mat and letting it collect dust in the corner for a few more months.

Now, I consider myself in my longest, most consistent stretch as a yogi. Since the spring, I've been practicing at least three times a week. Although I'm only ever on my mat for about 30 minutes at a time max, I can already see so much progress in my poses and feel less stiffness in my joints.

To keep myself on track to graduate from my beginner status and continue my regular practice, I've given myself four achievable goals to work toward over the summer.

Stay For the Entire Savasana

One of my horrible workout habits is not cooling down. Truth be told, I've gotten a lot better about not running off after the last rep in strength classes, but, lately, I've been getting lazy with it when it comes to yoga.

Even though I look forward to the glorious release of Savasana, sometimes my racing thoughts take over. I try to get ahead of the day by closing out of my yoga app early and getting some errands done. But, I know I'd have a much smoother, less stressful start to my morning if I stayed on my mat through Savasana.

Related:

I Finally Started Using Yoga Blocks and My Flexibility Is Actually Improving

Attempt New and Difficult Poses

I dream of mastering Crow Pose. I've always envied anyone who was able to balance on their arms. But envying and simply dreaming isn't getting me any closer to performing Crow Pose. I've notoriously given up and gone into Child's Pose the very second my instructor even announced the pose because I was afraid of failure - and falling on my face.

The other day, though, thanks to my instructor's words of wisdom, I pushed away the fear and attempted to get into the pose. I fell over a lot and my arms were shaking, but I kept going. After trying and trying and trying again, I managed to balance on my arms for a second or two. It felt amazing! I know that if I keep practicing, I'll work up to holding Crow Pose for even longer.

Concentrate on My Breath

When I'm working through a fast-paced flow, I hold my breath without even noticing it.

But it's the continuous breath work in yoga - the combo of deep inhales and exhales - that helps calm me down in moments of tension. In an effort to be more thoughtful in my practice and really reap those relaxing benefits, I'd like to start connecting my breaths with my movement.

Make It to 60 Minutes on My Mat

I start to let my mind wander after about 25 minutes on my mat. Instead of working through my pent-up energy during a flow, I begin making laundry lists of things I need to do in my head - then, I count down the minutes until I can roll up my mat. Because of that, the last quarter of my practice feels like a wash.

Dedicating an hour to meditative running is no problem for me whatsoever - and I hope to build that same relationship with yoga. I know my anxiety levels, my pose technique, and the health of my joints will be better for it.

Click here for more health and wellness stories, tips, and news.

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The Health Wrap: beyond finger pointing, focus on health literacy, a paradox, and questions for the research community

In her latest edition of The Health Wrap, Dr Lesley Russell investigates the latest pandemic news with a focus on health literacy and public health communications, the alcohol harm paradox, and also raises issues of concern around research, for COVID-19 and more broadly. Lesley Russell writes: It’s been a worrying […]

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If You're Time Poor & Love a Quick Dinner Win, These Healthy Meal Delivery Services Are For You

If heading back to work made you realise just how time-poor you are in the evening, these pre-made, healthy meals are the perfect solution. Not only can you get a variety of meal plan options - vegan, keto, vegetarian - they're also all portion-controlled; meaning if you're keen to shed a few of those extra iso kilos, it's possible.

Below we've rounded up a range of subscription-based, meal delivery services that are bound to make your life that much easier. From classics like Lite 'n' Easy to new, plant-based services like Soulara, we've got you covered.

Scroll to see our picks, most of which deliver Australia wide.

Related:

3 Delivery Meal Kits That'll Make Your Life Easier While Still Letting You Flex Your Culinary Skills

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3 Delivery Meal Kits That'll Make Your Life Easier While Still Letting You Flex Your Culinary Skills

When it comes to cooking, I'm about as good as Carrie Bradshaw. Seriously, I've had boyfriends who refuse to let me cook dinner because I'm so average in the kitchen.

However, like most people, isolation forced me to brush up on my culinary skills, and one thing that helped take half the hard work out of it was a delivery meal kit service.

Services like HelloFresh, Marley Spoon and Dinnerly, allow you to essentially create a weekly meal plan from a bunch of easy-to-make, healthy recipes. Once you've chosen your meals, they'll send you the step-by-step recipes and fresh ingredients you'll need to make each dish, so all you have to do is not f*ck it up cook. *chef's kiss*

Below, we've served up all the details you need to pick a meal kit delivery service to fit your needs:

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Diet Fads, IBD Health and How to Manage Digestive Issues with Dietitian, Sophie Medlin

Firstly, can you please tell us a little about who you are (and not what you do)?

My name is Sophie Medlin, I live in London. I box and practice yoga and generally love to be active and am constantly full of energy. I love the restaurant scene in London and cooking for my friends and family when I can.

What has become a daily ritual to maintain your mental sanity during quarantine?

Starting the day slowly and with gratitude and a cup of tea in bed! I have also been doing a lot of walking and making sure I am chatting to friends and family everyday.

You’re a qualified dietitian who specializes in gut health, specifically the colorectal area. Where did your fascination begin?

Well! I worked my way up through to colorectal via elderly medicine, head and neck cancer, nutrition support and finally intestinal failure which encompasses colorectal and other bowel surgery.

I was working with some amazing nurses at the time who really inspired me to get more involved with the colorectal community. I also found that supporting people with their food when they are so worried and vulnerable about the consequences of eating and how it will affect them really rewarding. I love working with my patients because I need to be thinking about the nutritional consequences of their condition or the surgery they have had, as well as their experience of eating and their quality of life so it’s very scientific but also very holistic. The main thing I love about this area of work is the difference I can make to people’s day to day lives. We all eat three or more times per day and at the beginning that is often scary and is followed by unpleasant consequences for my patients, once we have worked together for a while, my patients have far less anxiety around food and fewer unpleasant consequences from eating and that makes me really happy.

Poop health is an integral part of your brand (which we love), what are your favourite natural remedies for constipation, and diarrhoea?

Warm prune juice for constipation (not for everyone and not all the time!)

We’d need to know the cause of the diarrhoea but simple diarrhoea is often helped the most through stress management!

At the moment, your services are entirely virtual. From a practitioner’s perspective, how has the transition been? And have the limitations been a challenge?

I didn’t like doing virtual consultations before lockdown. I didn’t feel that I was as effective as I can be face-to-face and I felt that with my patients needing to share intimate and often embarrassing information with me, face-to-face offered a more comfortable environment to open up.

Since we’ve all had to move online, I have actually been very pleasantly surprised by how effective digital consultations can be and now that I am in the rhythm of it and can see patients across the country rather than just in London, I am enjoying it!

Speaking of virtual, you’re pushing some very educational, yet controversial content via IG, lately. One being that ‘nutrition needs to be regulated’ online. Can you tell us a little about this?

I worry so much about vulnerable people being targeted by people trying to sell them things via social media. The IBD population are a great example of this. They have an incurable disease that can be managed but often with drugs that are unpleasant.

People living with IBD are at much higher risk of nutritional deficiencies like anaemia and of diseases associated with malabsorption like osteoporosis. When someone on instagram or facebook with no nutrition qualifications targets a group like this with bad dietary advice that can cause harm or with products that give false hope, I feel very angry.

I also find the ‘food is medicine’ rhetoric problematic for these patients and others in similar situations. The message is “if you didn’t get your diet wrong, you wouldn’t be ill” which is completely false. Due to the endless amount of dangerous misinformation on social media, my colleague Hala and I have started a campaign to try and regulate nutrition messages on social media and give an accreditation symbol to healthcare professionals so that vulnerable people know to to take advice from and who is unqualified.

‘Diet fads’ would drive someone like you, crazy. But as a professional, what is a ‘friendly’ gut-health diet, and does the diet cater to everyone?

Everyone can do things to improve their gut health! The key is to eat as much plant fibre as you can from as many sources as you can. For some people with gut disorders, it may be that the sources you can tolerate are fewer or you have to reduce the insoluble fibre and increase the soluble fibre but everyone can enjoy better gut health and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Gut health has been glamourised and given a price tag over the last few years but it is accessible to everyone.

On that note, personalized nutrition is getting some attention, especially as some doctors are now DNA testing clients before performing treatment. What are your thoughts on this process?

In some conditions and for some treatments, this is completely necessary. With prescribing diets and nutrition based on DNA, our understanding is still developing so while some people might find it interesting, it is very unlikely to lead to any significant changes to dietary treatment. I usually ask people if they think that knowing their genetic risks or tendencies is more likely to help them to make different or better choices and the answer is usually ‘no’.

What is your personal method with IBD patients? And do you work alongside gastroenterologists in treating them?

Everyone is so different and I think it’s really important to remember that, especially with IBD. There is no single method or approach that will work for everyone. It depends on where  in the GI tract the disease is active, what treatment has happened, is happening or is planned, what their weight is and what their symptoms are like.

Sometimes I am referred patients by surgeons and gastroenterologists and I liaise with them around the patient’s treatment and sometimes patients come to me directly and I will write to their team regarding their management. Multidisciplinary working is key for IBD patients and I wouldn’t be able to do that effectively had I not spend many years working in the NHS.

Do you believe that there will be a cure for IBD in the near future, considering that CRISPR has developed new ‘gene editing’ tools for disease? 

I hope so! People are working hard to understand the causes and therefore to prevent these diseases and the treatments available have become so much better in the last decade which has been life-changing for IBD patients.

Okay, now for some lighter stuff. What are 3 things that everyone should have in their fridge?

Free range eggs

A bag of stir fry vegetables

Parmesan cheese

What is the worst piece of health advice that you’ve ever heard?

There is too much to list, but this week, one of my patients told me that she’d seen an unqualified ‘nutritionist’ in the past who told her that she had to stop shopping at her normal super market and had to start buying organic produce from Waitrose or Wholefoods.  This obviously made her feel that she couldn’t afford to be healthy which made me cross.

Tell us a way in which 2020 has inspired you…

2020 has been a game-changer in many ways! I have been really moved by the power of the Black Lives Matter movement and the energy that there is to drive equality. I truly hope we see a difference not just for individual cases but also in policy and in the representation of black people in positions of power both in companies and in the government.

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[Transcript] – How To Know If You Are Subconsciously In Fight, Flight, Or Freeze Mode (And What To Do About It) – An Interview With Dr. Olga Stevko.

From podcast: https://ift.tt/3f0ajj0 [00:00:00] Introduction [00:02:44] Podcast Sponsors [00:05:23] Guest Introduction [00:07:52] Your Unconscious, Your Nervous System and Epigenetic Trauma

The post [Transcript] – How To Know If You Are Subconsciously In Fight, Flight, Or Freeze Mode (And What To Do About It) – An Interview With Dr. Olga Stevko. appeared first on Ben Greenfield Fitness - Diet, Fat Loss and Performance Advice.

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Experts warn the pandemic is set to turn Australia’s growing health gap into a “chasm”

VicHealth is this week putting the spotlight on addressing a “pandemic” of social and health inequities through its Life and Health ReImagined initiative. Join the webinar discussions from 2pm AEST on Wednesday (8 July), Equity during recovery – Addressing social and health inequities as we emerge from lockdown. Marie McInerney previews […]

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Pear Pecan Brekkie Loaf

This delicious Pear Pecan Brekkie Loaf is a fabulous make-ahead breakfast or snack. I often make this for a breakfast option when I know we have a week of early starts. If we plan to eat it in a few days, I store it in a an airtight container and slice and toast in the…

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Sri Lankan Beef Curry

This delicious Sri Lankan Beef Curry is a really easy to make, sensational meal that my whole family adores. And even though my kids really don’t like pumpkin, after cooking for 3 hours it actually forms part of the gravy adding a beautiful sweetness. My love for Sri Lanka In 2018 we spent 4 weeks…

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I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend! I know it’s not the typical celebration with big gatherings and ...

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Fun Keto Giveaway

Enter to win a delicious collection of keto ingredients! I am fortunate to have many wonderful brand partners in the keto world. And with the keto market growing at a rapid rate, there are new products popping up all the time. I often get sent far more product than I can use and my pantry...

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Smothered Pork Chops in an Amazing Mushroom Gravy

Smothered Pork Chops in an Amazing Mushroom Gravy are tender, savory, and satisfying.  This one pan dinner is the perfect comforting dinner at home that your family will love!

Also try these Easy Crock Pot Pork Chops that are fall-apart tender and ridiculously simple to make. They are the perfect weekday family meal!

Smothered Pork Chops in an Amazing Mushroom Gravy

When you need a restaurant quality meal at home, these smothered pork chops are the perfect choice!  The creamy gravy is so flavorful thanks to the one-pan method this recipe uses.  Those delicious bits on the bottom of the pan get scraped up into the gravy along with earthy mushrooms and rich heavy cream.  Smother your pork in this flavorful and satisfying gravy for the perfect juicy meat.

This meal is not only incredibly delicious, but it is also affordable and a family favorite.  Everyone will be treated to rich flavors that taste like a splurge, but can be whipped up within a budget on any weeknight.  The creamy gravy and tender, fall apart meat is homemade goodness that will make you a very popular cook!

Dinner Ingredients:

One thing missing from this ingredient list is canned soup! This is a made-from-scratch recipe that is just as easy as using cans, without all those unknown ingredients.

• Olive oil: Add to pan warmed to medium high heat before adding in pork chops.
• Salt and pepper: To taste.
• Thick cut pork chops: Either bone-in or boneless will work, just adjust your cook time since bone-in will take a few minutes more on each side.
• Sliced mushrooms: Crimini, white, or portobello all work well.
• Butter: Add to pan and whisk with flour to begin gravy.
• Flour: Whisk together with butter until brown to start your gravy.
• Beef Broth: Adds flavorful base to the gravy.
• Heavy Cream: Thick rich cream in the gravy mixed together with Worcestershire.
• Worcestershire sauce: Adds a little bit of tanginess to the gravy.

How to Make Smothered Pork Chops and Gravy:

Depending on the size of your pork chops, this could easily be a 30-minute meal! On top of being quick, clean-up is simple because it is all made in one pan!

1. Heat oil: In a medium sized skillet over medium high heat add the olive oil.
2. Season pork chops and cook: Salt and pepper the pork chops and add to the sauce pan. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden.  Remove and set aside on a plate.
3. Sauté mushrooms: Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Set aside on plate with pork chops.
4. Whisk together gravy: Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add worchestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine and simmer: Add the pork chops and mushrooms back to the skillet and let simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Serve: Plate and serve over mashed potatoes if desired.

Add Some Sides:

A complete meal is closer than you think when you start with these savory smothered pork chops!  For low-carb sides try Mashed cauliflower and Sautéed Garlic Asparagus with Bacon.  Or for a buttery rich pairing try Dad’s Famous Mashed potatoes. Finally add a Perfect Soft Buttery Roll on the side and you have a comforting and satisfying meal your entire family will love!

Tips for the Perfect Pork Chops:

• Pork Chops: Bring meat to room temperature and pat them dry before seasoning and cooking.  Make sure your pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees to be considered fully cooked.
• Mushrooms: Do not salt your mushrooms until after you have sautéed them to allow them to get great color.
• Do not wipe out pan: Leave the drippings an brown pieces in the pan after cooking the meat because it adds great flavor to the gravy. In fact you may want to scrape them off the bottom with your spatula to be sure they mix in.
• Storing cooked pork: Allow meat to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Cooked pork chops with gravy will keep well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 2-3 months in the freezer.
• Reheat: To warm up stored leftovers, place on a skillet on medium low until warm throughout.

More Favorite Pork Chop Recipes:

• Cast Iron Skillet Pork Chops
• Grilled Spinach and Herb Stuffed Pork Chops
• Skillet Pork Chops with Vegetables
• Sheet Pan Crispy Cheddar Pork Chops
• Creamy Parmesan Pork Chops

Print

Smothered Pork Chops in an Amazing Mushroom Gravy

Smothered Pork Chops in an Amazing Mushroom Gravy are tender, savory, and satisfying.  This one pan dinner is the perfect comforting dinner at home that your family will love!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pork chops, smothered pork chops

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 670kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• salt and pepper for seasoning the pork chops
• 4 thick cut pork chops
• 6 ounce sliced mushrooms
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a medium sized skillet over medium high heat add the olive oil. Salt and pepper the pork chops and add to the sauce pan. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.
• Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Set aside on plate with pork chops.
• Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the pork chops and mushrooms back to the skillet and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 723mg | Potassium: 790mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1336IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

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Sisel Kaffe | Sisel Coffee

Every bean used in Sisel Kaffé is hand picked. The picking process requires gathering the fruit in an average 6-8 stages, as fruit on the same branch does not ripen at the same time. This method is costly but guarantees the best quality coffee!

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Walnut Taco Meat

Walnut taco meat is going to be one of your new favorite ways to have tacos! This vegan taco meat is so easy to make, only has 9 ingredients and is ready in less than 15 minutes! Naturally gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30 and low carb friendly, you are not going to believe this...

Read More

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Understanding The Power of Visualisation

“It’s all in the mind.” or, as Buddha put it: “What we think, we become.”

Many a great business leader, celebrity, actor and musician who has made it big seems to swear by the power of visualisation. There’s even a quote by comedian Jim Carey attesting to the power of the mind that has gone viral on social media so many times I wasn’t even sure it was true, until I saw Carey interviewed on The Graham Norton Show, where he explained how he visualised receiving a cheque for $10,000,000 every single day for four years. As it turned out, his first acting pay cheque was exactly that – an incredible $10 million.

Tennis legend Serena Williams meanwhile claims that 70% of her game is in her mind. However, she’s not the only sportsperson to do so – in 2019 Serena was actually defeated at the US Open by 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu, who said post-match: “I’ve been visualising ever since I was 12 or 13 when my amazing mother introduced me to it… I find it very helpful. I believe we create our reality with our mind.” 

So, what exactly is visualisation?

And how can it help you create your winning mindset? As a clinical hypnotherapist, I’ve seen many times the power of the mind in making profound changes. It’s why I love what I do so much. It’s fascinating to see that science is now starting to take visualisation seriously, putting techniques to the test, to find out what actually happens when we visualise.     The first important point that has become clear is that our brains can’t tell the difference between what’s imagined and what is reality. Through neuroimaging, we can see that there is the same brain activity when we think about an event in our mind (i.e. we visualise) and when the event actually occurs (i.e. reality).

Now, let’s stop and try a little experiment for a minute… Close your eyes. Now imagine this: in front of you is a bright, juicy, yellow lemon sliced into quarters. Take one of the slices, put it up to your mouth and bite into it. Yikes! What sensations came to mind straight away? Tart? Sour? A strong taste, right? And not necessarily a pleasant taste. Did your face grimace with the thought of the lemon juice?

This is just a simple but effective example of what I mean. Through our imagination, our thoughts and mental imagery we can create or simulate emotions and feelings.

So now, let’s dig a bit deeper into the neuroscience behind this technique and how it really stacks up. In order to study this, researchers at Harvard University, led by Alvaro Pascual-Leone taught a simple five finger combination of piano notes to a group of people – thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger – which they played over and over again, for two hours a day. They did this for five consecutive days. Another group of volunteers didn’t physically play the notes, but just imagined playing the exact same combination as this first group, also for two hours a day, on five consecutive days.

The researchers found that, each day, there was little or no difference between the brains of those who played the notes with their fingers and those who played the notes in their minds. The brain activity in both the visualised group and the reality group were the same.

Which brings me to the next important point – that neuroscience continues to show us the plasticity of the brain. We have the ability to change our brain during our life, as the brain continues to reform and rewire itself based on how much or how little the neural pathways are used. That means that we can, for example, learn new behaviours or change our mindset by building new neural pathways.     There is a saying that goes “cells that fire together, wire together”. In essence, it means that the best way to learn or create new behaviours for ourselves is by doing new task a few times, so that the neurons work together and essentially bond. When you merge that with the idea that our brains can’t decipher between what is imagined and what is real, you can see how the power of visualisation truly works.

Want to learn more about Visualisation and how it can help you – download our Starter Toolkit.

The post Understanding The Power of Visualisation appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

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Sabbath Ramblings: The 4 Spiritual Disciplines I Practice Every Day (& Why).

Do you struggle each morning or evening remembering to be grateful for your blessings in life? Have you heard you

The post Sabbath Ramblings: The 4 Spiritual Disciplines I Practice Every Day (& Why). appeared first on Ben Greenfield Fitness - Diet, Fat Loss and Performance Advice.

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Amid dramatic lockdowns in Melbourne, the Australian Medical Association calls for pause in easing of COVID-19 restrictions

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for a pause in the easing of COVID-19 restrictions across Australia following further dramatic lockdowns in Melbourne and amid grave concerns for residents of nine public housing towers who went into ‘hard lockdown’ on Saturday, without notice and under police guard. In the […]

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Fruits of Summer: What’s in Season?

Although in today’s world, most fruits are readily available to us. But fruits in season are usually fresher, tastier, and more nutritious for the body. When you eat the foods that you’re meant to eat, you get bright, crisp and flavorful nutrient-rich foods.

There’s nothing worse than out of season tomatoes, avocados or even papayas. They lack the flavour and texture that you should be enjoying.

Nature works in mysterious ways and it actually gives us foods designed to support our health at the time that the fruits are grown. So when you’re eating fruits that are in season, you’re giving your body the nutrients that it needs to do its job, while keeping you well.

Fruits in season are also much better for you because the fruit has spent more time in the sun which gives the fruit higher levels of antioxidants. And they’re cheaper too!

So what fruits are currently in season?

• Watermelons: They’re so much more than just water. These fruits are high in vitamin A for eye health and immunity, and vitamin C also for immunity. Watermelon also has B6, and potassium for preventing muscle cramps. Watermelons are also a great skin protector, as it’s pumping with lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from sun damage.
  
• Mangoes: Are so damn delicious and sweet, not only that the entire fruit itself has had some incredible benefits to treating people for centuries. Mangoes are loaded with fibre, which is essential for digestion. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C and a great source of potassium. Mangoes also protect your eyes.
  
• Papaya: Papaya is rich in valuable nutrients. Its powerful antioxidants like lycopene may reduce your risk of many diseases, especially ones that come with age, like heart disease and cancer. Papaya is also an incredible digestive aid, as it produces an enzyme called ‘papain’, that can help breakdown food.
  
• Figs: These little guys are super high in natural sugars, minerals and soluble fibre. They’re known to be natures laxative. They are prebiotic that is rich in minerals including potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. They’re a good source of calcium for strong bones.
  
• Blueberries: Did you know that blueberries can postpone cognitive decline? They’re also full of incredible antioxidants that fight off cancer. Blueberries can reduce heart disease, lower your blood pressure and promote gut health. They’re full of vitamin A, C, B6 folate, potassium, fibre and so much more.
  
• Mulberries: Mulberries can help against serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. They’re a great source of iron, vitamin C and several compounds and can lower cholesterol.
  
• Lychee: These little guys contain a good amount of antioxidant vitamin C, B-complex and phytonutrient flavonoids. Lychee is a great source of nutrient that is required to help the production of blood. It contains a good amount of fibre to help keep you regular. Lychees can also help prevent early ageing, and fight off radicals and oxidative stress due to vitamin C.

These fruits are just a few of many delicious options for summer. What a great way to quench your thirst with some of ‘natures’ most delicious flavors.

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How to Practice Mindful Eating to Improve Gut Health

How we eat is just as important as what we eat. The digestive process actually begins before the food even hits our mouths. There is a phase, known as ‘cephalic phase’ of digestion and it begins at the first sight and smell of food.

The term ‘Cephalic’ literally means ‘head’ in Latin. This is considered to be the very beginning of the digestive process and it starts in the head with our eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The Cephalic phase is responsible for triggering the vagus nerve to kick-starting the stomach so that it can start producing more acid and digestive enzymes to help break down the food.

This phase is so integral that it helps the stomach produce up to 30% of acid, and 20% pancreatic secretion that is released to break down our food. Skipping this process can be one of the leading factors to heartburn, reflux and bloating. So, how do we nurture the cephalic phase of digestion? We start eating mindfully.

What’s mindful eating?

Mindful eating is the practice of looking at your food, smelling it and really being present before you start eating, and even while chewing. It’s a real ‘in-the-moment’ awareness of the food and drinks that you put into your body, but in an observant way so that your body is signalled about taste, satisfaction and fullness. And this practice can be further explored while shopping and preparing.

Unfortunately for many of us, we find ourselves eating while ‘on-the-go’, whether that be in a car driving somewhere or sitting in front of a computer screen. We’re mindlessly chewing, regardless of whether we’re still hungry or not. In fact, often we eat for reasons other than hunger, rather to satisfy emotional needs or to cope with stress.

What’s wrong with mindless eating?

If we don’t practice mindfully eating our food, then we miss out on a huge opportunity of a hit, or release of serotonin in our brains. Not only that, but our stomachs are also left to do some hectic work on digesting huge clumps of food.

Chewing is our only form of mechanical digestion. After our mouth, only enzymes and acid break down our food, which isn’t enough to deal with large chunks of food.

How many times should we chew our food? The rule of thumb is that your food should resemble baby food before it is swallowed, so get to work everyone.

What are the benefits of mindful eating?

One study found that people who perform other tasks while they are eating, like watching TV or working, weigh 18% more than people who focus on eating. That’s a pretty neat life hack, right? But it’s true that those who practise mindful eating are less likely to overeat. When we slow down and practise mindfulness, we start to notice the subtler cues of satisfaction, so we stop eating at 80% full to prevent indigestion.

So how can mindful eating become a thing?

• When you take a look in the fridge, ask yourself if you’re actually hungry or just eating out of boredom.
• When food is in front of you, take a minute to look at it. Smell it and make sure you are salivating before you take your first bite
• Eating with someone else can slow you down. If you have someone to speak with, this will naturally slow down your eating process.
• Limit mindless distractions like the TV or scrolling on your phone
• Enjoy your food. Switching your thoughts to the excitement and gratitude for the food that we eat will nourish our bodies.

Mindful eating isn’t always about being perfect, but it is about focussing on all your senses whenever possible to help your body have a healthier relationship with digesting food.

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7 Day Healthy Meal Plan (July 6-July 12)

A free 7-day, flexible weight loss meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and updated WW Smart Points.

7-Day Healthy Meal Plan

This week I thought a simple plan would be great for the week after a holiday. You will see an emphasis on leftovers and meal prep focusing on summer salads. If I don’t have to be stuck in the kitchen every night during the summer I am a happy girl! Use that extra time to enjoy your family or take a little “you time”!

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