So here we are, it is January in brand-new 2020. So many things are happening in the world, let alone in the UK just now, that I personally find it hard to keep up. What I do know is that I need to look after myself if I want a chance to navigate through it all, including my own life and work.
This is the time to get stuck into your new year’s resolutions (I haven’t made any as they inevitably fall by the wayside) and I bet a lot will have to do with getting fitter, losing weight, stopping smoking and generally trying to be healthier, happier and maybe kinder to yourself (and others?), which is not a bad thing at all.
This year however, I want to take a different approach and think differently about how I can stay fit and healthy in body and in mind. Creating more energy for myself instead of trying to create more time, (which probably is not possible), to do more in!
Over Christmas I agreed with my two grown up sons that we would all try to eat healthier and encourage each other along the way. We are doing it very simply with a family WhatsApp group and already we are having fun with it, swapping recipes and in the case of my youngest, (who thinks he isn’t a cook), encouraging him to practice his cooking skills and rely less on snacking.
There is a lot of confusing information out there about what you should and shouldn’t eat to be really healthy. One week something is good for you and the next it’s bad. I am going to lean towards the Mediterranean way of eating and see how that goes for now. Plenty of fish and veg, olive oil, fruit and whole grains – and a little wine, of course.
In my family we are all doing this for different reasons. My job is very sedentary which is not at all good for my physical wellbeing. The way I look at this is that if I eat healthier, I will have more energy and if I have more energy, I will do more exercise. This, in turn, will help me sleep and rest better. It is already making me feel lighter in spirit and maybe it will make me lighter in body as well!
What I am not doing is following a particular diet and setting an unrealistic weight loss goal or saying I will be running a marathon at the end of the year (no-one would believe that anyway) or giving up wine! This would simply be a millstone around my neck whereas focussing on my daily eating habits will hopefully lead to a healthier change in lifestyle that will help me feel more energised overall.
Energy is such a necessity for our bodies and our minds to work at their best, and without it we can lose momentum and start to either fall backwards or stand still. The building blocks to having enough energy come from the fuel we put into our physical being, so the choices we can make in our diet, sleeping pattern, exercise etc. really do make a difference to our energy levels.
