Gustav Fouche

A few months ago I launched a brand new program called, The CHALLENGE, a 21 Day Healthy Habits challenge and I created a recipe book with all the recipes in it! I am so excited to be able to bring this to the world.

The results have been incredible. Fitting into pre-lockdown jeans - shifting a few pounds and giving ourselves the space for some self love. The biggest lesson we have all learned is that life happens, we have a choice to moan and complain and stay stuck or to look on the bright side and make the changes necessary to LIVE our Lives Beyond the Ordinary.

So I wanted to share 5 things you can start implementing today to improve your health and wellness and to start loving a little something about lockdown. That is TIME for you ... Being healthy is about being you, only better. Every small tweak helps and if you can start with these 5 simple steps, you will be well on your way to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle you love.

Healthy Habit #1 : Hydrate First

As soon as you wake up, get up and drink 2 glasses of water. We are most dehydrated in the morning because we lose water while we sleep. This helps to give you a 'shower on the inside' and will wake up your digestion and hydrate your cells. The easiest way to ensure you start your day with hydration is to have a glass of water next to your bed. That way it is to hand as you go through your morning routine. Make sure you drink it before you have anything else. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you like. Pure filtered water with lemon in the mornings ... simply delish!

Healthy Habit #2 : Break'fast

This is simply about how to break your fast. There are lots of theories about whether to eat first thing or fast until lunch, all this is covered as part of The CHALLENGE but for now, I wanted to talk about what to break your fast with. The important thing here is to understand that what you eat first thing has a direct impact on your insulin levels and will set you up for the day either craving sugars or with stable blood sugar levels, where you feel in control. This is critical for those of us heading towards menopause or those with belly fat to get rid of. Stable blood sugar helps us maintain a healthy weight, helping us feel calm and in control and it also helps to regulate our appetite.

We experience fewer cravings when this is the case and life feels awesome! Unstable blood sugar does the opposite of those things. When breaking your fast make sure you follow the following guidelines.
- high in protein
- proper food or a fully loaded protein shake
- no highly processed carbohydrates like white bread

This means that tea and marmalade on toast is not a good option, neither is sugary cereal or pastries, sorry! They will spike your blood sugar making it harder to get back on track later in the day. The good news is that you have loads of good options. Try a fruit and veggie smoothie with your favourite protein powder (loads of recipes on my blog), eggs with veggies and avo, a slice of whole-grain toast, or the life-changing bread (recipe on my blog), bircher muesli or chia pudding, there are so many options. Go to www.goddessacademy.com and click on recipes.

Healthy Habit #3 : Get Active

This is one of two ways we boost our metabolism ...1 | EXERCISE and 2 | FOOD
Finding activities you love will keep you moving so try out as many different things as you can and find the things you love. There are so many options available to us so make this one priority in your day and don't canx. Your body and mind will love you for it.

Not only will getting active keep your body firing it will help you to manage stress and stay focused in your day. Then taking one day off a week is as important as exercise, recovery will help you stay active and help to minimise injury. So make sure you diarise time to get active and don't canx!

Healthy Habit #4 : Be Kind To Yourself

Why do we find it easy to be kind to others but not to ourselves? Ever listened to your self-talk ... is it positive, negative, sarcastic or encouraging? This quote sums up the importance of our words beautifully, "Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world"- Lawrence G. Lovasik

Be kindest to yourself first ...Taking care of myself first was something I had to learn to do, I totally understand that many of us struggle with every day. This is why we focus on this fundamental principle as part of the GODDESS Academy Tribe, something the ladies that work through my programs learn to put into practice. And you know what ... when they start to get this right, the world looks different and things start to change! (for the better).

Healthy Habit #5 : Get Enough Sleep

This is about figuring out how much sleep you need and what to do to ensure you get it. It is widely accepted that we need 7-8 hours of sleep a night and any less than that will leave you with a sleep deficit that will need to be caught up. This is why when we have an opportunity for a lie-in we sleep for hours, on catch up ...

Well, there are a few things you can try to ensure you get the best quality sleep possible and give your body the rest and recovery it needs for you to function the following day.
- Get to bed at the same time every night
- Make sure you have no more caffeine or alcohol late in the day
- No naps after 3pm
- Create a welcoming bedroom environment
- Read a book or listen to a guided meditation or relaxing music
- Turn off computers, TV's, blue lights 30 mins before bed
- Make sure you get regular exercise so your body is tired
- Learn a few breathing techniques to help calm and relax you

So there you have it. And now there is an IMPORTANT next step you need to take. When I see people struggle with this it, it breaks my heart because it makes living a healthy life so much harder than it needs to be ... and during that time it can cost you in so many ways .. in time, your budget and the stress of not enjoying life.

And it all comes down to is the understanding that healthy habits layer on top of each other...it’s not just about what you eat. And it’s definitely not about depriving yourself and taking away all of the things you love or going on a crazy diet that makes you feel rubbish. It’s about establishing your own perfect Health Habit. Figuring out what works for YOU.

In other words. .. you don’t have to follow a prescribed or inflexible diet. Most people spend ALL their time following fads that fizzle out, instead of discovering lifelong enjoyable habits that work for them. Establishing your perfect Health Habit is the single most important thing you can do to create a healthy lifestyle that you love.

And that is what The CHALLENGE is all about ... changing your habits in 21 days …To find out more about THE CHALLENGE head here :
https://www.thegoddessacademy.co.uk/the-challenge-21-days
PS: The weight loss is a bonus ... fit into your pre-covid jeans ... join us next month.