Is it time to put yourself back on top of your to-do list?

Would you like to feel great again in your body, happy and healthy, glowingly positive inside and out?

But which foods and lifestyle routines work for you, how can you hold yourself accountable and how can you make a real difference to your wellbeing? It’s clear that the usual social media way of selling us the latest diets, supplements, superfoods with the underlying message of ‘Eat like me, look like me’ simply doesn’t work.

You are unique and so should be your diet! Actually, this applies for your exercise, too!

So, how can it work?

Listen to your body. Are you constantly tired? Are you falling into the 3 o’clock hole every day, craving coffee and sweets? Are your energy levels always up and down? How is your sleep? Are you stressed? Knowing what your body needs is a great first start. You can learn listening to it! (Well, if your body tells you that you should eat a donut every day, maybe listen again!)

Increase your knowledge. Don’t listen to social media influencers, listen to the experts. Check their background and where they have studied. If what they say sounds too good to be true, run for the hills! Find an expert and learn about what is possible. Take physical and mental health, nutrition, lifestyle and exercise into account. They all work together. Take the expert’s knowledge and make it work for you.

Know which nutrients you’re missing. This is where the science comes in. This is not about guesswork; a blood test can help identifying nutritional deficiencies that can lead to physical or mental health issues. Regular tests are helpful to keep an eye on issues that can go unnoticed: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes 2 etc. Ask your doctor or get a private blood test done.

Find the reason you want to change. Without a reason, you will rely on willpower which doesn’t work. Find your reason, commit to it and remind yourself every day. Then re-commit! This is the best way to hold yourself accountable. A group can help. Being part of a supportive and like-minded group of people is the best way to keep going. In this group setting, you can discuss your struggles, celebrate successes and learn from each other. 

Form healthy habits. Make your favourite meals healthier (did you ever try to replace half of the beef in a chilli with lentils? It’s a great way to retain the flavour but reduce saturated fat and increase plant protein! Recipe here). Make time for yourself, no matter if it’s 10min or an hour.  Again, a group can help keep you accountable. 

Understand that one single day will not make or break your efforts. It’s what you do most of the time. There will always be celebrations, pizza nights, cake parties. Or stressful deadlines you can’t escape. Enjoy the party, deal with the work pressures or whatever kept you from your following your new routines –  but then remind yourself about your goal and get back to normal. 

You can do all of this. One step at a time. Just keep going!