Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to increase energy levels throughout the day. Exercise will cause your body to release endorphins, which create positive effects on your mood leaving you feeling energised and alert. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day if you can, this can include a gym workout, yoga, or even a walk on your lunch break. An added bonus is exercising in the sunlight to help boost your vitamin D levels, which also increases energy levels.
J&L x
Sleep
We all know that sleep is important but not enough of us make it a priority. Why is sleep so important? Restoring sleep is strongly associated with a better physical, cognitive, and psychological well-being as well as repairing your body, keeping the heart healthy and controlling body weight. We should aim to get between seven to eight hours of sleep per night and to be in bed with the lights out between 10pm and 11pm. This is because your body temperature starts to drop between these times, as does the level of cortisol (the stress hormone). Your body will start to produce melatonin around 9pm and this is when you will feel less alert and the idea of sleep becomes more appealing. If you do have trouble getting to sleep, try sipping on valerian or passionflower tea after dinner.
J&L x
Listen to your body
There is a lot of conflicting information in the world when it comes to diet and sometimes it can be hard to know who to listen to. When it comes to diet it is best to keep things simple. If you eat certain foods that do not feel right, then stop eating them. You know your body better than anyone else and it sends signals to us and tells us when to stop, so take note. Stick to wholefoods, minimize the amount of processed food, eat more greens, make your own sauces, dips and spreads, play around with herbs and spices, keep stimulants to a minimum and enjoy food. Food is here to nourish us and keep us alive, not to complicate our lives and make things unenjoyable.
J&L x