It’s that time of year where lots of us put a fair amount of thought into what we’d like to achieve this year – usually in the areas of health, career, relationships, personal growth and fun. Using this amazing tool created by Leonie Dawson, I’ve worked out what my goals are for my business and will be using Leonie’s workbook to map out my goals for my life :-). As my tagline states: Dream. Create. Live with joy. It’s definitely not too late to start mapping out your year too!

If you’ve made any resolutions or goals to do with your health, wellness and fitness, you might find these following lifestyle tips are helpful for getting you off to ripper start! I’ve broken them down into 3 areas – nutrition, exercise and wellness.

10 tips for optimal health, wellness & leaness!

1. Eat Breakfast – no ifs no buts. If you want to feel fantastic, have sustained energy and mental focus, I recommend having protein and a small amount of some good fats. If eating eggs or meat doesn’t do it for you, have a green smoothie with some added protein powder from a good source, such as David Wolfe’s vegan protein powder, Sun Warrior (vegan) or Tonic Superfoods organic Whey (use the coupon code ‘LWER’ to receive a discount!)

2. Consume raw plant material and some low-fructose fruit – to be precise, 5-9 servings of raw veggies (1 cup = 1 serve) and 1-2 pieces of fruit (but not in the same sitting). Raw foods are biogenic – meaning life force – and will put you in a nutrient surplus, rather than a nutrient deficit. I’m trialing a product at the moment that is the only supplement that has the scientific research to prove it is bioavailable (absorbed by the body). Y’all know I never recommend anything until I’ve trialed it and can give it a big fat tick of approval, so I’ll be revealing what this product is with a full breakdown very soon!

3. Eat real food – this means whole foods, no processed junk or low-fat this, skinny that. However, when consuming dairy, raw dairy or organic at the very least is more ideal. I’d still keep the amount of dairy you consume on the lower side as it’s quite acidic and insulinogenic. Whole foods are foods that have not been denatured in any way. Foods our grandparents would’ve eaten!

4. Superfoods – unless you’re able to buy all your groceries organic, it is a fact that our soil isn’t as nutrient as it used to be. Adding a few superfoods to your diet, along with as many whole foods and raw foods, will literally change your health and life. Superfoods often come from faraway countries such as Mongolia and Amazonia, and are nutrient dense. Superfoods often contain rare nutrients not found in our foods, that support a healthy immune system, endocrine system and nourish our bones, major organs, skin, hair and nails PLUS give you vitality. Some superfoods I recommend are: goji berries, maca, bee pollen, cacao, hemp seeds, mesquite, chia seeds, MSM, berries and green powders such as spirulina. Most of these can be found and purchased online at Tonic Superfoods.

5. Weight train.  This is important for your bone mineral density, hormone production and to greatly assist your body in fat-loss. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be and the more calories you will burn.  Muscle also shapes your body and gives it structure once you start to lose fat. I recommend at least 3 weight training sessions a week.

6. Cardio – this is a bit of a conundrum as there are a few approaches out there. There’s HIIT training which has become very popular and mainstream very fast as it works and is time effective. There’s the body builders philosophy of doing cardio in the morning for 30-45mins at a moderate pace. This also works but is not as time effective, however might suit those of you who love ya cardio. One approach I don’t recommend is endurance cardio at a moderate to high pace. This is cardio done for longer than around 30-45mins. This can really drain your adrenals and lead to lower immunity and weight gain. Only stick to this if you’re an endurance athlete! I definitely think a few cardio sessions a week is a great supplement to weight training and necessary for fitness.

7. Mix it up – it is imperative to try something new every now and then! Mixing it up will not only get you out of the dreaded plateau, it will keep you interested and motivated to keep on moving your bod! It can also be fun! Some examples of what you could try: boxing, cross-fit, bootcamp, dance classes, team sports, hiking, rowing, rock climbing, swimming, martial arts, yoga, pilates etc.

8. Laugh – there have been numerous studies done on the benefits of laughter on general well-being. Laughter is good for the soul and I recommend having a good cackle daily. Not finding anything worth a laugh? Jump on YouTube and do a search for ‘funny videos’; hang around peeps who are naturally funny; laugh at yourself and don’t take things so seriously; go to a comedy show or throw on a comedy at home to watch and laugh at!

9. Rest – are you one of those people that always seems to be running in the fast lane? I believe it is important for your soul and sense of purpose to work hard whilst enjoying what you do. But it’s equally as important to take time out for yourself and just chill. Focus on your breath for 15mins everyday, even if it’s sitting in your car away from anyone else. Make sure you have at least one free day a week where you do NO WORK! And I need to take my own advice here! When your biz involves the net, it’s super easy to get sucked into jumping online to do a bit of this, a bit of that, check emails, piss fart around on Facebook! We’re all guilty of it!!! But seriously guys, the net aint going anywhere and family time, social activities, loved up time with your partner is far more soul enriching.

10. Be positive – the power of the mind never ceases to amaze me! Repeating positive affirmations (Louise Hay has heaps of beautiful books with gorgeous affirmations) is extremely powerful and life changing. You can literally change the way you think and feel in a second by using the power of the mind to your advantage…by being positive. Stick affirmations up in your room, bathroom and office. Listen to inspiring, positive cd’s in your car, such as Anthony Robbins. Design a vision board for filled with pics of all the things that make you happy and that you’d love to have in your life. Hang around people that lift you rather than drag you down. Try this positive affirmation right now..

I am beautiful, strong and confident. It is my divine right to achieve all that my heart desires. All is well in my world.

BONUS TIPS

• Say thanks. Being grateful is an uber powerful tool!

• Hang out at the ocean and soak up some negative ions!

• Mediate and practice yoga

• Get some sunshine and vitamin D – it’ll make you smile, I promise 🙂

• Keep an exercise and diet logbook to track you progress

• Be adventurous and try something new and fun!

Liz xx