Secrets to a Successful New Year’s Resolution

 Yup, it’s that time of the year.  The end and the beginning all within a very short space of time. A time for reflection on the greatest hits and misses learnings and an opportunity to make plans for the year ahead.  I have to admit I really like the Christmas / new year’s in betweeny bit when the air has gone out of the festive whoopie cushion and we can hopefully relax and take it easy. While I rarely make big plans for New Year’s Eve I do look forward to the new year and a new page. 

 I had been a staunch resolutionist for years, in fact I found my 15 year old self’s diary a while back complete with start-of-the-year resolutions which included – drink more water, don’t pick spots, stop thinking about whatshisname. Did I ever stick to them? Rarely, and that’s why in more recent years I’ve taken the foot of the resolution pedal. I have however been doing a bit of research and to start with I’m thinking of these resolutions more in terms of habits – creating good ones, eliminating bad ones and in a bid to give these habits direction, creating goals.  

Getting Started
Resolution – a firm decision to do or not to do something.

Habit - a settled or regular tendency or practice.
Depending on who you ask it takes 21, 66 or 250 days to make or break a habit, but really it depends on the individual.

Goal - the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.

We start with our resolution, my advice here is, to choose just one that you can really commit to, rather than having a long list.

An example of one of the most popular resolutions is ‘I want to get fit’. 

There are many ways to ‘get fit’, we need to decide what works best and is appropriate for us, let’s say our resolutionist decides on getting fit by running.  
Specific goals can help by giving us a focus e.g. I want to get fit and my goal is to run the Dublin half marathon in September.  Creating a running habit is what’s going to get us to our goal. More about goals a little later.

What’s your ‘why’?
This is important.  What’s your intrinsic motivation? Ask yourself why you want to achieve this resolution / create this new habit or break the old one.  Each time you answer, ask yourself why again.  Five times in fact.  Drill down to the core of why you want to do this. 

I was chatting to a friend today who says she wants to lose weight – I asked her why.  ‘Because I want to look better’.  But after the fifth ‘why?’ she said her life of late has been spent running around after her children, she wants to take back some time for herself, take more care of her health and have more energy and restore some of the confidence she feels she’s lost.  

Find something that relates to this intrinsic motivation – in my friend’s case it’s a photo of her when she felt great – place in a prominent place as a reminder of what you’re trying to achieve.

Make a plan
‘There are dreamers and there are planners.
The planners make their dreams come true.’
Edwin Louis Cole.

How are you going to do this? Do you have a specific goal in mind? Is there a timeline?

Let’s go back to our earlier example, ‘I am going to run the Dublin half marathon in September’.  This is your super goal.  But September is a long way away, we need to break that super goal into sub-goals e.g. I’m going to join a couch to 5k group, mid-March I’m going to do a Park run, I’m going to do the mini marathon in June etc.  

You create a plan to take you to your super goal and you are hitting milestones and achieving as you nail your sub-goals along the way.  Using the SMART tool can be a great way to create that plan and achieve your goal.

SPECIFIC – What is your specific goal?
MEASURABLE – How can you measure your progress? (With sub-goals!) Nothing is as motivating as progress!
ACHIEVABLE – You might need to do your research here or consult with an expert. Given the time available and/or the commitment you’re willing to make is your goal achievable? If it is fitness related, and you are starting completely afresh, a medical check-up is recommended. Is the goal reasonable enough to be accomplished?
RELEVANT – Is your goal worthwhile and will it meet your needs?
TIMELY – Giving yourself a timeline will help maintain your focus and accountability. `

Support and accountability
If you are trying to create a new habit it’s going to be a challenge.  Consider how you can support this yourself and how others can support you.  Supporting yourself can mean managing your stress levels – we all know how when we get too busy and therefore stressed all our good intentions can go out the window.  Also getting adequate sleep.  Lack of sleep can weaken our resolve regardless of what our resolution is.

Also consider asking for support.  Letting friends, family know what you’re trying to achieve, not just for support but for accountability.  Different examples of this can be asking your family to get on board if you’re trying to clean up your diet, so they’ll understand when they notice all the biscuits and sweets have been removed from the home.  Buddying up with a friend or joining a group is another way of finding support, accountability and ultimately helping you reach your goal.

Breaking bad habits  
Going cold turkey on a bad habit is very challenging.  Rather than just leaving yourself hanging, try replacing the old bad habit with a good one.  E.g. if you are trying to kick the daily 5pm glass of wine, replace it with a glass of sparkling water or a herbal tea or maybe go for a 15-minute walk – yes I can feel the eye rolls.  Do you like something sweet with your 11am cuppa? Replace it with sliced apple and nut butter, or whatever healthy snack tickles your fancy. 

Be aware of things that cue your bad habit e.g. a coffee has to be accompanied by a biscuit, a glass of wine by a cigarette, be mindful and be prepared.

Falling off the wagon
It happens to all of us, don’t waste time beating yourself up, just get back on.

And lastly – this doesn’t have to happen on January 1st. It can start whenever your plan is in place and you feel ready and committed to making a change.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

What's the secret to maintaining a healthy diet, saving money and reducing waste?

While maintaining a healthy diet has always been important to me, saving money and reducing waste are becoming equally so.  I’ve found the key to these 3 goals can be narrowed down to one thing – planning.  Plan your meals, plan your shopping list around your meals, plan for leftovers and learn some hacks for reducing your food waste. 

Plan your meals for the week and plan your shopping list around it.  

-       Take some time, sit down and plan your healthy meals for the week. 

-       Research healthy recipes.  Maybe incorporate one new recipe per week.  (Personally more than one a week would send me into a tailspin). Check what ingredients you already have so you’re not doubling up when you go shopping.

-       Check out online the weekly special offers at your supermarket and incorporate those into your meal plan – there’s no point snapping up fresh food deals if you’re not going to use them.

-       Keep your shopping list handy during the week so when you’ve squeezed the last out of the ketchup bottle, you add it to the list as opposed to making a special ketchup trip after you’ve done the main trip and picking up 5 extra things you don’t need!

-       Work leftovers into the plan e.g. if you’re having roast chicken one night, chicken caesar salad the next day.

-       If you’re a meat-eater, aim to incorporate vegetarian options e.g. bean stew, chickpea curry – healthy and cheaper.

-       The likes of stews and curries are fantastic for batch cooking – I’m not into the idea of taking a Sunday afternoon to do a load of batch cooking, instead just do a big batch whatever day you’re cooking and freeze what you don’t use…or eat it the next day – it tastes better the second day right?

-       Frozen vegetables can be just as healthy as the fresh stuff and sometimes maybe even more so as they are frozen directly after being picked.  These are a great way to reduce waste.

-       Eggs – I always have a box of these handy.  An omelette is a wonderfully healthy easy fall-back. Use the egg freshness test if you’re near or go past the use by dates; Place an egg in a jug or cold water. If it sinks it’s fresh.

-       If you have the cupboard space stock up on healthy long life staples to fall back on – wholemeal pasta, brown rice, cous cous and tins of beans, lentils etc..

- Dried herbs and spices last for ages and can really boost a dish. They count as one of our 5 a day, but again only buy them if you need them.  I seem to have some kind of fear of running out of cinnamon and cumin – you don’t need 5 jars of them, Gráinne.

-       Now, let’s face it – if you’re trying to clean up your diet, biscuits, crisps, chocolate sweets etc. should not be on that list.  If they’re not in the house, you can’t eat them. Aldi and Lidl are both good for bags of nuts and seeds which can make great snacks.

Hitting the Shops
-       Try and limit yourself to one weekly shop, so you’re not dropping into the shops randomly to pick things up with exceptions like milk.

-       Stick to that shopping list.

-       My preferred supermarket for the big shop is a little further away, so to save petrol I’ll try tie my shopping in with another trip. Yes.  Hardcore money saving efforts.

-       After years of resistance, I’ve finally given into the clubcard to access special offers and gain points.

-       Avoid going shopping when you’re hungry.

-       Always check those use-by dates. Reach for the back of that shelf for longer life!

-       Shopping later in the day you can often get fresh food at reduced prices, although in the evening, it can also mean the shelves aren’t as well-stocked.

- Money-saving offers are only saving you money if you’re going to use / eat the extra items. If you have the storage space however special offers on long-life staples or non-perishable goods can .

-       How loyal are you to brands versus own brands? Be aware of the price differences. There can be great savings to be made here.

-       Avoid buying prepared food like carrot baton bags and grated cheddar, they tend to be more expensive and use more plastic.

-       Get competitive - be aware of how much you spend on your weekly shop and see where you can reduce it each week. Becoming a grocery shopping ninja!

- Unless during your research you’ve realised there is something on the middle aisle that you really need - ignore it, run past it or maybe wear a pair of blinkers.

- if you have time and have access to some of the wonderful Asian food markets around, you can make great savings on many healthy foods including rice, pulses, tofu, edamame, spices, seitan, kimchi etc. (thanks to my cuz, Mairead for this great tip!)

Reducing Food Waste
-       Learn how to store your fresh food correctly, find out where it should go in your fridge from a freshness but also safety point of view. The same goes for your freezer, learn how to use it properly.

-       Bread – how often do you throw this out? If the answer is ‘often’, slice your bread if it’s not already sliced and store it in the freezer.  Or if it’s already a little on the stale side use it in a recipe or convert into breadcrumbs, use immediately in a recipe or freeze for a later date.

-       Flour – did you partake in the covid bread-making craze? Be aware of foods like flour hiding in the back of the cupboard.  Be realistic.  Avoid buying if you’re not going to use them or give them to a baker friend if you’ve tried once and decided you’re not actually bake off material.

-       Is your fruit a little on the soft and overripe side? Add it to a smoothie.

-       Have your carrots, broccoli, celery become a little bendy? Make a veggie stock and freeze it.

- Use up that chicken - recipe here for chicken stock which can then go into the freezer.

-       Stir-fries are a fantastic, quick and easy way to use up veggies if it looks like you’re not going to get through them.

-       Went overboard with the fresh herbs? Tear them up, pop them in ice cube trays with some water. Freeze and use them when you’re cooking.

-       If you have a bottle that isn’t going to be finished, again freeze it in ice cube trays and use for cooking.

-       Challenge yourself and your family to make sure all the fresh food is used every week. 

Check out resources like https://www.safefood.net/ and https://food.cloud/ for more information and tips.

Have any tips that you’d like to share? Please pop them into the comments!

How much water do we really need?

How often have you heard the advice, we should ‘aim to drink 8 glasses of water a day’?  I think I’ve included this in my new year’s resolution list every year since I was a teenager and spent the rest of each year berating myself because I never seemed to achieve it.   Increasingly I’ve come across interviews with medical experts including kidney specialists who have been speaking out against the 8x8 directive, there’s even a hashtag ‘#hydrationbollocks’ doing the rounds.  They claim you don’t actually need to drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.  It’s a myth.  

I’m trying to remember when it became a thing and perhaps it was the supermodels who started it – looking fabulous while lugging around giant bottles of water at fashions shows, along with marketing campaigns from bottled water companies and water bottle companies and the oft-repeated 8x8 advice has fuelled our thirst for of optimum hydration.

I asked my mum and my aunt who were teenagers in the ‘60s if they had any memories of living in fear of dehydration, there was a resounding ‘no’, they don’t remember any advice around water intake, apart from sticking it in the kettle for a cuppa.  My Mum was wondering if it all kicked off when people started going to gyms – maybe?

 In recent years so obsessed are we with hydrating, there has been a rise in the number of cases of hyponatremia (drinking too much water), particularly amongst amateur marathon runners.

It’s not entirely certain where the 8 x 8 advice originally came from – it’s a toss-up between a report from the Food and Nutrition Board of America’s National Research council in 1945 suggesting the body needs one millilitre of water for each calorie of food or nutritionist Frederick J. Stare in the US in the mid ‘70s who recommended an equivalent of 8 x 8oz glasses of water a day to function properly, what his report actually stated though was “For the average adult, somewhere around 6 to 8 glasses per 24 hours and this can be in the form of coffee, tea, milk…fruit and vegetables are also a good source of water."  Like Chinese whispers, the message has been distorted. 

We don’t need an additional 8 glasses of water on top of everything else we’re taking in – to varying degrees water is in almost everything we eat apart from oils and sugar, and the body is adept at removing fluid from the food and beverages we consume. Based on a regular diet, we actually get around 20% of our daily fluid requirement from our food.  For example, milk – full or skimmed – contains around 99% water and as it’s a source of protein too, serves as an excellent post-workout drink.  

Contrary to popular belief tea and coffee are not dehydrating – now obviously too much caffeine isn’t good for you and people process it differently, but yes even these beverages contribute to your hydration levels (woohoo!).

According to Prof. Neil Turner, kidney consultant at Edinburgh university, for the regular healthy individual, even the pee colour chart is bunkum. Speaking of pee, Stuart Galloway, professor or exercise physiology of Exeter at the university of Stirling reckons 5-7 times a day is about normal, more than 8 and you’re probably drinking too much.

There are times of course when drinking water may be advised by your medical professional, for example, if someone has had a bout of vomiting/diarrhoea or kidney stones or urinary infections.  Also, elderly people may need a reminder to drink.  

In his ‘Just One thing’ podcast, Dr. Michael Mosley suggests a glass of water with each meal is sufficient, but for the most part, it seems whoever the marketeer was that came up with the tagline ‘obey your thirst’ was right.  Drink when you're thirsty.

And just in case you’ve heard the advice against drinking water with a meal because it affects the digestive juices – again there’s no scientific basis to this either, water aids our digestion.

PS I absolutely admit this is slightly contradicting my previous blog re hydration BUT we learn as we go, in truth I will no doubt continue to sip water while I’m sitting at my laptop and at the gym, but I am going to be more mindful of my thirst and let that direct me.

6 Simple Tips for a Healthier Working Day

We spend most of our week working, so why not take advantage of this time to help optimise our health. Here are some simple tips to show you how.

Stand up

We’ve all been in this situation – we’re madly busy at our desk or just engrossed in a task and all of a sudden we realise we’ve been sitting for a couple of hours hunched over our computers.

 Sitting for long uninterrupted bouts can have a detrimental effect on our metabolism, circulation and even bone health.  Being in a seated position for extended lengths of time can create muscle imbalances – our posture and back health can be impacted and over the long term it can leave us more susceptible to uncommunicable diseases such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

Office workers in particular will spend 70-80% of waking hours seated.  

The good news is standing and moving around for 2-3 minutes every hour can help remedy long hours at our desks.  My issue here is wandering off for half an hour and not being able to remember what I was doing when I come back.

There’s an app that can help us – of course there is, in fact there are a number of them.  I use ‘Stand up’.  It’s free, you can set the hours you want to work within and how often you want it to go off to remind you to stand up and move around.

Another option of course is standing  / walking for your phone calls or standing for your zoom or in person (ACTUAL IN PERSON!) meetings.  In fact holding ‘standing meetings’ has another advantage – they tend to get wrapped up a lot quicker.  Standing more often burns more calories and can have a positive impact on our sleep. 

Introduce some house plants

Indoor air pollution can be caused by VOCs – volatile organic compounds, are tiny chemical particles in the air from the likes of aerosols, cleaning productions, plastic, furniture as well as carbon dioxide.

Plants can improve air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through photosynthesis, they increase humidity by transpiring water vapor through their leaf pores, and they can absorb pollutants like the aforementioned VOCs, on the external surfaces of leaves and on the plant root-soil system.

In the past studies have shown adding plants to office space to can help employees improve their mood, memory and concentration and possibly contributing to a reduction in headaches, coughs and other chest related illnesses.

In a small room with high levels of natural light, 5-6 plants can have a positive impact. The fast growing, thirsty plants work best e.g. Peace lillies and devil’s ivy.

Mobilise Your Hands!

 Reduce the wrist of carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injury by the some simple hand and wrist exercises during the day.  Shake out your hands, interlace your hands roll your wrists, make a fist and then stretch your fingers out as far away from each other as you can.  Interlace your hands and push your palms away.  Try ‘spiders doing push ups against a mirror’ touching your finger tips to each other and splay them in and out.  

Exercise your eyes

There’s nothing like staring at a screen for to make your peepers feel tired.  Exercise those ocular muscles with the 20-20-20 rule.  Look at an object 20 metres away from your screen for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.  I was delighted to find out that eye rolls are also beneficial, I’m pretty sure I’d get into the medals in the eye-rolling competition.

Make the most of your lunch hour

Sometimes it’s easier to stay at your desk and work, get a bit of online shopping done, some life admin or just have a rummage around on social media.  But if you can, get moving.  Get out for a walk.  If the weather isn’t lending itself to outdoor activities, get some stretches or even a few strength moves at your desk.  Try some seated cat cows, side stretches, some gentle twists, a seated (on your chair) forward fold where you rest your trunk onto your thighs and enjoy that yummy back stretch.  Or if you’d like to get a little more energetic, some squats to your chair, single leg squats, tricep dips against your chair or push ups off your chair or desk.  

Stay Hydrated

You don’t need to guzzle gallons of water to stay hydrated but keeping a bottle of water on your desk serves as a nice reminder.  We need water to hydrate the brain (it’s 90% water!), digest food and flush out our kidneys and to replace the water we lose through exhaling and sweating.  Try drinking a glass of water before a meal, which can not only hydrate us but can also stop us overeating.  Staying hydrated can help can help reduce headaches and fatigue as well as support our cognition and overall performance.

Men need about 2l of water a day women about 1.6l, if you’re exercising / sweating profusely, you may need more. Herbal teas and milk are also hydrating.   Peeing around 5-7 times a day is about the norm – and it’s another way of getting us up and moving.   

4 Reasons Core Strength is Important for Runners

Our core is not just about the abdominals but includes all the muscles that wrap around our trunk as well as the glutes and pelvic floor. For runners we want to maintain stability in the trunk to allow the legs and arms to move easily, making the overall action less effortful.  A mixture of Pilates and yoga can offer us a well-rounded solution to support our running life.

Run tall, Breathe easy
We want to be able to ‘run tall’ and maintain a neutral spine, if our core is weak and we are running regularly our posture can be affected resulting in rounded shoulders and tighter chest muscles inhibiting our breathing.  Being able to breathe easily is vital for a comfortable run.
Exercises: Planks, chest stretches, cobra pose.

Strong glutes to run faster (and uphill)
The glutes (bum muscles) provide power to drive the body forwards – think of a sprinter’s physique.  Strength in our glutes (and overall core) will give runners more power and speed, useful for short sprints or when tackling hills and adding to overall resilience.
Exercises: Pelvic curls / glute bridges, walking lunges with weights, locust pose.

Creating stability in the trunk and limiting rotation
While the obliques – abdominals at either side of the trunk – are key for rotation of the trunk, they also help us stabilise, minimising the movement of the upper body while running. This stability creates more efficiency in the movement in a forwards only direction rather than swaying side to side.  Being able to stabilise the trunk when running also allows us to be more energy efficient.
Exercises Side plank (on hand or forearms) – add dips or side leg lifts, airplanes (kneeling with arms out to the side, flex laterally and bring yourself back to upright), chest lift with rotation.

Injury Prevention
Unfortunately, injuries are not uncommon amongst regular runners. A weak core can contribute to injury from pelvic floor issues to stressing knee joints, to lower back pain and even plantarfascitis.  Injuries can particularly effect runners who have desk-based jobs who may already have muscular imbalances effecting posture, glute strength, hamstring flexibility or lower back health.  A routine that includes core strengthening and stretching can help protect us from injury
All of the above recommendations plus, low lunges, supine hamstring stretches (use a strap or band to stretch leg up).

5 Simple Tips For A Healthy Start To Your Day

Now I realise that not everybody is naturally a morning person, so it might be enough to just drag yourself out of bed rather than adding items to your list of things to do in the morning, but these measures are very simple and each one can help enhance your day.

1)    Hot / warm water and ginger first thing
Ginger is great for our digestive system, it also has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties . I keep a jar of peeled, chopped ginger in the fridge, I have a big beer tankard that I pop it into first thing in the morning, I then try and drink the whole thing before my first class / client appointment, which doesn’t always happen, but when it does I feel smugly hydrated. I keep it topped up with hot water throughout the day.  Most of the nutrients are just inside the skin, so try to lightly peel rather than chop too much of it away.  

2)   Consider including protein in your breakfast
It’s important we get enough protein in our diet. Protein is involved in building and repair in the body and is vital for healthy muscles and bones. From mid / late 30s onwards we start to lose muscle and bone, women in particular during perimenopause / menopause are effected by the depletion of oestrogen and need to be mindful of their bone mineral density.  Eggs are the gold standard of protein and a perfect breakfast option (if you like eggs!).  Protein, as well as providing material for muscles and bones, will keep you satiated for longer and you won’t get that energy peak and drop that you can get from many processed cereals and juices*.  Can’t do the eggs? Porridge also fairs well on the protein front and you can add some seeds and a dollop of live natural yogurt which contains protein and healthy bacteria to benefit your gut.

*With cereals and juices check out the ‘sugar’ from carbs on the ingredients label.  A breakfast high in sugar may provide a satisfying energy surge straight after eating but can leave us feeling hungry or sluggish mid-morning once that surge subsides.  E.g. Flahavans porridge contains .9g sugars from carbs per 100g whereas Special K contains 15g sugar from carbohydrates per 100g.

3)    Cold water showers
If you’re not into early morning sea swims, 30 sec to 2 minutes of cold water add the end of your shower can actually have similar health-enhancing benefits – helping to boost the immune system, as well as energy and mood.  Research is starting to show that cold habituation decreases inflammatory responses over time.  So try a quick cold blast at the end of your nice steamy shower, perhaps not quite as sociable as the sea swims, but certainly easier and convenient.  And just for the record, I’m totally into early morning sea swims…mid-summer…in Greece.

4)    A brisk morning walk
Getting out for a brisk walk in morning light can actually help improve your sleep, boost your mood (helping to offset the effects of SAD in the winter) and cut your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Any form of walking outside during the day is good, but going in the morning is like a gentle alarm to let our body and brain know that the day has started.  Light helps reset our body clock, which in turn tells our body when to go to sleep and when to wake up.  The earlier you have exposure to daylight the better for your sleep, possibly even making it deeper with less chance of waking up.  Light exposure also triggers the release of serotonin which is a feel good hormone, helping to boost our mood.  Brisk walk = moderate-intensity exercise where our heart is beating a little faster, we’re breathing a little heavier but we can still hold a conversation.

5)    Some Gentle Stretches
Simple stretches, the likes of child’s pose, lying on your back and hugging your knees to your chest and figure 4 stretch are all lovely and simple stretches to do in the morning to help stretch the muscles around hips and lower back.

A Mini Adventure

While my work life remains fully online for the next few weeks, I decided to make hay while the sun shines and try this whole working from abroad malarkey and what better time to do it than October? The temperatures are dipping in Ireland, but it's still a balmy average of 26 degrees here in El Puerto de Santa Maria, on Spain’s Costa de la Luz, the sun is still here, but the bulk of the tourists and mozzies have departed.  

I found a little airbnb apartment in this town where I've never been before and so far so good.  Having done a little bit of research before I arrived, I’ve been getting my bearings.  My first task was to get myself to Decathlon which is only 1.7km up the road.  I needed a good thick yoga mat and dumbbells for my classes. I walked up on the toasty warm Saturday morning - loaded up, was very pleased with myself coming out of Decathlon, loaded down with 8kg of equipment.  It turns out they don't have Uber in El Puerto.  Cue a very puffy panty sweaty walk back to the apartment.  Later that day, not fully convinced by my apartment’s wifi - hence the reason there’s no picture included in this post - it doesn’t like uploading or downloading and is downright contemptuous towards netflix, I attempted to buy a dongle from Vodafone, but after much gesticulating and fruitless googling, I left empty-handed. Spanish for dongle anyone?

If you like fish, I’m pretty sure you would love it here, the place is falling down with fish restaurants. I don’t. I wish I liked fish and instead of being a pesky vegetarian could be a pescetarian.  I also wish I spoke more than ten words of Spanish.  My usual tapas staple in Spain of tortillas, pimientos de padron and deep-fried aubergine have been replaced with fishy versions.  I was close to fainting yesterday when I found a place that served a non-meat or fish salad.  With all that said the supermarkets and food market are fabulous AND I have to keep reminding myself and everyone else, that I'm not actually on holiday, so eating out every day isn't part of the plan.  And I am determined to improve my Spanish.  Lessons start this week.

But life is settling into a routine, I've got into a nice little morning ritual - up early, do all the usual bits I do when I'm at home but I have an extra hour to do it and don't have any of the distractions.  My new favourite morning activity is listening to the Irish weather forecast. Gloat? Me? Never!

While I have a close friends a couple of hours up the road and down the road, I don't know anyone else in the immediate area, however I am determined to make an effort to meet some people.  With a major push to exit the comfort zone, I joined an ex-pat facebook page where I found a  Spanish teacher, have been invited on a hike and wrote a post saying where I was, that I was a total newbie and would anyone like to meet for coffee.  My toes were absolutely curling when I did it and it does feel like standing in the middle of a playground asking would anyone like to be my friend?  After several 'likes', which mortified me further, I've found a willing coffee companion who can hopefully give me the inside track and isn’t deranged.

So for the next few weeks, I'll be broadcasting live from El Puerto - business as usual - think Emily in Paris but 'Gráinne in El Puerto de Santa Maria', really rolls of the tongue, and more Decathlon and flea markets than Chanel and Balenciaga.  I've yet to find an extremely handsome chef who makes a great Spanish omelette in the building but I'll keep looking. 

Hasta luego babies!

Yoga & Pilates - What's the Difference?

‘What’s the difference between Yoga & Pilates?’ is a question I am asked quite often. I sat down yesterday morning with the intention of writing a few words explaining the differences between Pilates and yoga. Who I was I kidding? Even though I tried to stick to the basics and keep it as simple as possible, including sticking with Pilates matwork, it still took me nearly two days to finish.

Origins

Yoga
The origins of Yoga (meaning ‘yoke’ or ‘union’) can be traced back to 5,000 years (or 10,000 depending on who you ask) ago in Northern India to the Vedas (or Rig Veda) a collection of sacred poems and hymns where yoga was first referenced.  Yoga progressed through the ages from what was originally a meditative and spiritual practice to incorporate asana ‘physical’ practice the discipline of ‘Hatha yoga’.  In the early 1900s, the Indian yoga teacher Krishnamacharya revolutionised the teaching of yoga. He and his protegés have greatly influenced how yoga is perceived and taught in the western world.

Pilates
Joseph Pilates (1883 – 1967) developed the Pilates technique (initally called ‘contrology’) in the 20th century.  Originally from Germany he started to develop his technique when he was interned on the Isle of Man during the first world war.  After the war he moved to New York where he set up his first studio with his wife Clara in 1926.   He used Pilates apparatus – specially made machines (what we know now as reformers, the barrel, Cadillac etc.) and to begin with many dancers came to his studio to rehabilitate injuries. Passionate about physical fitness and his method, by all accounts he was quite a character. He worked with and trained a group of teachers known as ‘The Elders’ who passed on his technique.

How Do Yoga & Pilates Classes Differ?

Yoga
Generally speaking – a standard studio class will very often involve an introduction with some guided meditation, a warm-up, possibly a sun salutation followed by a series of standing, seated and lying poses, which can all include forward folds, twists, backbends.  Possibly some breathwork and always relaxation ‘savasana’ at the end. 
You might be flowing through the poses quite quickly or holding them for a particular breath count.  Breath focus is always encouraged, some teachers may use chanting e.g. ‘Om’ which is a beautiful addition to any class. There are 84 classical yoga asana and many many variations.

Pilates
One of the differences between yoga and Pilates is with Pilates you are almost continuously moving in time with the breath. Often you will be maintaining stability through the trunk – using your core strength - while moving the arms and/or legs dynamically, challenging and building core strength and stability and joint mobility.  Other times you can be making quite small precise movements and wondering how on earth it can be so challenging?  There is a strong emphasis on spine mobility with movements including forward flexion, lateral flexion, extension and rotation.  Joseph Pilates famously said  ‘If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30 you are old, if your spine is completely flexible at 60, you are young’ (bear in mind he said this back in the day when 60 was considered old!). There are 34 exercises in the Pilates matwork classical series again with lots of variations.

What can Yoga & Pilates Offer Me?

Yoga - Mind Body Spirit Connection
For people starting yoga, they may be attracted to the physical practice and want to improve their flexibility or perhaps they are looking for a way to reduce their stress levels.  There is an extensive and ancient yoga philosophy that underpins the yoga tradition should you wish to pursue it.  The ‘Eight Limbs Of Yoga’ provide guidance for an entire lifestyle offering practices to connect and nourish your mind, body and spirit including asana (yoga poses), pranayama (breathwork), dhyana (meditation) but also principles for how to treat yourself and others and the theory that we are all connected to each other and the universe – yoga can be an extremely profound experience.

Pilates – Mind Body Connection
With Pilates there is great emphasis placed on the connection between the body movement and the breath (inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth, breathin into the ribcage).  The principles of Pilates (which can vary a little from one school of Pilates to the next) include body awareness, breath, centering, concentration, balance, control, efficiency, flow, precision.  ‘Engage your core’ is a term you may hear often in a Pilates class, ‘core strength’ is a key focus in Pilates.  Correct alignment and posture often referenced in class. There isn’t an official ‘spiritual’ philosophy to Pilates, I have no doubt however that it has influenced many people’s lives in a very positive and life affirming way.

What About The Different Types of Yoga & Pilates?

Yoga
I’m going to keep this fairly simple (for all our sakes) - There are different types of yoga ibut the physical practice of Hatha yoga (Ha meaning sun and Tha meaning moon) is the type of yoga that is the most influential in the west. While studio ‘hatha yoga classes’ usually offer a more traditional practice of holding poses for a certain amount of breaths, under the Hatha Yoga umbrella there are many different types of yoga, from the very energetic ashtanga series and vinyasa flow to Iyengar and yin and restorative yoga and everything in between. You could say there is something for everyone within the yoga realm. 

Pilates
Pilates can be divided into ‘classical’ – those who follow Joseph Pilates original teachings quite strictly and ‘contemporary’ – Pilates which has been modified and modernised.  And then we have mat Pilates and equipment based Pilates which uses a series of machines using springs, straps and pullies and lots of fun stuff to add extra resistance. 

Within these two categories, there are many different schools of Pilates.  Without a doubt the influence of the physical practice of yoga can be seen in many of the exercises.  Pilates is often used as a form of rehabilitation and many Physios are trained as Pilates Teachers.

What Are The Benefits Of A Regular Practice?

Yoga

• Improved body & breath awareness.

• Stress reduction.

• Can help lower blood pressure.

• Can improve strength, flexibility, joint mobility & balance.

• Weight-bearing exercise aids bone health.

• Helps to reduce the risk of injury.

• Can help mental health with sense of overall well-being.

• Can provide a sense of spiritual connection.

Pilates

• Improved sense of body and breath awareness.

• Improves core and overall strength and muscle tone.

• Better joint mobility.

• Improved posture.

• Weight-bearing exercise – can help bone health.

• Can help improve focus.

• Better balance and stability.

• Can help mental health with happy hormone release.

• Can help build body confidence.

Should I Do Both Or Just Choose One?

That’s entirely up to you – perhaps you need one more than the other.  Many folk are firmly dedicated to either yoga or Pilates.  I was practicing yoga for many years before I started regularly practicing Pilates. The benefits of yoga I found were increased flexibility and mobility and I definitely benefited from the stress reduction, I slept like a top after my classes.

Building my core strength with Pilates perfectly complemented my yoga practice.  Some of the poses I had struggled with like ‘plough’ pose where I felt like I was collapsing in on myself benefited hugely because of my improved core strength.  So too did my balance – again thanks to the core strength.  

My flexibility from yoga has helped me greatly with many of the Pilates exercises.  I also love and find fascinating the yoga philosophy and many other elements that it encompasses and without a doubt would say it has had quite a profound effect on how I live my life.

Choose just one? I couldn’t possibly.

If you don’t have time to both, you could always try a Pilates Yoga Flow class - guess who teaches one?! Click here to find out more.

How I Found My Way Back To A Good Night's Sleep

A few weeks ago I wrote a short post on instagram about my sleep, or lack there of.  I was amazed at how many people commented ‘yup, me too’ – similar to the day I rang the chemist shop to ask if they had chilblain cream and the nice lady said ‘not a tube, we’re all sold out, there’s been a run on it’ – while I still had chilblains and no cream, I felt a little better knowing I wasn’t the only one.

I am almost afraid to say it for fear of jinxing myself, and I don’t want to make any of my insomnia compadres feel bad, but just in the last week or so, I feel like I am back on the sleep track.  Hallelujah.

Why was I lacking in the sleep department? Perhaps fluctuating hormones and definitely a bit of anxiety.     

While I know everyone’s sleep story is different, and my heart goes out to those with chronic insomnia, here are a few things I did to get me back on track.

Coffee – I love it and I love the ritual of the moka on the stove and the reward of a big old double cupper in the morning.  I very rarely drink coffee after 10.00 in the morning and I don’t like going full decaf but I’ve found half caf / half decaf and I don’t even notice it.

Tidiness – It would seem I am evolving or maybe mutating into a tidy person.  It’s taken me a while, but I’ve realised for me, mess = stress. These days, I even make the bed in the morning as soon as I get out of it.   

Journalling – a friend of mine gave me one for Christmas and I take a big old thought dump into this every morning. This really helps me get to the bottom of stuff that’s bugging me.

Acupuncture – I was an acupuncture virgin, but after just one session I slept like the dead for two nights in a row, and barring a couple of unsettled nights, since then I have woken up with my alarm each morning, instead of 3-4 hours before it. Who would have thought being needled could be so relaxing?

There are a few more little hacks that I’ve employed at various times that I have found help my sleep;

The obvious one of course is no devices in the bedroom.  Shut them down before you get there.  If you need your phone alarm put it in your drawer and make sure the sound is off.  Avoid checking it for time during the night.  I also had an electric clock I actually think it’s big angry red numbers glaring at me caused me stress – particularly when they were saying 3am and I was wide awake.

Keeping things cool – while I’m partial to an electrical blanket, I avoid heavy PJs and keep the bedroom cool.  It’s not quite the weather for it at the moment perhaps, but if I wake during the night from Spring onwards I open the window.

Lavender – a friend of mine recommended the ‘This Works’ pillow spray and there is indeed something very soothing about it.  Sometimes I’ll diffuse lavender before going to bed.

A bit of inulgence - My Mum gave me a gift of jasmine silk pillowcases a few years ago and are cooling and soothing.  Apparently, they don’t dry your skin like cotton can…wait…was that a subtle hint that my skin looks dry?

CBT – there are some great podcasts which talk about CBT for people losing sleep.  Repeated interrupted sleep or being unable to get to sleep can cause anxiety.  CBT addresses this and aims to ‘diffuse’ the stress associated with insomnia. https://www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause/041-you-are-feeling-sleeeepy-kathryn-pinkman-dr-louise-newson

Eatin’ and drinkin’ - Finish eating two hours before you go to bed, this works for me. I don’t drink that much wine but I know when I do my sleep really suffers. Waking up dehydrated at all hours and with the fear on top of it - it’s a big no-no for me.

Lastly yoga nidra, one of the most relaxing things you can treat yourself to. Click here for one of my favourites.

If your sleep is up and down I really hope you find your own way back to a good night’s sleep.

5 Ways To Support Healthy Bones With Diet

From our mid-thirties onwards we are at risk of bone density loss. Women, because of menopause and the depletion of bone protecting oestrogen are at greater risk.  Diet and exercise play an important role in supporting our bone health.  We looked at exercise last week, let’s take a look at how our diet can help us.

1. Calcium is usually the first nutrient that springs to mind when we mention healthy bones, so let’s start there.   We usually associate calcium with dairy.  Whole milk probiotic yogurt is one of the best dairy calcium sources and beneficial for our gut health, with regards to cheese – the harder the cheese, the better the calcium content. Non-dairy sources of calcium include brown rice, kale (also a great source of magnesium), bok choy, chard, cabbage, broccoli, white beans, chickpeas, almonds, sesame seeds, anchovies, sardines, figs.  Phew.

2. Vitamin D – we need this to absorb calcium.  Vitamin D comes from sunshine, oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, trout herrings), eggs, red meat and fortified foods and drinks.  In countries where we don’t get enough sunshine e.g Ireland, it is widely recommended to supplement with Vitamin D from September to May.  (Check with medical/nutrition professional about dosage.)

3. Protein! Usually associated with muscle growth and maintenance, this macronutient is a major structural component of all cells including bone cells, and gives bones its strength and flexibility.  You will find protein in meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, soya/edemame beans, spirulina and quinoa.

4. More micronutrients for bone health include;
   Vitamin K – leafy greens, liver, some fermented cheeses and soya bean products.
   Magnesium – green veggies, nuts, seeds, unrefined grains (e.g. quinoa)`
   Zinc – lean red meat, poultry, whole grain cereals and zinc.

5. Lastly, caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks and sodium can all inhibit the absorption of calcium and are therefore in excess, they are not good for our bone health.

 Stay healthy peeps! 

How To Support Your Bone Health With Exercise

From 35 onwards, we start to lose more bone than we make. Yikes

Throw menopause into the mix, and the depletion of the bone protecting hormone oestrogen means women are more at risk of osteoporosis. Therefore it is vital that we support our bone health with exercise and diet and the earlier we get going, the better.

Bone is a living, growing tissue and responds to stimulus. The muscles contracting create a stress on the bones which stimulates new bone formation.

So what exercises work best?

Weight-bearing Exercise
These are exercises where we are working against gravity. They can be divided into high impact e.g. plyometric moves (jumping), running , playing tennis , skipping.
Low impact, e.g. hiking (add poles for upper body workout), dancing , stair walking. Or no impact – yoga , Pilates, tai chi – where we are using body strength – think standing poses, arm balances, planks, push up variations.

Resistance / Strength Training
This is where we are pushing or pulling against a force.

Weights - Everyone can work out with weights and you don’t even have to go to a gym. If you don’t have dumbbells / kettlebells at home, you can improvise - tins of beans, bottles of water, a bag of spuds can be used.

Dynabands – I love these rubberbandits. They are really versatile, and can provide a full body workout including flexibility and mobility as well as strength..

Suspension Training e.g. TRX You can hang it off a tree or out of a door and it is fantastic for an all over body workout.

Reformer Pilates – what’s not to love? Again another excellent system for creating an all over body workout working against resistance with a focus on core strength.

Tune in next week for ‘Nutrition to Support our Bone Health’.

Five Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Diet 💫

Let’s start at the beginning – with breakfast - non-breakfast eaters (you maniacs) just skip along. Porridge is my go-to breakfast, it’s minimally processed, low in fat, no added sugar and it’s so easy to pimp! You can add fruit, (frozen berries are brill), spices (I’m a sucker for cinnamon - helps lower blood sugar), seeds and if you’re looking for a little more protein in your diet you can add a spoonful of protein powder.

Seeds! Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, linseeds. Full of protein, fibre and healthy fats. I always keep a jar of sweet seeds (dry pan toast first and then add maple syrup and cinnamon and/or mixed spice) for porridge and yogurt and a jar of savoury (dry pan toast first, then add tamari /soya sauce) for soups, stews etc.

Bread, pasta, rice – you know this one - switch the refined whites for wholegrain. The wholegrain versions are lower in sugar and higher in fibre, which we need for good digestion aka keeping things regular.

Stir Fries – remember the eighties when the answer to every vegetarian option was a stir fry? Well it’s time to get wokkin’ again (I just use an ordinary frying pan but can’t resist a pun). Stir fries are a quick and easy way to cook up a load of yummy veg AND include chilli, ginger and garlic – fantastic immune system boosters. A bit of soya or tamari sauce and you’re ready to go. They can even make kale edible (super nutritious but like eating thistles right?)

Stews, curries and soups – ‘tis the season for them. These are another way to up the veggie intake. I always start with a bit of olive oil and sauté onions, garlic and whatever is in the fridge that works well chopped e.g. celery, leeks, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, chilli, once they’re soft I either use tinned plum tomatoes or vegetable stock. I’ll add in 1-2 tins of beans, definitely will add in herbs (so good for you – they weren’t used for remedies for nothing ya know), maybe peas, wholegrain pasta, brussel sprouts (Stop that! I won’t hear a word against them). Use your fabulous imagination. These are perfect for batch cooking and freezing.

Buon appetito!

5 Tips For a Healthier January

1. Aim to get a brisk walk in during daylight hours everyday. Thirty or even twenty minutes will do, you are not only getting exercise but fresh air and daylight too.  While it is recommended we supplement with Vitamin D from September to May (which we need for calcium absorption), we are still getting exposure to vitamin D by being outside.   Daylight and exercise will help boost our mood and can contribute to a better night’s sleep.

2. Have you considered a dry January?!   If you’ve been indulging in the vino over Christmas and think you can go the month without it or at least significantly reducing it, take a selfie now and take one after your booze-free month.  You’ll see a difference and feel it too.

3. Hydrate - At this time of year as we spend more time indoors and with central heating (#grateful) our skin can become dehydrated.  I like to keep a beaker of hot water with a chunk of peeled ginger in it and keep topping it up throughout the day.   Much easier to drink than cold water at this time of year.  If you prefer lemon, remove the peel and bear in mind too much of it can affect your teeth enamel.

4. How about a declutter?  Not to be smug or anything, but i’ve already started (yeah I’m feeling totally smug). I’m slowly making my way around my apartment, and it’s liberating.  I watched ‘The Minimalists’ on Netflix on new year’s day which got me going.  Getting rid of ‘stuff’ you don’t need not only declutters your home, but it’s also good for your mental health. While charity shops are closed during lockdown, recycling centres are still open.   

5. Sleep – getting enough of it is important for our physical and mental health.  Our sleep pattern can get a little out of whack over Christmas, perhaps going to bed later, sleeping in, and then all of a sudden the shock of having to get up for work again.  What better time than a January in lockdown where FOMO is eliminated, to try and get to bed a little earlier, be strict with your devices, power down before you get into bed.  Aim for 8 hours.

   January - bring it on!

It's Christmas time...

My favourite pic of the year ‘The Retreaters’!

We’re all busy, so I will do my best to keep this brief!

Another year has sprinted past, having brought with it new adventures and experiences, new friends and learnings and leaving behind lots of wonderful memories in it's wake.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported me during the year including class attendants, class organisers, studio owners, facilitators, the retreaters, the brave one-to-oners, the teachers, the trainers, the advice givers, the friends and the mentors.

A special thanks to all who supported Pauline and myself for the Focus Ireland Shine A Light Campaign for which the tally was just over €3,500 which was far beyond our expectations, we were overwhelmed by your incredible generosity. 

Yes of course I'm going to mention the new timetable!  While the lovely 'Above Mayfield' studio has been a welcome addition for the last few months on Sundays, due to training I will be unable to run weekly classes there in early 2020, but the aim is to do some workshops instead, dates tbc. The long running Monday evening class at RMDS in Ranelagh is getting a facelift and will now become Pilates Yoga Flow. 
Please click below for all the details;
https://www.graforfitness.ie/class-timetable

My one little bit of (unsolicited!) wellness advice for the holidays is try and get out for a walk everyday.…with or without company - even a short one will do you good.

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas with best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020.

Gráinne

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