Aprivé Wellness Blog
5 Ways To Improve Your Digestion this Winter
Most of us don't usually think about digestion until it gets our attention with tummy pain or uncomfortable bloating. ugh!
In winter; overeating of heavy, rich foods can leave you feeling horrible. Never fear! You can escape the bloat!
Try these 5 tips to decrease bloating & discomfort this winter.
1. Hot Water & Lemon - Yes it Works
It helps make your system more alkaline, stopping acid reflux and helping your stomach dissolve your food. It also helps flush your liver, and stimulate peristalsis - the contraction of your intestines that moves food through your digestive tract.
Tip: It's a warm, fuzzy way to start the day, and less stimulating on your nervous system than coffee.
2. Eat Probiotics
In tablets, yoghurt, kombucha or sauerkraut, probiotics help keep your body’s delicate ecosystem of bacteria flourishing. This prevents ‘bad’ bacteria overtaking your system causing things like thrush. Probiotics also help boost your seratonin levels and mood! Read how.
Tip: Try adding a curried sauerkraut to hot pumpkin soup this winter. I recommend the Amala Curry flavour by Be Nourished.
3. Try Chia Seeds & Psyllium Husks
These super foods are fibrous and help everything in your system keep...well...moving along. Try sprinkling some on your yoghurt or blend them up in a smoothie.
Tip: Chia puddings are all the rage; get a recipe from my interview for I am Co. You can even make hot chia puddings in winter!
4. Get Moving
Exercise helps aid digestion by increasing your body's blood flow, which your digestive tract needs to function. Try to make time for 30 mins of exercise a day (walking around the block counts!)
Tip: Yoga and indoor workouts work too if you don’t want to brave the cold in winter.
5. Decrease Your Stress Levels
When your body is stressed, you get stuck in a ‘fight or flight’ nervous system response. Your blood flows to your extremities and primes your muscles to help you run away from a bear, but it takes blood away from the digestive tract. Sadly, your intestines can’t function properly with low blood supply, and the movement of your intestines slows. Bits of food sit, unmoving in your intestines, causing gas, bloating and even IBS. Learn how to combat this here.
Tip: Try to avoid stressful situations (eg. a meeting with a difficult client) when your digestive system needs extra help like after lunch.
If you're stuck in a rut and want to live a happier, healthier life, contact me to get your personalised Wellness Action Plan now!
Why you Should Drink Wine
Wine isn't good for you, but if you like, you should drink it. Learn why.
Because you like it. That’s it. This isn’t an article about how many antioxidants are found in red wine or why it might be good for your health, it’s about encouraging you to let yourself indulge...sometimes.
No, sorry, wine isn't good for your health
Wine, well all alcohol for that matter, isn’t good for your body. But neither is caffeine, sitting all day, working long hours or eating too fast, but we do all of these things everyday.
Ideally for our health, we’d all exercise everyday, have stand up desks or physical jobs, eat almost solely fruit and veggies, and meditate daily. But! modern life isn’t like that. It’s messy and busy and we can’t always change that.
What you can do though, is enjoy the small things and stop punishing yourself for small indulgences.
Have you ever told a little kid they can’t have something sweet after they saw you unpacking it from a grocery bag? Have you seen them stare at it longingly, stretch out their little hand and try to grab it? Have you then witnessed the unending whining for said sweet item for hours after you’ve put it away?
If we’re told we can’t have something, all we want it that one thing. When you get it? You’re more likely to overindulge.
The solution is to let yourself have it.
I won’t lie, I love wine. Coming from Australia and living in New Zealand, both countries have some of the best wines in the world, and I love taking visiting friends and family on local winery tours. I find if I drink strong-tasting wines like oaky Chardonnay or Shiraz, I’m less likely to have too much.
I went through a period of counting calories and stressing about them, but it took away the enjoyment of a glass of wine. Now, if I’m going to have wine, I let myself have it. And I love it!
Savour it, taste it and breathe it in.
Allow yourself to have that glass or two of wine. Enjoy swishing it around your glass. (My personal favourite is drinking wine in a big, beautiful, thin-rimmed glass) If you savour every sip, smelling it, tasting it and appreciating the colour of your drop, you’re less likely to drink a whole bottle without noticing.
Like anything we do, being mindful is the key to enjoyment.
Tips for living well & drinking wine
Try to have at least 4 alcohol-free nights per week
Don’t let drinking become a daily habit to relieve stress - it associates alcohol with a need rather than enjoyment. Go for a walk, then have a glass. You’ll enjoy it more.
Buy good wine glasses. It’ll make the experience a special treat rather than an everyday occurrence.
Seek help if you’re regularly drinking more than four nights a week. Like smoking, you’ll need to change this habit to look after your body and organs in the long run.
Remember there’s a lot of sugar in wine - so if you have a glass, limit the sugar in your meals during that day.
My best tip? Be kind to yourself.
When you feel confident and happy, you’re less likely to over-indulge and drink too much.
If you’re after a new wine experience, try these little-known gems from Australia & New Zealand:
Rosé from Turkey Flat Vineyards
Pinot Noir from Bannock Brae Winery
Oaked Chardonnay from Carrick Winery
Rosé from organic winery Aurum Wines
Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon by Church Road Wines
Sauvignon Blanc by Sticks Winery
What do you think?
Pilates Workout Video
While I was on holidays on the luscious Hamilton Island, I filmed a short clip of a super Pilates workout. It challenges your core, balance, posture, and really works your abs too!
Give it a try!
The Zen of De-Stressing Your Tech
I love my laptop and, even though it took convincing to leave my flip phone for a smart version, I love my phone too. However, sometimes notifications popping up on a screen can make me feel overwhelmed and I used to just put my phone in a drawer, only to open it again when I heard another *ping!* Now I do things differently.
Instead of shoving your phone in a drawer when it's overwhelming you with noises, vibrations and messages you probably don't need to reply to right now, try these tips.
1. Try having a calm inbox.
Try checking your inbox just twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night. 10AM and 3PM are good times to answer any emails that need your attention and file away, or delete any others. You’ll find you inbox is less cluttered, and you actually process your email better when you’ve made time to sit and read them, rather than scrolling through them on the train. You’ll also want to turn off your email notifications on your phone, otherwise the calm inbox idea doesn’t work!
Tip: If a calm inbox just isn’t an option for your work inbox, try just doing it for your personal one. You can also change the level of calm by checking it 4 times a day if it suits you better.
2. Turn off unnecessary push notifications
Do you really care that someone you went to high school with just liked the same photo as you? No. Unless you’re a social media manager, the notifications from facebook, twitter and Instagram aren’t urgent.
Check them when you’re ready, not when your device tells you to. Without that *ping* interrupting your chat, coffee, drive or ‘me time,’ you’ll have more undivided attention directed at whatever you’re doing.
3. Change your ring tones
Just the sound of certain ring tones can put us on edge, so choose a round, bubbly sound rather than a shrill, hectic tone. If you can’t find one you like, there are plenty to buy online. Choosing a ringtone that starts softly and builds in volume can work too.
4. Delete those apps
Do you still play Angry Birds? If you do, never mind. But if you don’t? Delete it! On a tablet, laptop or smartphone screen, seeing pages and pages of apps can seem overwhelming. The feeling that you just can’t deal with everything in your life is made worse with too many choices, options and clutter. Ditch any apps you don’t use. You won’t miss them.
5. Turn it off or on silent & face down at bedtime
As you drift slowly into a deep sleep, there’s nothing worse than *ping!* ‘someone liked your photo.’ Tech is being blamed for why so many people are sleeping badly, so don’t get sucked into the trap. If you’re reluctant to turn your phone off, put it on silent (not vibrate) and place it face down. That way you’ll still get your messages in the morning and your alarm will still go off, but your evening slumber will go undisturbed.
Technology is here to make our lives easier, so don’t let it get in the way.
What have you tried to de-stress your tech?
Little Known Ways to Hack Healthy Eating
Eating healthy is one of the most common health and wellbeing goals, but so few people manage to make it a lasting reality. This is almost always because they put nasty restrictions on what they can and can’t eat, and end up feeling crappy.
To make themselves feel better, they’ll eat even more unhealthy food, and they’ll continue the cycle.
If weight loss is your goal in 2016 - STOP!
Studies show that those who prioritise being healthy over weight loss lose more weight long term, and are more likely to keep it off.
Ditch negative goals
Swap negative goals like “I’ll fit into my skinny jeans in 4 weeks or I won’t eat carbs for a month” and switch your mindset to incorporating healthy, positive goals into your eating.
Swap ‘losing weight’ with ‘being healthy.’
Once you focus on eating healthy food, you’re bound to lose weight anyway!
There are so many ways to eat healthier, but here are just a few hints.
Print off this list and put it on your fridge. Put a tick next to each one when you’ve tried it.
1. Take Mason Jar salads to work for lunch; they're healthy & look beautiful. Layer salad dressing, then legumes, then greens, with tomatoes and nuts on top.
2. Add super foods to your diet (chia seeds, amaranth, spirulina, psyllium husks)
-Try adding them to smoothies if you struggle with the texture or taste
3. Add one extra veggie to your dinner every night. Try to aim for three to start, and work your way up to 5.
4. Eat vegetarian meals four out of seven days. Indian, vegetarian dishes are my favourites for hearty meat-free meals.
5. Occasionally swap bread for corn thins or rice crackers.
6. Take bliss balls to work for the 3pm slump instead of coffee.
7. Decrease your coffee intake by one cup a day (if you drink four now, try swapping one coffee for green tea instead - you'll save money too!)
None of the tips above are about limitation or deprivation, they’re about trying new, exciting things to brighten your plate, and give you more energy!
photo: snob fashion blog
The best way to eat healthy long term
Reading a blog post isn't always enough - you might need some personalised, tailor-made help through a one-on-one session with me.
After getting to know you through an initial consultation form, I’ll help you understand what’s holding you back from eating healthy via a one-hour Skype session. From there, I’ll give you a tangible, meaningful Wellness Action Plan to help you move forward and get results.
Whether you choose one session or a package, the small, meaningful changes you make via your Wellness Action Plan will help you learn what's holding you back from having more energy and eating good, nutritious food. I'll help you become the person you long to be; the truly amazing person you are.
By spending this time together, you’ll get evidence-based steps to help you live a happier, healthier life.
AREAS WE CAN WORK ON INCLUDE:
Why should you work with me?
After practicing Physiotherapy, PT and health consulting for years around the world in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, I’ve learned how to make health fun and inspiring. You’re not like anyone else, and your program needs to be designed for you, and only you.
Happy Easter 2016
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are, and whoever you're with. Whether you're busy with friends and family or relaxing by yourself, I hope you have a calm, happy day.
Top tip to avoid over-indulging this Easter
To those who are worried of overdoing it with the chocolate eggs this Easter, try closing your eyes, and taking in the sensation of the chocolate melting into a smooth, rich paste on your tongue. Breathe in and savour the sweet, sticky goodness. You'll appreciate your eggs so much more, and you're less likely to over-indulge when you eat with more awareness.
Most of all? Enjoy them without feeling guilty! Guilt doesn't belong at meal times, snack times or even at dessert, so enjoy those chocolate eggs....mindfully.
Have a Happy Easter.
-Caitlin xo
