A Health Series from The Glow Switch
Intention is an idea formed in the heart
Many of us start a new year with new intentions, be they in the form of “resolutions” or just the desire to start on a clean page. I have spent a few years working on living life with positive intention and this has involved many hours of research, listening to podcasts and Ted Talks, reading and just really expanding my own world of knowledge and experience. It has had such a phenomenal effect on my life and outlook.
Whether the subject is food, mindfulness, physical health, parenting etc. years of personal study (and experience) have formed each droplet of water that comprises my little fountain of wisdom. I am still constantly learning, always soaking up more information and absolutely loving the exploration.
One of my intentions is to share more with my family, my friends and of course my readers, things that I believe will help us live a more beautiful, positive life. Your thinking absolutely creates your reality and it’s so important to love both your body and mind, taking the most special care of both in order to be the best YOU that you can possibly be.
Once you have started with yourself, then you can share it with those around you.
Intention is more than wishful thinking, it’s willful direction.
Looking and feeling healthy
Being a mommy with a full time career and a whole lot of logs in the fire means that you always strive to give the best of yourself. You want to be there fully, for your family, your work, your side gig, present and jumping up and down if necessary. Let me just warn upfront that there won’t be any running from me! Let’s not cross the line here…
So how do we go about achieving this?
It’s not about being supermodel skinny or perfectly ripped and toned… that’s not what this is about. This is about realistically, in my lifestyle and with my resources, feeling happy and healthy and being the best ME.
I like to think that I generally have healthy eating habits and a positive attitude towards food and I instill the same in my family. We eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables, meats and fish. We don’t avoid carbs but I try to include a variety of grains for them and cut out the gluten for myself.
Health
Unfortunately, chronic pain is a part of my life. Fibromyalgia is a disorder associated with muscle, joint and nerve pain as well as severe fatigue, memory problems and a variety of other issues that often make me feel like a really old lady.
Further to that, I also have degenerated discs in my lower back which come with their own special bag of tricks for me.
I take daily medication to relieve the nerve pain and some other symptoms but other than that I prefer to manage the conditions without too much chemical intervention. A critical factor is avoiding inflammatory foods such as gluten, sugar and dairy.
This healthy eating plan is suitable for everyone and anyone! I am also not advocating any particular “diet”, neither will I call this a diet. It’s a lifestyle change with positive, healthy intention at the core, following guidelines and research that simply make sense – eat good food and stay away from the bad stuff! In a nutshell.
Together with my meal plan and weekly shopping list, it fits seamlessly into a busy family lifestyle.
Meals are flexible and adaptable so that you don’t have to cook separate meals. Recipes are super easy and cooked in a flash! Everything you need to make life less complicated and more delicious.
The plan
The main points of my healthy lifestyle plan are essentially the following:
- Drink water! 3 litres per day.
- No sugar
- No gluten (or wholewheat instead of white – pastas, breads etc)
- Limited dairy
- Fresh ingredients in their natural form
- Affordable and easily accessible… okay just normal ingredients. I may have the odd chia seed but you won’t find any pea protein powder or kombucha in my kitchen.
- Mediterranean diet – closest to the way my family normally eats and red wine is included!
- Quick, easy, delicious!
- Fibre is essential.
- Omega 3 and Vitamin D supplements.
- Have a treat now and then, be gentle with yourself. Do this because you love yourself, not to punish yourself.
- Stretch, chill, smile!
Some small changes can make a huge difference – the intention, the goal, is to feel positive, eat positive, live positive and love the beautiful life we live.
Remember that it’s not only about healthy diet, it’s about a more holistic lifestyle approach, focusing on loving yourself (body and mind), your family and the world we all live in.
