eating properly – Crisbie Coach

The Benefits of Morning Exercise: How to Start Your Day Right

Have you ever found yourself pondering the optimal time to exercise, or whether it’s better to eat before or after a workout? Recent studies have shed light on the benefits of engaging in moderate physical activity on an empty stomach.

Picture this: a serene morning, the sun gently rising, and you, embracing the dawn with a revitalizing workout routine. Research suggests that exercising in the morning on an empty stomach can lead to a plethora of health benefits. It primes your body for optimal insulin response, enhances muscle glucose utilization, regulates blood glucose levels, and boosts fat metabolism by up to twofold.

Imagine kickstarting your day with 30 minutes of gentle exercises and endurance training. Not only does this set a positive tone for the day ahead, but it also allows for the detoxification of your intestines during the extended overnight fasting period.

But when should you break your fast? The golden window lies roughly 30 minutes to an hour after your morning workout. A balanced breakfast rich in animal and plant proteins aids in muscle recovery and promotes anabolism. Complex carbohydrates provide the necessary energy to fuel your day. Consider a nutritious breakfast option like low-fat yogurt paired with muesli crafted from nuts and seeds.

Now, let’s talk practicality. Can you envision integrating this regimen into your morning routine? I’ll be honest – my typical morning involves a different sequence: a brief 10-minute meditation, followed by breakfast, a refreshing shower, grooming, dressing up, and then I’m out the door. All in all, it consumes about an hour and 15 minutes of my time. Adding another half-hour for exercise seems daunting.

However, amidst my current working pattern mainly from remote, perhaps now is the opportune moment to explore this morning’s practice. With the flexibility of teleworking, the pressure of rushing to catch public transport to the office fades away. It presents an ideal opportunity to recalibrate my routines and prioritize my well-being.

Let’s seize the chance to embrace healthy habits and redefine our mornings. Who knows? This simple shift in our routines might just set the tone for a more energized, productive, and fulfilling day ahead.

Are you ready to unlock the potential of your mornings?

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Get Your Energy Back by Following These 5 Tips

cheerful sportswoman running along hill in summer

Summer brings back light and it is the perfect time to recharge your batteries and repair your body, your spirit and your soul. Find your energy to get a good start again.

Summer is a good season for renewal. Every sunny day is a new departure. Each morning represents a new chance to reach your goals and follow your dreams.

To get the best out of this summer spirit, here are 5 tips to regain your well-being.

1. Take care of yourself and adopt a healthy sleep pattern. Sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being, specialists recommend sleeping between 7 and 9 hours per night. Feeling rested after a good night’s sleep allows you to better manage your energy during the day.

Tips: Plan your day the night before. In the evening, do restful activities. Create an environment favorable to rest by eliminating strong light and screens (TV, computer but also mobile phone) in your room. Practice yoga or meditation exercises.

2. Energy is on the plate. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With it, you establish the blood sugar level, avoid the cravings during the morning and give your body the energy it needs to function. Beware of some foods that could be counterproductive. Too sweet food gives you an immediate energy boost but, when over, it will leave you more tired than before.

Tips: Avoid sugars and caffeine in excess and favor food that makes you feel full, such as bananas or apples. Drink large quantities of green tea (which also helps weight loss and prevents cell aging). Buy fresh fruit and vegetables and try to eat less refined food (whole grains would be great). Make the menu of your week and fill up the fridge to avoid coming home hungry and having nothing to eat. By doing so, you will eat what you have and will not order food to be delivered at home. Establish a regular daily meal pattern. If you cannot cook, have you ever thought about learning it?

3. Meditation is useful for your well-being. We live at high speed. Sometimes this rhythm of life prevents us from fully living the things we do and focusing on them. Many activities can help us take better advantage of the present moment and meditation is at the top of the list. Before going to work, focusing on the rhythm of breathing (inhale and exhale) can help you face the day more calmly. Meditation has beneficial effects on the brain and general well-being.

Tips: Meditate every day at the same time: wake up your senses by disconnecting yourself for a few minutes. You do not have time? Try meditating in the shower or while you are on the bus or on the metro! It is enough to breathe with awareness. Relax while remaining alert. Follow your cat’s example, if you have one. But don’t meditate while driving!

4. Move to reduce your fatigue. Even if this statement may seem contradictory, sport is the best way to lighten your spirit up, remove your anxiety and regain your energy. Physical activity can stimulate the mitochondria, which are the generators of the body’s energy. So what are you waiting for? Put your sneakers on!

Tips: Walk at least 10,000 steps a day (I know, they are a lot). Try the sun salutation, a sequence of yoga positions that helps you release endorphins in the blood and then helps you be in a good mood and energized. Practice yoga, Pilates, take a bike ride or a walk with your colleagues. Walk with awareness, focusing on each one of your steps and trying to feel the contact with the ground from the top of your heels to the tip of your toes.

5. More emotional balance for more energy. We often overlook the importance of emotional balance in everyday life. The harmony of the emotions can help us feel better and improve our relationships with others. Pay attention to your emotions and learn to manage them. Do not prevent yourself from expressing them, in the appropriate ways and occasions, of course, otherwise you risk that they would become too intense and then you will no longer take control over them. Take full advantage of positive emotions and try to accept your feelings in moments of sadness or distress. Emotions have their reason for being: they are the ones who determine our actions.

Tips: Try looking at things from a broader perspective: everything in life is useful, even if it does not seem like that. Try not reacting immediately, breathe deeply and remind yourself that it will go away. If you really have to take a position, count up to ten before speaking. Set goals regularly to get the best out of yourself by living again your feelings or thoughts.

What do you think about those simple tips?

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Small Natural Tricks To Keep You Fit and Healthy

sliced fruits and glasses of fruit juice

Summer has arrived and we want to look fit and healthy, maybe losing a few kilos. There are many products that you can buy and that will help you lose weight, but there are also simple homemade tricks that you can use.

Citrus fruits are great for fitness and other body functions

Lemons, oranges, grapefruits, contain substances that help control weight because they favor the purification of the kidneys.

For example, bitter orange helps to:

1. maintain a normal weight;

2. fight against overweight;

3. manage weight;

4. metabolize fats;

5. promote fat burning.

In addition, bitter orange essential oil promotes normal sleep because it helps you relax you from the tensions accumulated during the day, while grapefruit oil helps to keep the intestines healthy. Lemon on the other hand optimizes fat and cholesterol metabolism, and supports liver health.

Remember that all citrus fruits contribute to the optimal maintenance of the immune system.

There are also other natural products that can help you maintain a healthy weight, such as licorice, sage, anise, ginger, flaxseed. These all can keep your hunger under control.

Obviously, to maintain a healthy weight it is not enough to eat citrus fruits or other recommended herbs, you have to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes not only eating and sleeping well, but also doing physical activity. The diet alone can’t do miracles, while combined with a sport or even a daily walk at a fast pace will allow you to regain shape more quickly.

A small warning. If you are overweight and want to lose weight, consult a doctor or nutritionist. These tips are aimed at people who want to lose a couple of pounds and feel fit for the summer.

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How and Why You Need to Learn to Take Better Care of Yourself

The education we have received has taught us that we must treat well the others. But why the others and not ourselves?

Are you your own worst critic? Do you sometimes insult yourself for something you did wrong or wanted to do better? Do you eat poorly, sleep little, abuse of harmful substances (alcohol, tobacco)? Or are you simply worried about pleasing others? Know that you are not alone. This is a common problem and normal to a certain extent. Because of this, it would be useful to pay attention to some daily details to learn how to look better after yourself.

As I was saying before, we have not been taught to take good care of ourselves. We put often aside our well-being. How many times have your parents told you to look well after the others or do things for the others? How many times, on the other hands, have you been told that you must also take care of yourself?

The way you look after yourselves is a kind of extension of what you have learned from your parents, teachers or caregivers.

For a very young person this may seem exaggerated, as some basic principles of self-esteem are taught in schools today. Some parents also try to instil some self-care virtues in their children.

However, for an adult or elderly person, taking care of themselves well and being truly respectful of themselves is not always something they have consciously internalized. In the past, it was not so easy to find someone who could help you cultivate a certain self-love without it being considered selfish.

In fact, this is precisely the basis: self-love, not to be confused with narcissism or egocentrism. To better understand this concept, we can first imagine what we do when we really love someone: we seek their happiness, we help them, we try to make them feel good, and we accept them as they are, with all their imperfections and qualities. Actually, looking well after yourself means really accepting yourself for who you are.

Becoming kind towards yourself, means understand yourself, especially when you face failures and mistakes.

That attitude can be a great ally. You can challenge yourselves in a healthy way, taking into account your possibilities, your desires, and not the desires that others have for you.

The use of language is very important to achieve the goal of taking good care of yourself. It is common, and to some extent normal, that on some occasions you speak “badly” to yourself, you do it unconsciously. You cannot talk to yourself always in a loving way, as you could enter into toxic positivity (when a positive attitude is used to mask negative emotions, namely pretending that all is well when it is not).

However, you must not use words that hurt yourself. Nobody insults those who truly love, right? Talking to yourself and thinking badly about some personal aspects (physical or mental), and constantly reiterating it, can in the end make you really believe it.

Taking care of yourself is essential. This implies developing a healthier and more suitable lifestyle. Sleeping and resting enough hours, for example, as well as eating well based on our weight, age and lifestyle, not abusing alcohol or tobacco, are all ways to take care of yourself. Taking time to relax, reconnect with what you really like to do, keep your hobbies, follow your passions and interact with people who bring you something positive in your life means being respectful of yourself.

What about you? Do you take good care of yourself?

Dispel Those 7 Beliefs About Solutions For Heatwaves

During heatwaves like the one we are going through, being in fresh areas, not going out during the central hours of the day and drinking lot of water (not iced water) is surely recommended. However, there are practices that are bad ideas, wrong beliefs and that you should avoid.

Photo by Massimiliano Martini on Unsplash

I do not feel hungry so I do not eat. During periods of strong heat, it is recommended to eat foods with a high water content, such as strawberries (in Belgium we still have them and they are very good!), cucumbers, watermelon, melon, salad, courgettes, tomatoes and peppers. Everything that the summer season offers us. Nature always provide us with the best solution for every period of the year. You can also eat sorbets, yoghurt and white cheese. What you must avoid are fatty meals, because the digestion of fats involves an effort of the body that increases body temperature and consequently the perceived heat.
Using the air conditioning at its maximum power. Using air conditioning is recommended but the temperature must be adjusted to a maximum of 10 degrees C lower than the outside one. Of course, if the outside temperature is 40 degrees C, 30 will be still a high temperature. However, a big gap between the outside and the insider temperatures weakens the body. And don’t forget to clean the filters.
Drinking very hot drinks. A legend tells that people living in the desert use to drink very hot teas to fight the heat. However, this is not necessarily a good idea, actually it is what it is: a legend. The body temperature is around 37 degrees. Consuming a hotter drink would mean forcing the body to sweat and therefore going forward dehydration to eliminate the accumulated heats. Ideally, you should drink liquids between 12 and 14 degrees C.
While sleeping, directing the fan to your face. A person who directs the fan towards the face in the morning will have dry nose, mouth and eyes. This is likely to give you a headache but you will definitely have a stuffy nose. It is recommended to put the fan a little further away from the bed and not to direct it to your face.
Drink at least three litres of water a day. Actually, drinking a quantity of water between one and a half and two litres is more than enough. In case of over consumption the body will be forced to eject more through sweating or peeing, in this latter case overloading the kidneys.
Nothing better than a beer to stay hydrated. Actually, alcohol dehydrates. If you drink a glass of beer, you must then drink water to compensate for the loss of water. Coffee and tea are also drinks that you do not want to drink too often for the same reason. Obviously, all carbonated and sugar-containing drinks are absolutely to be avoided.
I wait for being thirsty before drinking. When you feel thirsty, it is already late. Your body is warning you that you have lost water. Experts recommend drinking small amounts of water often rather than a lot of water in a few moments of the day. It is important to keep the body hydrated throughout the day to avoid headaches, dizziness or feelings of fatigue.

And you, what habits have you adopted to fight heat waves like that one of this summer?

The Best Time to Practise Physical Activity

Have you ever wondered when is the best time to exercise? If it is better to eat before or after?

Recent studies state the importance of practicing moderate physical activity on an empty stomach.

Practicing physical activity in the morning on an empty stomach would favour a better response to insulin, better use of glucose by the muscles, better regulation of blood glucose and twice as effective fat disposal.

Ideally starting your day with 30 minutes of gentle exercises combined with endurance exercises would be really beneficial. Considering that it is not essential to eat shortly after waking up, prolonging the night fasting would also allow us to detoxify our intestines.

When can we eat then? The ideal would be eating after half an hour, or even better an hour after this short physical activity. Breakfast should be rich in animal and vegetable proteins to promote muscle recovery and anabolism, and also contain complex carbohydrates to obtain the energy needed to face the day. An example: low-fat yoghurt with muesli made with nuts and seeds.

What do you think about it? Would you be able to start your day like this? Honestly, my morning routine is different: I wake up, practise 10 minutes meditation, have breakfast, take a shower, make up, get dressed and finally I can go out. Total: one hour and 15 minutes. If I had to add another half hour at what time should I get up? Too early! But I was wondering whether I could start this morning practice during this confinement period, considering that I manage my time thanks to telework and I am not stressed by having to take public transport to go to the office.

Seven tips for Winter Time

With the arrival of the winter season, we change our clothes and also our habits would need to change.

These tips are easy to follow and will help you to cope with the coming winter.

Our daily habits contribute to our happiness, well-being and health. That is why it is important to adapt to the season ahead, as it has an impact on our body and our spirit.

Scientific studies have shown that seasonal fluctuations such as daylight, temperature and weather have a significant impact on us. Our mood, our metabolism, our balance and our biological clock change with the changing of the seasons.

Therefore, it is important to changes our habits so to restore the harmony between our body and the environment that surrounds us.

It is not as difficult as it seems. Here are some tips that you may want to follow for your health and well-being this winter.

Walk more, drive less

There is nothing as good as an outdoors walk. Replacing journeys by car with a walk is ideal for taking your dose of fresh air, natural light and exercise. It also saves you from stress caused by the traffic. To benefit from the best of the walk, you could also listen to a guided walking meditation.

2. Take hot baths

Preparing a bath with hot water and jumping into it is the best way to relax during the cold weather. Create an ideal environment, putting bath oils in the water and some of your favourite music.

3. Adopt an evening routine

The winter season corresponds to a natural resting period. As the days get shorter and the exposure to natural light decreases, we feel less dynamic because our body produces less melatonin. To fight against the fatigue and the melancholy of winter, try to sleep eight hours a night and go to bed at about the same time each evening. Do not heat up your bedroom too much to avoid waking up sweaty in the middle of the night.

4. Eat properly

With the lowering of the temperatures comes the time to warm up with delicious and nutritious food. To prepare winter soup with relaxing effect, use warm and healthy ingredients, such as chickpeas, carrots and potatoes.

5. Take care of your skin (especially your hands)

Cold temperatures put a strain on your skin, so it is important to take care of it. To reduce dryness, use a good moisturizing and nourishing cream. In particular, the hands are more exposed to cold and need more attention and protection. To always have soft and well-groomed hands, keep a hand cream with you and use it when you need it.

6. Put your mobile aside

Due to a lower outdoors activity during winter, we are inclined to spend more time on social media. As you know, looking constantly to the mobile (or any other device) is not a good thing. Your mobile forces you to look within yourself and this may cause you a winter depression. Moreover, it disturbs your sleep. From time to time it would be better to put your mobile aside and read a good book.

7. Play games with friends

Sometimes when the evenings are particularly cold, you may want to call your friends to your place to play games. This activity is not only perfect to fight winter melancholy and apparent social isolation but it is also useful to improve your intellectual abilities. A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that playing social games keeps the brain young and active and would protect from senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

What about you? Do you have your own winter routine?