Health and wellbeing tips for busy people from top fitness coach, Jon Denoris.
1. Manage your ENERGY not your time. Time management is, I believe, a myth. It’s far better to increase your energy levels so that it is greater than the demands/stresses placed on it. Smart use of movement, nutrition and restoration can help you to do this.
2. Use Technology as an enabler of “wellness” to help track your movement. “wearable tech” offers interesting insight to how we live our lives, and health and fitness companies offer options that are great to help with motivation and keep you on track. Many offer wireless uploading to smartphones so we can make sure we move more.
3. Research now supports what coaches have intuitively always known: even short bursts of activity throughout the day can help make us smarter, more creative and helps us to focus. Try to introduce “Short bursts” of movement throughout the day to reset the mind for the next challenge.
4. Change your Vocabulary. This really works if you can implement it, for example why not make your coffee break a “recovery” break, where you do a quick 10 minute power walk and then pick up your good-quality, (organic if possible) coffee on the way back – it’s great for you!
5. “Will Power”. Sounds like a super hero, but actually it needs preserving. Giving into will power doesn’t help you to replenish it for later. Trying to achieve change via will power alone is a recipe for disaster. You need to “out smart” your environment. But the good news is that will power is actually a trainable skill.
6. Begin with Breakfast. A slightly different approach I take with clients is to get them to focus on organising their day from a health-first perspective. For example, only once they have got into the habit of having a healthy breakfast will I begin to look at how we introduce options for lunch and evening meals that support energy. If you can’t get breakfast right, it’s unlikely you will make healthier choices later on in the day.
7. Get a good quality, clean protein source at breakfast. Protein helps keep you focused, controls appetite and increasing protein in the diet can also help you to lose weight. I have included two options below for breakfast options to fuel the body for long term energy. Chose no.8 if you have time, no.9 if you are on the run
8. Smoked Salmon Omelette with Cream Cheese & Whole Grain Toast
I like to have a supply of good quality organic eggs in my kitchen, I also have extra egg whites I use www.twochicks.co.uk as it’s really versatile & useful for quick healthy protein based breakfasts and snacks.
Ingredients
1 cup egg whites or (2-3 eggs)
¼ cup of cream cheese softened
2 ounces smoked salmon
2 slices of whole grain bread toasted (optional)
1 ¾ cups of orange sections
sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Beat the eggs/egg whites with the cream cheese salt and pepper. Coat a non stick frying pan with virgin coconut oil and heat. Pour the egg white mixture into the pan and gently push the mix towards the centre until they are almost set. Now add the smoked salmon on top. Cover the pan and cook for 30 seconds, adding more pepper to taste if desired.
To Serve; Fold omelette in half and serve with toast and orange segments. On non training days you can reduce / remove the toast if you like.
9. Power Smoothie
Great for breakfast or mid morning/post training snack! Packed full of goodness and quick to make, this is one smoothie that will fill you up for hours!
Ingredients
2 scoops of natural Whey Protein (www.kineticasports.com)
2 handfuls of mixed berries ( blueberries, blackberries, rasberries)
2 tablespoons of bio yoghurt
½ an avocado or tablespoon of Virgin Coconut Oil
1 scoop of “greens” (optional)
1 cup of water or skimmed milk to your preference
Ice or use frozen berries
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients together in a blender, enjoy!
10. Eat as close to nature as possible. If your grandparents, parents wouldn’t recognise it as food, you should probably steer clear. Take-away are ok once in a while, but for long term sustained energy and weight management, it’s much better to prepare and cook your own healthy food.
Jon Denoris is a Masters-Level Exercise Scientist with CISSN cert. a celebrity fitness coach, Nike master trainer & Author of “The Pop Up Gym” (Bloomsbury Apr 2014). He owns Club 51, a bespoke fitness studio located between Marylebone and Harley Street in London. He has an Honours Degree a Master’s degree in Exercise Science specialising in Exercise Psychology and Behavioural Change strategies.