Easy ways to live consciously

by Christina Agnew,

Our good friend Nahid de Belgeonne, Director and Founder of Good Vibes, is the person to go to when your soul is feeling a bit frazzled. Specialising in restorative yoga, Good Vibes offers Glow Yoga and Pilates classes in Europe’s first infra red heated studio.

We asked Nahid to help us start 2013 the way we mean to go on. So here are her easy tips for living consciously:

  • Engage fully in all you do. Don’t answer your phone or text while you are talking to someone - it prevents you from being fully engaged with them. Do one thing at a time and do it well; multi-tasking means setting yourself for frustration. 
  • Include mindful disciplines into your wellbeing routine, from restorative yoga to qi gong or simply sitting to meditate for a few minutes a day. Taking the time out to rest your mind and body will ensure that you are a lot more productive in your life.
  • Be an active citizen. If YOU don’t make a difference, who will? People around the world are dying for democracy. Flex your campaigning and voting muscle.
  • Stop consuming as an automatic response to what life throws at you. Instead invest in experiences and activities that nourish you.

If you need some extra help to de-stress and focus on the present, try the Yin and Yang Yoga or Glow Yoga Bliss, both by candlelight, at Good Vibes.


Top 5 healthy food blogs

by Christina Agnew, , link

It's into the third week of January and we thought you might like some new inspiration for healthy eating. Here are our top 5 blogs for recipes that are tasty and good for you.

Golubka Tile Flatbreads

My New Roots - written by Holistic Nutritionist Sarah Britton. Check out her wonderful TED Talk.

Pure Mamas - a mostly raw vegan recipe blog that is especially good for mums.

Green Kitchen Stories - a huge array of vegetarian recipes.

Golubka - slightly more complex recipes but delicious, with beautiful photography (above).

Kimberly Snyder - LA's celebrity nutritionist favours raw foods and food combining.

 


Clare's detox prep tips for ELLE

by Clare Ward, , link

In the lead up to your cleanse, it's really beneficial to do as much preparation (body and mind) as possible. Clare was recently asked to contribute her top tips to ELLE magazine.

GRADUALLY REDUCE CAFFEINE: Caffeine is the number one thing to monitor before you begin your cleanse. It is such an addictive substance that you should cut it out slowly to minimise the likelihood of withdrawal headaches. Try green tea instaed - it does contain caffeine, so will help satisfy your body, but the caffeine content is much lower than it is in coffee. Try Teapigs Mao Feng Green tea or Yogi Green Energy tea.

EAT REAL FOODS: Ideally two weeks before your cleanse, cut down your intake of processed foods and microwaveable meals. Even if they claim to be healthy they are loaded with hidden salt, which leads to dehydration. Also try to reduce the amount of dairy in your diet as it hard on your digestion.

OPT FOR LIGHT EXERCISE: This avoids putting excess strain on your muscles and joints, and reduces the energy demands on your body. Try Glow Yoga at Good Vibes in Covent Garden London as it uses infrared heat which allows your body to safely open and relax, whilst sweating out excess toxins.

UP YOUR GOOD BACTERIA: Start taking probiotics to keep the flora of your gut healthy. The gut contains a delicate balance of good and bad bacteria. When we get stressed or run down, especially in winter, the bad bacteria begins to take over which leaves the body out of sync and prone to illness. We like Symprove and Restore by Detox International.

RETHINK YOUR TREATS: Switch to dark chocolate, or even better choose raw chocolate. A good brand is Conscious Chocolate.

HYDRATE: Aim for 1-2 litres of water per day. If you find that a struggle, try coconut water such as Vita Coco. It contains high levels of the electrolyte potassium, is only 45 calories per serving and is packed full of Vitamin C.



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