Pure Healthy

Let's talk about 'hip dips' 👍

Who else has seen numerous workouts on social media that claim to 'get rid of hip dips'?

Let me tell you a secret.........you can't get rid of hip dips!
They are caused by genetics and the shape of your pelvis. No exercise is going to change the shape of your bones 🤦🏼‍♀️

You can do exercises that build your glute medius muscles (the muscles on the side of your bum) which can result in a 'rounder' bum profile from behind. However when people refer to hip dips they are talking about these indents that I'm pointing to in this picture.
Again, the size of these indents is determined by the shape of your pelvis.
Nothing to do with being overweight, underweight, needing to exercise more etc.
Train your legs and bum to be strong, please don't train them because you are trying to change something that not only can't be changed but is also 100% normal 😊👍

Just a gentle reminder ✨️
Taking care of yourself is not selfish, it's essential.
As parents we are often so busy putting our children first that we forget about ourselves. Just remember that taking care of yourself is part of being a good parent 🥰

Carrying on with 'normalising normal bodies' 💓
These are actually old pics that I took during lockdown, but the point remains the same.
This is not a before and after, these are taken seconds apart, the only thing that's changed is my pose.
I am generally a poser in pictures 🤷🏼‍♀️ who isn't? We all want to look our best but the point is you can't compare somebody's carefully posed shot to your relaxed body.
We all get bloated, we all have tummy rolls when we sit down, we all have stretch marks and cellulite and unflattering angles.
So give yourself a break and don't compare yourself to posed and very often airbrushed pictures 💓

Don't just be mindful of how you speak to others, be mindful of how you speak to yourself 💓

Negative self talk can not only lead to decreased motivation and low mood but it has also been linked to poor mental health and depression.

So don't forget to show yourself the same care and love you show others, be kind to yourself 💓

Commit! Hold yourself accountable!

It's so easy to say -

'I'm going to be more active this week'
'I'm going to get to the gym this week'
'I'm going take a walk everyday this week'
........and then this week is gone......but we can do it next week right 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Whether it's a morning walk, a gym session or a home workout, schedule it in!
Write it down, put it in your diary, put it in your phone, tell a friend you are going to do it.
Commit to yourself when you are going to do it and hold yourself accountable 👍

Quick and easy Chinese fakeaway 😋

This meal is quick, healthy and extremely tasty!
Chinese chicken and broccoli and rice.

All you need is -
Chicken (breast or thighs)
Dark soy sauce
Hoisin sauce
Garlic
Ginger (fresh or flakes)
Broccoli
Your choice of rice or noodles

Steam your broccoli in a pan with a little water.
Mix the soy and hoisin sauce together in a bowl.
Stir fry the chicken for 5 minutes before adding some garlic, ginger and the sauce. Stir well and allow to cook.
Add the broccoli a couple of minutes before it's done.
Serve with your choice of rice or noodles.

Enjoy 😊

Good morning 🥰

Start your day with a positive mindset ✨️

Want a tasty, healthy and filling breakfast waiting for you when you wake up? 😍

Overnight oats are so simple to make and you can pretty much add anything to them depending what flavours you like!

The base of overnight oats is literally just rolled oats and milk ( doesn't have to be dairy, can be a plant based alternative) mixed together and left in the fridge overnight. You can mix in some honey to sweeten them 😊

Here's a few ideas of things to add to your oats for a tasty breakfast -

Banana and Nutella
Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
Chopped apple and cinnamon
Almonds and chocolate chips

Optional extras you can try adding -
Vanilla
Chia seeds
Greek yoghurt
1 scoop of protein powder

Mason jars and jam jars make the perfect pot for your oats 👌

Give them a go 😊

5 natural ways to feel more energised!

I saw a quote that said
"I'm not an early bird or a night owl, I'm some kind of permanently exhausted pigeon" 😆🤦🏼‍♀️
Since becoming a Mum I can definitely relate to this 😆 and it's very easy to become reliant on caffeine or sugar to try and make it through the afternoon!
However there are other, healthier and more effective, ways to increase your energy levels!

Here's 5 things to try -

1) Exercise!! I know it sounds backwards but exercise can actually boost your energy levels

2) Stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause fatigue.

3) Make sure you get enough sleep or take steps to improve your sleep quality.

4) Manage your stress levels. Stress is mentally and physically draining. Learn techniques to manage stress if it's getting on top of you.

5) Snack on fresh foods. As tempting as it is to reach for a sugary snack, if you snack on some fresh fruit instead it will avoid the sudden drop in blood sugar afterwards

👍

As promised! This is the first in a series of posts about 'normalising normal bodies'.

Let's talk stretch marks and cellulite 👀

These pics were taken seconds apart. The only thing that changed was the light and my position.
I believe that social media in particular is guilty for leading us to believe that we have to be 'perfect' and to be perfect our bodies should look flawless. That's not reality.
Stretch marks and cellulite are NORMAL and no matter what shape and size you are you probably have some!

Stretch marks are a form of scar that appears when our skin has grown or shrunk too quickly. Various things can cause them from weight gain or weight loss to pregnancy or growth spurts. We may not like the appearance of them but they do fade over time, they are completely harmless and again.....they are NORMAL.

Cellulite is NORMAL fat underneath the skin. Having cellulite does NOT mean you are fat and if you have cellulite, even if you do lose a substantial amount of weight, you are likely to still have cellulite.
Again we may not like the appearance of it but it is completely harmless, the majority of women have it and it is NORMAL.

Stretch marks and cellulite are real and natural 💓 'Perfect' flawless bodies are not.

Here's your Monday morning reminder to take one step at a time 🥰

Have an amazing day!

Simple and tasty dinner idea 🍴

Bolognese stuffed Peppers 😋

Cook your mince (beef or turkey if you prefer) and chosen vegetables (I like to add onion and mushrooms) and mix in your bolognese sauce.

Half and de-seed your peppers and place on a baking tray.
Fill your pepper's with your bolognese and sprinkle on a bit of cheese 🧀
Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with rocket salad 👌

Mum guilt is definitely a thing 😳

I swear as soon as you become a Mum you question everything you do and can make yourself feel guilty over pretty much anything 🙈
So let's not make what we eat be one of them!

Start to train your brain to stop seeing food as good or bad.

Unfortunately, certain well known diet groups which refer to some foods as 'syns' and such like 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️ only increase an unhealthy relationship with food by implying some foods are bad.

A double cheeseburger is not 'bad', but eating a double cheeseburger every lunchtime is.

Chocolate is not 'bad', but eating a share bag of chocolate buttons every evening is.

A packet of crisps is not 'bad', but eating 3 packets every day is.

A glass of wine is not 'bad', but several bottles every weekend is.

You see what I'm saying!
Even if you are on a weight loss journey, there is no food that you should be made to feel guilty for eating!
Its just about balance and everything in moderation 😊

I'm going to be doing a weekly post about this subject as its something that I think is hugely important!

What with social media, editing apps and a huge array of filters, it's easy to forget what is real and what is not!

I love a good filter as much as the next person but actually the amount of airbrushing and editing that goes into a lot of images that we see online can become quite damaging to our self esteem and mental health.

So each week I'll highlight a different thing that we've been led to believe is a 'flaw' when in fact its 100% normal! 💓

If there's one thing that's sure to change once you become a Mum it's how much sleep you get 🙈😬

Sleep is crucial for our bodies to be able to repair cells, restore energy and for our brains to process information from the day.
I'm sure we also all notice the difference in our mood and our appetite when we are sleep deprived 🙈

In an ideal world we would all be getting a full 8 hours sleep each night but in reality this isn't always possible!

So if you can't increase the amount of sleep you get then the next best thing is to improve the quality of the sleep that you are getting.

Here are 5 way to help improve your quality of sleep -

1) Don't have any caffeine after mid afternoon

2) Make sure your bedroom is uncluttered and peaceful

3) Stop looking at screens ( phone, laptop tv) at least 30 minutes before going to bed

4) Get regular exercise

5) Wind down before getting in bed, have a bath or read a book

Happy snoozing 😴

Why not make 'self care Sundays' a thing?

Spend some time on you today 💓 recharge before another busy week!

Creating healthy habits 😊

They say it takes 3-4 weeks to turn something into a habit. So that basically means if you put something new into your routine and to begin with it feels tough or a bit awkward, then after 3-4 weeks it should start to feel a lot easier.

So if you start today, by November it will just be part of your routine 🤷🏼‍♀️ so why not start a healthy habit today?

Schedule in a little daily walk?
Start your day with a really nutritious breakfast?
Set yourself a new step goal?
Commit to a regular exercise class or gym session?

Whatever it is, the sooner you start the sooner you will be doing something to make you healthier without even thinking about it 😊

Stay hydrated!!!!!!! But why 🤔

Did you know that even mild dehydration can affect you both physically and mentally.
Tiredness, headaches and struggling to concentrate can be signs that you just need to drink more water.

The thing is, we are all so busy, especially as a Mum, and sometimes we can literally forget to drink.
How many times have you got to lunchtime and thought 🤔 crap I've only had a cup of coffee today 🤦🏼‍♀️

The way I make sure I drink enough is by having a ridiculously big water bottle 😆
I have a 2 litre drink bottle so I know if I fill it up in the morning and once in the afternoon then I'm definitely drinking enough.
This is far easier than making yourself 8-10 drinks in a glass 🤷🏼‍♀️

Give it a go 😁

Who's with me?? 😆🤦🏼‍♀️

Bored of cereal?

Here are 5 super simple (and healthy!) breakfast ideas -

1) Granola, Greek yoghurt and fresh berries

2) Scrambled eggs on toast

3) Banana pancakes ( just 2 ingredients! Ripe or slightly over ripe bananas and eggs! Kids normally love these too!)

4) Porridge and berries

5) Apple and cinnamon overnight oats 😋 (overnight oat base of 1/3 oats, 1/3 yoghurt and 1/3 milk plus some chopped apple and cinnamon)

Making time for ourselves can be such a challenge, it always feels like there are 1000 other things we should be doing, especially as a Mum.
However, being able to have at least a few minutes to yourself, an opportunity to wind down and de stress should be a priority.
This week try scheduling in some 'you time'. Put it in your phone or write it in your diary.
Whether it's an hour or even just 15 minutes, commit to taking that time out. Have a coffee, read a book, have a bath, take a walk, whatever it is, do something for you 😊
Comment below and let me know how you will spend your 'you time' this week 💗

What is 'mindful eating'?

Mindful eating in a nutshell is about being more aware of when you eat, what you eat and why you are eating. Eating mindfully can help you make better choices about food and actually enjoy food a lot more!

I always use Christmas (sorry to use the C word) as a classic example of when we tend to eat mindlessly!
There are tubs of chocolates EVERYWHERE at Christmas! In the office, at home, at friends houses and how many times do you find yourself just reaching into the tub as you walk past, or sitting and chatting and picking at a tub of miniature heroes 🙈
You aren't eating them because you are hungry or because you need the sugar and half the time you might even feel sick of chocolate but still mindlessly unwrap and eat more. We just eat them because they are there 🤷🏼‍♀️
So how do we change these kind of habits?

Here are 5 simple ways to practise 'mindful eating' -

1) Consciously pause before reaching for food and ask yourself 'am I hungry?'

2) If you are eating, just eat. Don't eat and work, don't eat and watch TV, don't eat and chat, just eat and enjoy what you are eating.

3) Think about what you choose to eat and how nutritional it is for your body.

4) Eat when your body tells you to eat! Remember what it is to feel hungry, tummy rumbling etc don't eat it when you aren't hungry but also don't wait until you feel starving!

5) Slow down. Give yourself time to eat and enjoy your food. This also stops you eating past the point of being full. We have it drilled into us from a young age that we must clear our plate 🍽 but this often leads to us eating to a point that we are uncomfortable rather than satisfied 😌

Getting started is always the hardest part, but if you sit around waiting to feel motivated you will never start.

I've been asked so many times 'where do you find the motivation to work out?'

The truth is you don't 'find' motivation, you create it.

Action comes first then once you get started, motivation follows.

There are so many physical and psychological benefits to being active so don't wait until you feel motivated to get started.

Just do it, whether it's going to the gym, starting an exercise class, taking up running, or just being more active in general. Get up and push yourself, once you get started you will feel motivated to keep going, just take that first step 🚶‍♀️ 💪

Feeling low from time to time is absolutely normal and actually just makes you human.

Here are some simple ways to boost your mood by doing things which increase your 'happy hormones' 😀

Oxytocin 'the love hormone'
Stroke or cuddle an animal
Hug a loved one
Do something kind

Dopamine 'the reward chemical'
Try and get enough sleep
Complete a task, tick something off
Eat well

Serotonin 'the mood stabiliser'
Exercise
Have a walk outdoors
Meditate

Endorphin 'the feel good hormone'
Listen to music
Have s*x
Have a massage

and smile 😀

This is so accurate!

But isn't it funny how we all suffer from 'Mum guilt' when we do anything for ourselves 🙈

Don't turn exercise into a chore.
Find something you enjoy doing!

There is absolutely no point whatsoever dragging yourself to do a form of exercise that you do not enjoy for the following reasons -
1) You will never stick to it long term
2) You won't give it your all
3) Lifes too short to make yourself bloody miserable!

The amount of times I've heard 'urgh I've got to go for a run later' or 'oh god I've got to go to the gym today because I've only been once this week 🙄 '

If you don't like running don't run! If you don't like going to the gym don't go!
The absolute best way of sticking to doing regular exercise is to find something you enjoy doing, something you can look forward to, not something you dread.

So try different things, try out different classes at your local gym and take a friend with you, go hiking, surfing, weight train, trampolining, dancing.
Exercise doesn't just mean going to the gym or taking up running, make exercise something you look forward to 😊

I use the word 'balance' a lot when it comes to food.

Nutrition is something I'll be talking about a lot as there are so many aspects to it.
In theory, it should be simple, a professional could do you a meal plan which includes everything you need to fuel your body for good health. You follow the plan, job done.
However for the majority of people, it isn't as simple as that.
Many of us have an emotional relationship with food.
Not totally our fault, we are almost programmed to believe that there are 'good foods' and 'bad foods'.
We often turn to 'bad foods' for comfort but then we feel guilty because they are 'bad!'

There's something I'd love everyone to keep telling themselves until they believe it -
'there's no such thing as bad food'.
It's just about getting the right balance.

I'll be going into this in lots more detail but please like and comment if this resonates with you 👇

A huge thank you to everyone who has liked my page so far! 💓
Please make sure you invite your friends to the page too.
All of the content will be advice and tips on how to feel healthier and happier and who doesn't want to feel that! 🥰

Just go to tabs under the image at the top of the page, scroll across to 'community' and 'invite' your friends 😊

The benefits of being more physically active go way beyond possibly losing a few pounds.

Being more active can benefit both your physical and mental health, it can boost endorphins (happy hormones) and improve your mood, increase energy levels, improve sleep, strengthen muscles, bones and joints, the list goes on.

Here are 5 ways you can be more active without having to dedicate time to doing a full blown workout -

1) Take the stairs not the lift

2) Don't park in the closest space to the supermarket entrance ( we all try and do it 🙈)

3) Take the kids for a walk (and the dog if you have one!) Feed the ducks, play eye spy 🕵️‍♀️, anything to get out and moving!

4) Have phone calls to make? Walk around while you make them or at least stand not sit

5) Instead of meeting a friend for coffee and sitting in a coffee shop, walk and talk 🚶‍♀️

If I was to say you have to schedule some 'you time' what would your automatic reaction be?

Probably 'I don't have time!'

But 'you time' doesn't have to be a spa day or a night out, it might be that you give yourself an extra 10 minutes in the bath to relax, or going to bed half an hour earlier so you can read.
It's just about giving your mind a little break and a chance to relax.

Just by making that bit of time for yourself a priority you can improve your mood, help your sleep and increase your patience levels 🧘🏼‍♀️