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Summer bliss . . .

At last we appear to be safely into the season of great weather, travelling and a lot of fun!

May could not have been a more exhilarating month – especially as it’s historically a time when I meet my heroes. A couple of years ago, it was Louise Hay and this year I had the opportunity to spend a day in the presence of Deepak Chopra.

Apart from his imaginative interpretation of quantum physics, synchronicity and neuro-plasticity, Deepak, Louise and Dr Wayne Dyer are some of the most inspirational founders of mind/body writing – a million thanks to both Patti in the US and Sunna Yates for making this a magical day.

Wellbeing fact: a happy friend increases your happiness by 15% (Gallup poll 2010)

Food

Want to get a bikini bod quickly? Ditch the high-carb, fatty meals and snacks – giving up desserts and replacing them with more vegetables or fruit has done wonders for the old bod!

As temperatures rise, aim to eat more cooling foods like salads, fruit, vegetables coupled a wide variety of proteins. I know it sounds like I’m repeating myself, but you’d be amazed how many people are still making bad food choices.

If you’re having problems with food cravings, The I Diet by Dr Susan Roberts and Kelly Sargent for those who want to find substitutes for calorie dense food is insightful and helpful.

According to Susan, we tend to sabotage our attempts at dieting due to our biology – we’re wired to pig out whenever possible! That’s why it’s tough, but we basically need to retrain our minds to recalibrate our taste buds. Susan says: ‘A lower calorie, high –fibre food that tastes the same resets cravings because you begin to separate calories and taste.’

Movement

The heat of Sun also increases the intensity of your workout so now is the time to reduce the intensity of your cardio workouts by reducing speed – but make sure you still work out regularly. Drink water both during and after a session to compensate for excess water loss

You may have noticed that many of the endurance sports are at the end of their season – it’s no coincidence that football, rugby and marathon-running to name a few, all take a break until the autumn. Over-heating the body with exercise causes inflammation and heat exhaustion – not a pleasant feeling – water sports, stretching, cycling or a morning walk/jog around the park are all better options.

Clinic Note:

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had few clients with lower back problems, which have largely been caused by long hours seated at computers.

If you’re experiencing a similar problem and want to ease compression on your back try these simple exercises:

(a) Stand up and circle your arms, roll your shoulders then your head in a semi-circle from side to side.

(b) Bend down, keeping your knees bent and touch your toes and hold for 15 seconds then repeat.

(c) Do 60 seconds of the plank or basis stomach crunches to trigger abdominal muscle performance.

Get creative and enjoy the month – until next time,

Jacqueline