Top Feel Good Health Tips

Whether you've made resolutions or not, there's always a sense of renewal and new beginnings when January comes around. With this in mind, we've come up with 6 small and realistic tips (with some advice from the experts) to help you feel your best this year, because it's not always about becoming a 'new you', but about taking little steps to make the old you happier and healthier.

Sunday preparation:

It may be that you want add more fruit and vegetables to your diet, try new exotic foods or simply eat a bit healthier, well first things first: nothing keeps you on track more than being organised and prepared. One of our best tips to save time and to keep on top of what you're eating is to make Sunday your 'food day'. Use your evening to make up batches of your favourite meals that you can enjoy all week long. Easy dishes like Roasted Root Vegetables or a big batch of Lentil & Moringa Soup take minimal time and are packed with goodness.

The Hemsley + Hemsley sisters Jasmine and Melissa are also big fans of the plan ahead strategy: "A handful of hours and plenty of containers is all you need to fill your fridge and freezer with delicious home-cooked food. Get a friend involved and it will take even less time and the more you do it, the more efficient you will become. We like to think of the Sunday Cook Off as an investment for the working week".

Stay Hydrated:

It's an oldie but a goodie! Topping up your water levels and keeping hydrated has long been touted as one of the best (and easiest) ways to keep your body healthy. From clearer skin, to better digestion, its amazing how much better you feel after those all-important 2 litres of water a day. Of course, the hardest part is often actually remembering to do it. Be sure to keep a water bottle with you at your desk or take one in your bag for when you're out and about; it’ll be heavy so you’ll want to drink more to reduce the weight! 

Not a fan of plain old water? Mix it up and try infusing it with fruit, vegetables and superfood powders.

Keep vitamin C topped up:

The human body can't store vitamin C so it's incredibly important we keep our levels topped up throughout the day to maintain a strong and healthy immune system. This is particularly important in January after all the celebrations and parties during the holidays. Unlike manufactured pills, taking a natural and organic wholefood like Baobab Powder ensures a greater uptake, as it is a more bioavailable source. Rich in vitamin C (a single serving provides 33% of your daily Vitamin C requirement), high in fibre and with more antioxidants than any other fruit, a couple of teaspoons of baobab mixed into your breakfast smoothie, juice or porridge - or shaken into your water bottle (see above!) can provide an immediate cure to Christmas overindulgence. 

Nutritional Therapist Eve Kalinik agrees: "Adding baobab to your routine after the festive period can help replace vital nutrients that can easily be depleted post a late night on the tiles. Baobab is also a source of vitamin C that can help fight off winter bugs and support the immune system that can often be under strain after the holiday celebrations". 

Get more sleep:

A topic that is getting a lot of attention at the moment (and for good reason!) is the importance of sleep. Securing those precious 7-9 hours sleep at night is absolutely crucial to help your body rest and repair. The issue is that many of us aren't switched off enough at night and as a result have a disturbed sleep. Vedic meditation teacher Will Williams recognises this: "Many of us are sleep deprived due to the hectic nature of modern life - things such as too much caffeine, fast-paced working environments and too many screens overstimulate our nervous systems and leave us feeling frazzled. The result is often disturbed sleep as our bodies are unable to adequately switch off and transition into sleep mode". If this sounds all too common for you, read our guide on how to get a good night's sleep where we speak to Will in more detail and get tips on what foods to eat from a nutritionist to send you off to the land of nod.

Get outside:

They don't call it the 'the great outdoors' for nothing, and most people would agree that getting outside into the fresh air can lift your mood, ease anxious thoughts or wake up a sluggish mind. The experts over at sports nutrition & running brand Tribe are also big believers in this: "running outside is proven to release more endorphins than running indoors on the treadmill". What's more, apparently our ancestors would be proud: "running in the great outdoors is how we were built to run". 

So this year why not give the gym a break, banish the winter blues and get outside!  

Focus on gut health:

Gut health isn’t just about digestion; a healthy gut leads to a healthy body. Don't just take our word for it though. Nutritional Therapist, chef and author Christine Bailey is a big advocate of taking care of your gut and believes now is the best time to start: "If you struggle with ongoing digestive symptoms, bloating, pain, constipation or diarrhoea then the New Year is a great time to take action. What’s more the latest research is revealing the state of our gut bacteria may be the key to boosting weight loss, improving our mood, immunity and skin health too. So if you’re looking to give your health a boost it’s time to start with the gut". 

A good place to start is by incorporating a quality probiotic into your routine, or eating more probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, and fermented veggies. Read our full article with Christine for the whole low down on gut health. 

Get more wellness and health advice from the Hemsley & Hemsley sisters and read their top tips for staying healthy in the New Year, or browse through our recipes for delicious, nutritious dishes that will keep you feeling good all year long.