Here are five top health tips from Rachel Grunwell – wellness coach, author of Balance, and a proud ambassador for Fitbit New Zealand.
Eat real foods that nourish your body, mind and soul. Healthy eating fuels your brain power and how emotionally level you feel – not just how you look.
A top tip I share with my clients is to prepare more food for dinner (with vegetables, proteins, and carbs), so you have lunch sorted for the next day.
Also, put more plants – of all the colours of the rainbow – on your plate. I’m yet to meet a single wellness client who eats enough plants. Seriously! It’s a common theme with clients and can make such a big difference.
Move your body in a joyful way to feel fitter, healthier, and more in balance. There are so many ways to exercise – so there’s no excuse not to move.
A great way to move that’s accessible to everyone is to walk, jog or run at any time of the day that suits you.
Learning to run is how I transformed my health. I started with a walk/jog around the block twice weekly and slowly over time I was able to run more than I walked. I love using my Fitbit to see my weekly progress on how far I’ve run, the time I’ve taken to run, how many calories I’ve burned, and I can check my heart-rate too to make sure it’s not too high. I also get a kick out of the fuss my Fitbit makes when I hit my daily steps goal. It flashes fireworks at me!
Learn to breathe like a yogi. And if you don’t practice yoga, this doesn’t matter. You can use Fitbit’s 2 minute guided breathing exercises.
It’s quick, simple and really effective. Two minutes doing this can calm your nervous system and take it out of fight or flight mode.
Stay mindful/resilient during difficult times. I teach mindfulness to corporates to help them stay calm, make better decisions and feel more in balance. Mindfulness has changed my life and so I love sharing this tool with others.
One aspect of mindfulness is pausing before reacting to anything that might be distressing. This stops any emotional knee-jerk reactions. Instead, you learn how to respond more skilfully and smarter.
Keep connected with friends and family who lift you up, have your back and cheer you on to be the best version of yourself.