Mindfulness

Before I get into this weeks blog, I would like to extend my thanks to those that have reached out since the last post – Raw and Real. Its nice to feel everyones support no matter how big or small ones problems are. Mentally I am in a better place but for those who are still fighting, people love you more than you know so keep going – you’ve got this 👊

As I mentioned last week, I wanted to talk about mindfulness and how it can also be related to food as well as the whole breathing malarkey. 

When I first heard of mindfulness and the technique behind it I thought ‘that’s not gonna work for me! Theres no way I will ever be able to get out of mind own head and be present in the moment.’ Well how wrong was I! In a matter of weeks I had managed just that and it was a lot easier than what I thought. That’s not to say its like that for everyone else; sometimes it can take months to master. 

I was first introduced to mindfulness through the art of Yoga. There are 2 types of yoga; yin is hard so hats off to anyone that does it frequently and yang is all about relaxation. At this stage I was doing the latter and to be honest I had the same mindset as I did when I first heard about mindfulness; this isn’t going to work for me! And at first I thought I was right. So there I am, sitting down on my yoga mat, legs crossed and doing the deep breath technique thinking ‘this is so effing stupid.’ Albeit, I tried to do this at home using a youtube video 😂 so I had no motivation nor guidance. After a few more failed attempts, I mentioned my failures to a mate who suggested attending a class which she attended frequently. This class was for 2 hours. 2 HOURS! As I was walking to the class my first thought was its going drag’ and my second thought was ‘I am not going to be as good as others’ which kicked in the paranoia of being self conscious. Obvs. That negativity made me believe that it was going to be rubbish before I even stepped foot inside the room. And its because of that negativity why I wanted to go. Naturally I am a pessimist and get quite stressed easily so I needed it. 
The decision I made was not one of regret. I left that room feeling so chilled and laid back, I was practically horizontal. It was FASTEST 2 HOURS OF MY LIFE and was pretty much just laying down the entire time (wonderful) so there was no comparing. The instructor was so soft spoken that when she asked us to relax and imagine a scene I’m pretty sure my scene turned black within a few mins 😴 I went home and could not be arsed to do anything for the rest of the day. I was amazed at how something so simple; breathing in and out and focusing on that, could have such an affect on my body and mind. So much so that I soon returned to the youtube videos and have never looked back. Focusing on your breath and how each breath makes you feel eases any tension and anxiety almost immediately, as it gets you out of your own head. It forces you to feel whats going on inside your body; feeling the oxygenated blood rushing through your veins. This brings a sense of calmness to the body and mind forcing you to be present in the moment and left feeling centred. The added bonus of yoga (yin AND yang) is the flexibility. 

If you have not tried it and need some ‘me’ time I highly recommend. Especially if you get anxious very easily and are a stress head like me. Start off simple and head towards a youtube vid as it may work for you without having to spend. WIN WIN 🙌 As I mentioned previously, I took me weeks so it may take you a few tries. Its key to be patient and persistent and hopefully you will love it. 

As I have previously stated, there are 2 types of mindfulness, the second being food related. This is pretty self explanatory; being mindful of what and when you eat. 

After a stressful day at work I liked to go home and have a snack before dinner and done get me wrong, I still do this (more than what I’d like 🙄). I soon realised that this was my routine and it didn’t help towards my goal, so I decided to ask myself a few questions before diving into the fridge. ‘Am I hungry? Or am I just thirsty and need a bit of H20?’ That’s right, like fizzy drinks water can fill you up and more often than not, thirst gets mistaken for hunger. If you want to cut back on the snacks and reduce your calorie intake I’d suggest grabbing a glass of water before grabbing a bag of crisps and see how you feel. Doing this will trick your mind into believing that it is full and if it turns out that you are peckish then head for the fridge but be mindful and always try to choose healthier options (I know, easier said than done). 

All of our favourite snacks can be replaced with something healthier so don’t go thinking you can't drop the crisps and feel satisfied because you can. Here’s a list containing a few healthier alternatives:

• Crisps = snack a Jack’s/flavoured rice cakes
• Chocolate bar = a few small pieces of dark chocolate 
• Fizzy pop = diluted drinks/water
• White bread = wholemeal seeded bread 
• Cereal = porridge
• Battered = breaded

All of the options above are better and healthier alternatives. You do not have to fully restrict yourself to get the results you want. Little changes, for example going from battered to breaded chicken is to do with how its cooked just as much as what it contains. Battered is always fried. It’s those little changes that make the biggest difference. Wholemeal seeded bread is a lot better for you than white as it contains seeds that give you extra vitamins and contains more fibre. So please remember that less calories doesn’t always mean the best option in some cases. With that said, that doesn’t mean you can't have a treat and enjoy yourself. It’s all about balance and moderation and having a healthy relationship with food. For more information on lifestyle, see my All Things Food post on this blog 😊

To help you kick start the right way, I am going to share my peanut butter balls recipe with you. These balls are filled with a mixture of nuts and oats to help you feeling fuller for longer and to be your go to snack whenever that water isn’t working! They are tasty and healthy so WIN WIN! 🙌

Recipe 

• 50g Oats
• 10g Almonds 
• 10g Hazelnuts
• 2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
• 1-2 Tablespoon Honey/Maple Syrup

You can alter the quantities to your preference and to how many you would like to make. Depending on the size of the balls, this recipe typically makes 6. 

Method 

• Chop almonds and hazelnuts. 
• Chuck everything into a bowl and mix.
• Shape your balls and place them in the freezer (using Tupperware) to set.

It’s that easy!! 😃

Other nuts can be used so tailor it to what you like! And if you’re feeling naughty, add some chocolate chips! Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring! Give these a try and let me know what you think 😊 sharing is caring so leave a comment below sharing your version of this recipe 😊 I might even nick it! 

Challenge: Try not to eat them all in one go 😂 a certain someone is guilty of that 🙋🏼‍♀‍ and if you do, fuck it, YOLO 😂 it could be worse, you could be eating something full of crap with no nutritional value! 

Have a lovely week everyone and be kind to yourself and others!

Alice ❤