Why do so many people wait for either a stroke, a heart attack, the onset of diabetes or other major health trauma before deciding to change their lifestyle and diet?

I do not know the answer to this, however I have worked with many clients with high blood pressure, heart problems, obesity, diabetes and just about any other health complication over the years, and have seen this tendency many times.

Spring Clean your Body

Today is the Spring Equinox, the first official day of spring. Days are getting longer whilst nights are getting shorter, and those summer holidays are approaching fast!

We often talk about having a spring clean at home, but why not use spring as a motivator to do this with our bodies and minds too? As well as throwing out that old rubbish from around the house, throw out those old habits that can affect your day-to-day quality of life. The following tips will help you to do exactly that and make sure you approach the rest of the year with a ‘spring in your step’!

We have all heard of the word ‘superfood’ but what does it really mean? 

In my opinion, the term should be reserved for foods with genuine health benefits; those which have had their nutritional worth proven and verified in studies. They are foods that, if consumed, WILL have a positive impact on your health. Two readily available superfoods that are often overlooked as being such are coffee and coconut.

But aren’t coffee and coconut bad for you?

In short, No. However both of them have got a bad name in recent years. There are many reasons for this:

So, were you one of the thousands who suddenly joined a gym in January? Started a new diet or opted to go ‘dry’ for the month?

If you did decide to up your fitness regime as a great way to start 2014, you may already be finding that the motivation you had only a few weeks ago is already starting to wane. Was it wanting to lose a few pounds or build muscle that inspired you initially? Or was it improving your general health and fitness that led to your lifestyle changes? Whatever it was, without defining specific goals, it is unlikely that your new year’s enthusiasm will have lasted any longer than the turkey leftovers at Christmas.

How to stay motivated

Making a plan, in which you set specific goals, is key. Often, the compulsion to act overrides the desire to plan, so we never truly identify what we want to achieve nor how to achieve it. The result of this is that people do not get the results they expect and become disillusioned with the ‘January health kick’.

In my career as a health professional, I am often approached by people wanting a quick weight-loss or health fix for events such as weddings, holidays or birthdays.

There is far more value in being healthy all the time than simply ‘appearing healthy’ only at times when you feel that you may be in the spotlight.

The ONLY way to achieve this is to establish new, healthy habits and behaviours. These will then lead to the sustainable improved health, increased vitality, and longer life that we all desire.