I love September. After the heat of the summer (especially here!), the cooler, mellower days of autumn have a wonderful golden softness that just isn't part of any other season. I love the warm, gentle afternoons and cooler evenings; I love the slight chill in the mornings and the hints of autumn days to come. And I love that feeling of opportunity to start something new or refresh something I've let slide.
Summer holidays are wonderful things – a chance to unwind, relax, enjoy the weather and forget the normal stresses of life for a while. We catch up with friends and maybe have time to do some of the things that get pushed out in 'normal' life – reading, hobbies, visiting new places, or maybe just chilling, and hopefully we arrive at September refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated and ready to get going again.
Maybe it's the legacy of over 25 years of teaching, but September has always been a time of new starts for me – remember as a child when the new school year started? New uniform, new shoes, new pencil case and pens, new beginnings; the excitement of new classes and teachers and the chance to re-focus and start over. And I still feel that way (yes, I do still love a new pencil case); September is the time when I re-focus on my health and well-being.
So this week's blog is about taking those steps to get us back on track and re-emphasise our health in the same way that the students going back to school (hopefully!) will be focusing on the year ahead.
1. Appreciate Yourself with No Regrets
Firstly, it's really important not to undo all your rest and relaxation by having a big regret session about what you have or haven't eaten or done over the summer; holidays are a time of rest and recuperation and if the diet and exercise went astray, so be it. Sometimes kicking back and just enjoying life as it comes is what your body needs most so don't let guilt and regret spoil that for you.
Then appreciate yourself. Think about all the things you do in your daily life – the things you manage and achieve; the relationships you build and maintain; the people you care for and the things you do every day. Appreciate yourself for all your achievements, however big or small.
Then appreciate your body. It may not look or perform exactly as you want it to but appreciate it for what it achieves every day too. Appreciate your best bits and give yourself a smile in the mirror.
Look after your body because you Love it, not because you hate it
2. Set Some Goals
Just like students returning to school, it's good to set yourself some goals. What do you want to achieve? For me, it's getting back to 'proper' Primal eating – in the summer, my Primal eating tends to become a bit loose; cold beers at the end of a very hot day, ice-cream on the beach with my BFF, chips with a meal out; they're not the worst of transgressions but over time they can gradually get me back into bad habits – especially on the carb count – and then it's harder to get myself back on track. So my main goal will be to revisit Primal foods and make sure that I'm eating the best that I can.
Goals will serve you best if they're SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. A vague goal such as 'I'm going to eat better' is ok but a SMART goal would be – 'I'm going to cut out all sugar and grains.' If you set just this one, it will go a long way towards eating better and it's clear what you have to do.
So what are your goals going to be? To lose x amount of KGs by 1st October? To walk for at least 20 minutes each day? To have a 'dry' September? To work on getting 7-8 hours sleep every night? Or maybe you want to try something new – a new sport or hobby, or a class to learn something you always wanted to do.
Another way to set goals is the Stop, Start, Change approach – one thing to stop doing, one thing to start doing and one thing to change. For example, 'I'm going to Stop all sugar and grains. I'm going to Start walking every day. I'm going to Change the time I go to bed to make sure I get enough sleep.'
Set yourself 2-3 goals and then think about how to achieve them and just as we did as children, get yourself prepared in whatever way you need – and if that includes getting yourself a nice pair of new shoes, why not?!
3. Renew Your Diet
As we have seen before, 80% of our body composition is determined by what we eat. To really get back on track, our diet has to be central to our goals. Primal eating is healthy, nutritious, flexible and tasty, and it's very simple:
Cut out sugar, grains and industrially processed oils, and focus on lots of fresh vegetables, high quality protein, and good fats.
And that's it.
Yes, the chocolate puddings, ice-cream and beer will have to go, but the absolute deliciousness of fresh vegetables and salads; fish, meat, nuts, cheeses and pulses; olive oil, butter, coconut oil and cream just can't be equalled by even the most luxurious puddings or cocktails.
Resetting your carbs might be a bit of a trial especially if, like me, you have increased your carbs over the summer, but it's a short-term effort then you're back into Primal eating with no cravings, (or maybe only occasional ones)
4. Get Moving
During July and August here in Spain it's so hot that much in the way of exercise is impossible. We swim every day (mainly to get cool) and I had a few early morning paddle-boarding and swimming sessions at the beach with my BFF but I can't say I have exerted myself a lot. Now however, with the cooler weather I can look to doing more walking, running and just being more active.
Finding something you really enjoy is absolutely key to exercise and it doesn't have to be time-consuming, expensive or painful. One of the things I really miss about living in the UK is autumn walks – the beautiful English countryside in its autumn colours is hard to beat - but wherever you are, walking is one of the best exercises you can do. Now I like to walk by the sea or on the beach, but you could take in local parks, woods or footpaths, or even take a stroll around your local area – you never know what you might find.
If there's a sport or activity that you've always wanted to try, now is a great time to go for it, or maybe revisit something you enjoyed when you were younger; the added bonus is that exercising outside in cold weather burns more calories. (see my blog on Exercise here).
5. Reset Your Sleep
Hot weather can play havoc with our sleep; being too hot will wake you constantly and leave you feeling drained and out of sorts the next day. Lack of or poor quality sleep can increase carb-cravings, raise cortisol levels which in turn promote fat-storage, increase blood pressure, compromise the immune system and affect mental health so prioritising sleep is essential to getting back on track. Last night, for the first time in weeks, the overnight temperature went down below 20 degrees – to 16 degrees in fact – and my goodness did I feel the difference! I didn't wake up hot and uncomfortable several times in the night and I feel 100% better today.
Apart from the hot weather, summer holidays often include more socialising, late nights and irregular sleep patterns; alcohol also has a negative affect on sleep so if, like me, over the summer you have perhaps been drinking more than usual, now is a good time to get back to more moderate habits and prioritising sleep.
Try to aim for 7-8 hours sleep every night - turn off electronic devices in the evening to reduce the effect of blue-light, enjoy the calming dim light of evening and keep your bedroom cool – all of these will help you optimise your sleep and get you back on track.
These 5 simple steps will help you get back to living healthily and Primally and give you that zest and energy we felt as children as we went back to school; ready to learn new things and meet new people.
But Hold On to Summer!
We all feel refreshed and relaxed after our summer holidays but we quickly fall back into routines and before long, our holidays seem a lifetime away. There are ways however, to hold onto the best of our summer holidays even when we're back to normal life:
When we're on holiday, we spend more time socialising and just being with family and friends; we can try to maintain that, even if only a bit – make sure we keep up with friends and spend time with family instead of burying ourselves in routines or electronic devices
Explore new places – when we're on holiday, we make an effort to try new places and things; try exploring your local area or city, become a tourist for a day and do some sight-seeing. Maybe finish off with a meal out trying some new foods
Keep your taste-buds alive – we often try new foods when we're on holiday and even rave about them when we get home, but then we forget and go back to our usual meals. Maybe try some different recipes from other places and cultures, or recreate something you really enjoyed on holiday – there are very few dishes that can't be adapted to Primal eating – and keep the spirit of holidays and inspiration alive
Get some sun – we are hard-wired to seek the sun and sunshine has multiple health benefits. Even though the weather is turning colder, try to get outside every day and get some sun, or at least some daylight. Take a walk, play in the park with children or friends, sit in the sun, have a family picnic
Don't hide from the weather – when we're on holiday, we don't let the weather stop us from doing what we want to do – sight-seeing in the rain, why not? On the beach with coats on – go for it; I remember when my children were little, sitting in the snow having a picnic and loving every minute. Once the weather is colder and the days are shorter it's very easy to retreat to our homes and offices but why not embrace the weather instead – walk in the rain, enjoy a wild, windy day, explore a foggy morning and, of course, make the most of the sun when you can
Whatever you're doing this September, love your life and find new challenges and keep the holiday spirit alive.
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