Do: January

It is nearing the end of January and I’m wondering how many people out there have succeeded in sticking to their New Year’s resolutions or whether they failed at the first hurdle. Dry January? Well it’s nearly over: well done to all those that succeeded in not drinking a drop during one of the bleakest months of the year.

I am certainly no saint when it comes to food and drink (I pretty much live by the motto ‘work hard play hard’). I am a beast without my morning cappuccino and I love anything bubbly - but I do try to maintain a good healthy balance with exercise, food and relaxation.

Magpie & Fox is all about helping women feel and look good whoever they are and whatever age they are. We all know looking and feeling good is not just about what you wear on the outside- it’s about what goes inside too.

I hate depriving myself of anything as ultimately, as soon as I do, I cave. So I suggest everything in moderation (something that definitely goes out of the window in December and on holidays, particularly when in France!).

Here are five things I do which may help you feel as good inside as they will make you look outside:

1. No processed food

I try to eat as much fresh food as possible. We get a lovely mini vegetable box from the Cornish Food Box Company every Thursday, which means that we have a varied menu every week with plenty of fresh vegetables. I also try not to eat too much white food like bread and pasta however again- everything in moderation.

2. Cooking with Coconut oil (wherever possible)

Coconut oil seems to be all the rage these days and I can see why. I use it where I can to replace butter and oil.

Pressed from the fruit of the coconut palm, coconut oil is perfect for light meals and subtly flavoured dishes. You can also use it to make raw chocolate and cakes but I’ll save that for another blog.

Coconut oil has amazing health benefits:

• It contains a unique combination of fatty acids with powerful medicinal properties

• It can increase your energy expenditure, helping you burn more fat

• It contains Lauric Acid which can kill bacteria, viruses and fungi helping to stave off infections

• Apparently it can kill hunger, making you eat less without trying

Coconut oil is not only delicious and healthy to consume, it has some amazing properties that have nothing to do with eating it. You can use it for many cosmetic purposes to improve the condition of hair, skin and nails as it is an amazing moisturiser.

I buy my coconut oil from Archie Browns on Kenwyn Street (just up the road from Magpie & Fox). If you can’t bear the taste of coconut oil they even sell one with the flavour removed!

3. Exercise

Stating the obvious here! I love exercise now but it’s not always been a passion of mine.

I love running and try to get out as much as I can. Being in the fresh air in Cornwall does wonders for the soul but it’s not always possible, and now I have my son I find it even harder. However I have found some amazing online yoga tutorials at www.doyogawithme.co.uk - perfect for those wintery nights.

A friend also recently introduced me to Insanity and the 30 Day Shred which are not for the faint hearted but do get easier with time. If all of that sounds like too much don’t beat yourself up about it. A walk in the park, on the beach or in the woods is still good exercise we don’t all have to be slaves to a workout regime.

4. Breakfast

I always start my day with a good breakfast of either porridge made with almond milk (as I prefer the taste to normal milk), or a green smoothie (Kale, Mango, water, Maca Powder, Banana, Chia Seeds) it sets me up for the day, fills me up with goodness, and after all they do say eat breakfast like a king! Being a busy working mum who is always on the go I find that if I don’t eat breakfast I either get ‘hangry’ or can’t keep my mind focused throughout the day.

5. Spending time with loved ones

An obvious one but surrounding yourself with people who make you smile and laugh on a regular basis is like medicine for the soul. A bit of a cliché but very true. So take some time out every day to spend time with the people you love that make you feel happy inside and laugh out loud.

#musings #howilive #foodanddrink