want a recipe for surviving Christmas?
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a single recipe for surviving the challenges of the Christmas period or for achieving wellness! In reality each of us needs to find the combination of lifestyle choices and eating habits that works for us.
It took years for me to realise that grains really upset my stomach and what I thought was IBS was simply a poor tolerance for wheat and similar grains. My (seven) years as a vegetarian and vegan were my most uncomfortable, not because I was consuming too many vegetables but because of an increased consumption of grains, sugars and soya protein.
Choosing to be well is simply that: a choice. Most of us know what we are doing wrong or perhaps that we are doing something wrong. Making the choice to be well is relatively easy but we do need support along the way as so much of our culture is hell bent on making us fail.
My choices
The way I keep well is through a combination of movement and diet that I set out below. This is my personal combination and it works for me. Why does it work? Simply because I enjoy each of the components individually and I like the likestyle that the combination yields for me. It doesn’t feel like a hair shirt thing at all and I have a level of fitness, strength and health that has only been surpassed in my teenage years.
This combination works for me. The paleo diet has eliminated bloating and any traces of IBS. I feel hungry less and I really enjoy my food. Yoga and Pilates are fantastic for strength through flexibility – I love these activities and intend to pursue them in the long term. Next year I will train as a Pilates instructor with a longer term aim of training as a yoga teacher too.
Kettlebells provide phenomenal strength and conditioning. Proper use is essential which is why I added Kettlebell and Medicine Ball training to my studies as a (REPs) Personal Trainer. For most of my clients, medicine ball, kettlebell and bodyweight exercises are all I need to use with occasional core stability exercises using the swiss ball, the pilates ball and a wobble board for good measure. I love the work I do and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly clients make differences to their physical strength, fitness and posture with these interventions.
Barefoot running is relatively new for me. I’ve been wearing minimalist shoes (only) for 2 years now and started running in them during the past year. Come the Spring/Summer I will venture into full barefoot (no shoes) running. I love the freedom in running – it can be truly exhilarating, something I never thought I’d hear myself say having struggled with running for years!
Jado Kuin Do is my chosen martial art. Starting this was life changing for me and I’ve been incredibly lucky to be able to work at close hand with Master Jake Ogden founder of the World Jado Kuin Do Organisation and recently inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. I came to Jado relatively late in life, starting in my early 40s. I’d last studied a martial art in my early 20s so it was a bit of a shock coming back to one. But it has been fantastic and now I teach many children and adults on a weekly basis through my own Jado Kuin Do academies.
My chosen combination provides endurance, flexibility, strength, power and balance supported by high quality food. Nothing feels like an exercise or workout, it’s all just fun and challenge. I work with amazing colleagues, clients and students and feel blessed every day!
Failings and Compromises
It’s not all roses though. We all have a bad day sometimes and there are days when I just don’t want to go out for that run. So I just don’t. I never force myself into an activity – it’s not about willpower, but about tapping into what makes us tick. For me five years ago, feeling unwell was the thing that I was least happy about so I knew that my lifestyle had to change. And it has, but I still occasionally eat a cake, or skip a training session or drink a bit too much wine.
You have to live the life you want to live and look back on it and be happy. For me that is about feeling well in myself, being there and being a good Dad for my children, and enjoying great relationships and experiences with family and friends. The compromise is that my life can’t be about material success and huge wealth – there seems to be an inherent conflict to me in doing all the things I do want to do and career success. So I choose a more minimalist approach to life and I’m happy with that.
Future
I’m on a mission to feel in the best condition of my life by the age of 50 and keep it there as long as I can. Im going to help as many people as I can do the same. I enjoy working with all ages from 4 to 84. A lot of what I do is really about play which I feel has huge validity for both children and adults. Learning or re-learning to enjoy moving around and being comfortable in our bodies is hugely related to being at peace with ourselves.
I look forward to adding to my life experience in a way I can share through my pilates and yoga training and MovNat training later in the coming year. I don’t have any New Year resolutions so much as a list of a few exciting new things to try out with the people I engage with.
I hope you find your way in the coming year and enjoy the festive period. If you want some tips for getting started please do sign up and download the Christmas Survival guide, or if you missed it, download the Weightloss factsheet here.
Happy Christmas!
