I love to read. I love to read about exercise and try new moves. I love, most of all, to read books on nutrition. It fascinates me and is what lead me to become a nutrition coach. However, if you have even read any amount of magazines or watched morning television you will notice that there is so much conflicting information out there. It can be inspiring and motivating in one moment and then completely ruin you day the next, to know that your favourite food or food group has now been demonised by the media.

When it comes to the ‘D’ word (aka Diet), I have just about heard of them all and given plenty a go myself. Don’t eat this, don’t eat that, never keep that in the house. So many rules… I have fallen into several product traps in the past and have spent money on items promising certain results but none of which served me any good in the long term.

The truth is we all know basic right from wrong in the nutrition field but it’s the all-or-nothing approach that causes the best of us to go crazy.

Along with the water consumption; eating your vegetables is a no-brainer; those vitamins and minerals help to nourish your body and help it to do its job. Fill up on vegetables for at least one of your meals in the day and you are doing a good job. Organic vs. Non-organic you ask? Do the best you can do for you and your family.

One of the many reasons I love strength training is the impact it has on my everyday life and my everyday tasks. Endurance improves, flexibility increases, I can lift heavy stuff when my husband needs me too and I am a better horse rider because of it.

Like I spoke on intentions as apposed to goals; exercising your body in a respectful way has no end. You have one body, one life, so have fun with it.

During a recent session with a client, where my enthusiasm for exercise is at its peak, I reminded her that by doing this metabolic resistance circuit she is participating in such a beautiful and intentional act of self love. Don’t you think?

Exercise is a time when you can truly connect with your body, value what it can do and understand how your body reacts to different stimulus. How bendy it is, how strong it can be and how it moves in space.

Whether you manage 10 minutes or 90 minutes in the gym, what about the rest of your day? My desire is to challenge you to intentionally create movement in your life. In times when you drive, could you walk? Star jumps in the television commercial breaks perhaps? What about jogging to the chook pen? It doesn’t seem like much, does it? It isn’t; but it can and will add up. So often gym goers take off their training shoes and tights, put up their feet and think they are done for the day. This incidental exercise is the key to maintaining functional movement for a fit life. My favourite exercise outside of the gym is definitely riding my horse, what’s yours?

Challenge yourself; move more.

Self compassion is a huge deal. Last week I wrote on doing your best and I brought light to the fact that your best is always good enough when and while you’re living with integrity.

Back when I began my journey I discovered that there were a few easy-to-do actions I could take that would make a big difference towards achieving my then, goals. The biggest and easiest of these is to drink water. You know the drill, water makes up 70% of your body, it is essential to the health and function of your cells and on a more basic level, it keeps you hydrated when you are thirsty. Thirst is often times confused with hunger and you are dehydrated well before any signs of thirst are upon you – so by drinking water it has the ability to keep hunger queues honest and in check. Along with this is the emotional satisfaction of nurturing your body with water; every sip you take can translate to an act of self love and a positive step towards those ever-important intentions! A good start is to drink 2L per day, but if you are exercising a lot, add an extra 500mL per hour of your sweat session – your body will thank you.

I like to give myself little targets throughout the day; 1L before breakfast, 1L before lunch and another before dinner. The caveat here is that you might, initially, frequent the toilet a little more until your body regulates and balances its fluids – but it will and you will feel wonderful. Water is the best cleanser and the best beverage choice. If you need a little something extra, try a few slices of lemon, lime or even cucumber!

It’s simple, sustainable and it’s a start – drink up!

Welcome back! Last week I touched on the idea of goal setting… This week I want to let you off the hook, just a little bit anyway! Here’s why –

To have a goal means to have a deadline or final destination. Sure in terms of health goals, it’s a great opportunity to change behaviour and develop habits, but what happens after you run the marathon? After you lose that last 10Kg or after the much anticipated high school reunion? Let me ask you this… Do you want to be the person who ran the marathon or do you want to be the person who lives every day, day to day, a healthy and happy lifestyle?

You know that anti-climactic feeling after the race, once the honeymoon is over or at the end of the 12 week gym challenge? We want the next best thing to get our attention, sustain our enthusiasm and keep us from falling off the non-existent wagon?

The new word I would love for you to adopt is intentions! Intentions to do your best, – remembering that YOUR best is always good enough.

I intend to walk every day for about 30 minutes, but yesterday the kids were sick and my husband was still out in the paddock – so instead of feeling lousy and defeated that I couldn’t reach my goal for that day, I chose to come from a positive place and have an adaptable mindset and do my best. My best yesterday was a 10 minute dumbbell resistance-based circuit in the lounge room! I sweated and it felt great!

Goals are either reached or they are not…Daily intentions are sustainable and compassionate choices that we make but can manipulate given that, stuff happens…

Long term outlooks are a great inspiration for change, but day to day, doing your best with the intentions you set is key. We will look more closely at this in terms of exercise and nutrition in weeks to come but for now, be kind to yourself and do your best!