Done well, smoothies are highly nutritious and can provide you with a well-balanced meal in their own right. But there are some common mistakes I see people making with smoothies which can undo the benefits.
We’ve all experienced ‘gut feelings’ and often talk about our gut when describing our emotions. There’s now a whole body of research showing that our gut and brain do in fact talk to each other via the ‘gut-brain axis’ and this could be influencing our mental health.
As we head into winter here in New Zealand, it felt like an important time to talk about vitamin D. As our main natural source of vitamin D is from sunlight on our skin, the winter months when UV rays aren’t as strong, are when we are at the greatest risk of deficiency.
Allowing your body time to restore is critically important for your health, but most of us do not treat it with the seriousness it deserves. The only way for your body to restore is through rest, yet there’s a tendency to view rest as laziness, or wasted time and in this ‘always on’ culture, we seem to have lost the ability to switch off.
Human beings are hardwired for connection. Our ancestors lived in tribes where they worked together for the survival of that tribe. Having strong and supportive social relationships is an evolutionary mechanism. One that increases our feelings of belonging, meaning, purpose, enjoyment and security. Yet sadly, more people report feeling lonely today than ever before.
Research shows that adults need an average of 8 hours of sleep a night, yet around two-thirds of us are not achieving this. When it comes to our mental health, sleep is inextricably linked. Poor sleep can exacerbate feelings of low mood, overwhelm and fatigue, whilst these same symptoms can in turn contribute to poor sleep. It’s a vicious cycle!