Chloe Bowler shares her tips and advice on maintaining your wellness goals.
Summer has come to a close, and we are back to the routine of work and school. As the evenings get shorter and the mornings darker, now is a great time to work out a good routine for your wellbeing.
It is so easy to slip into old routines and run around as busy as ever. However, it is the best time to set some goals and carve out some time in your diary for your wellbeing.
I say wellbeing because it is too easy to think of health goals as dragging yourself to the gym. This doesn't have to be the case. You can do plenty of activities that will raise your heart rate, tone your muscles and give you some feel-good endorphins. Gyms are fabulous, so is swimming, or even just walking with a friend.
The most important thing is to schedule some time in your diary to fit in wellbeing activities. If you can walk to work, walk. If you can cycle, cycle. If you have a lunch hour you often spend wandering around town, try to schedule a friend to go for a walk with, or get in 30 minutes swimming. If you use your time wisely, it suddenly doesn’t become a burden, it becomes an achievable goal that will give you satisfaction and encourage you to keep going.
When it comes to nutrition, planning is also key. Plan what you are going to eat in advance when you can. This way, you avoid the dangerous hunger shopping when you walk around the aisles choosing your lunch with your tummy rumbling; always a recipe for buying the less healthy options! If you can batch cook, that’s amazing; keep portion-sized meals in your freezer for those evenings when you come home tired and hungry. If you cook supper one evening, try to cook double and box up the leftovers for lunch the next day. This is a healthier way to live than endless, shop-bought sandwiches. It is better for the wallet, too.
Plan your meals so you know what you’re having for breakfast, lunch and supper. Even if it doesn’t happen every day, it goes a great way to helping you in the long run, so that when you are not organised, you can have more of a treat day, knowing that on most days you are eating healthy, balanced meals.
Chloe’s Simple Meal Ideas
These two recipes are quick to make, use very simple ingredients and are fab for all the family. The great thing with both recipes is that you can play around with the ingredients to suit different tastes. I love a smoked salmon & spinach quesadilla, my children love ham & mozzarella. The same goes for the muffins, these are great with cucumber sticks for children, or they are also popular with chorizo and paprika for a little spice.
Smoked Salmon & Broccoli Egg Muffins
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4):
• 3 eggs
• 50g smoked salmon, chopped
• 50g cooked broccoli, chopped
• 20g grated cheddar
METHOD:
1. Heat oven to 160*C
2. Break eggs into a large bowl. Add chopped salmon and broccoli, and grate the cheese in. Whisk well and pour into a lightly oiled muffin tin.
3. Bake for approx. 10 mins until cooked through.
Ham & Mozzarella Quesadillas
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 2):
• 1 tortilla wrap
• 1 egg
• 100g mozzarella
• 2 slices of ham
METHOD:
1. Whisk the egg in a bowl. Heat oil in a pan and pour in the egg. As it starts to form an omelette, place the wrap on top. When the wrap is stuck to the egg, flip it over.
2. Add ham and mozzarella to one half. Season, then fold in half.
3. Toast on both sides, take out of the pan and cut into slices.
