How to keep up the healthy motivation

Losing the will with your new healthy regime? It’s no surprise really, as a study released by Healthspan found two-thirds of people will buckle and be back to bad habits by day 22 of a new plan. Read on to discover some mid-January healthy motivation for now (and more importantly that you can keep up for the rest of the year).



1. BOOK A HEALTHY FINE DINING EXPERIENCE

Using ingredients specially selected for their nutritional benefits the new menu, designed by SUSHISAMBA’s Regional Executive Chef Andreas Bollanos in collaboration with elite performance coach Harry Jameson, offers delicious dining without the guilt. Expect to find beetroot-cured salmon tiradito with broccoli emulsion, beetroot gel, chia seeds, and pomegranate; beef ramen with slow-cooked rib-eye steak and tofu, courgette noodles; and finish off with Ashaninka chocolate and avocado mousse with passion fruit and mango sorbet and a granola, goji berry and sunflower seeds crumble.

'Many health-based menus traditionally focus on calorie or carbohydrate restriction; however, with this menu, we want to ensure dishes sustain diners throughout the day by fuelling the body’ says Harry Jameson. 'The team at SUSHISAMBA has shown great dedication and creativity in crafting such a comprehensive menu. The dishes are incredibly flavoursome and look beautiful, but more importantly, they make you feel great and contribute to leading a balanced lifestyle.'
To book or to find out more, visit www.sushisamba.com

For a one off health event, try booking into the ‘Gut Stuff’ dinner at Bluebird Chelsea, or for any other occasion head to the evergreen healthy, Michelin-starred ‘Texture’ restaurant. Chef Patron, Aggi Sverrisson doesn’t use any cream or butter outside of dessert, so the food is naturally light and fresh in flavour. He’s also a pioneer of Skyr – the Icelandic dairy product that is naturally high in protein as well as being fat and sugar-free. Skyr aside, the vegan menu here is on point for healthy, plant-based January dining. Click here for more information or to book.




2. SWITCH UP YOUR WORKOUT

Nutritionist and Fitness Instructor, Cassandra Barns suggests: 'If your 5k runs are going well, consider signing up for a 10k. Working towards a new goal will motivate you to train harder and improve your fitness further. You’ll be surprised at how easy the 5k seems after that!' If you’ve already been participating in a cardio class since the New Year, Cassandra explains how to boost this: 'Cardio-type exercise such as cycling can be great for your cardiovascular health, and for burning lots of calories, but incorporating weight training or a strength training class into your workouts too can have other benefits. First, it can be better than cardio exercise for boosting metabolism outside your workout, making it the ideal complement to HIIT classes for fat loss or weight control.' She also recommends supplementing your routine with the new NHP Cardio Support from Natural Health Practice.

Alternatively, try a new class. How about ‘Rabble’? Based on traditional playground games like dodgeball and capture the flag, these classes have a focus on having fun, which is proven to be 70% more beneficial than any other factor in developing lasting habits that will result in sustained fitness. Find a class near you here.

Alternatively, PopFit (led by Kate Hudson’s personal trainer Steph Burrows) will be at Soho's 100 Wardour St from 7th January until 11th February 2019. With themed classes, you can dance away to throwback pop hits, celebrate the queen of pop Madonna, or spice up 2019 with a Spice Girls-themed workout. Click here





3. TAKE SMALL STEPS

Some wise words of advice from Kat Farrants, Founder of Movement for Modern Life: 'Sometimes it’s just easier to fall off the bandwagon than continuing with those intentions that we know are so important to our health. I always think it’s better to take small steps, and perhaps take those resolutions and great intentions and think, what within those resolutions do I want to keep on a daily basis. Perhaps you’ve made a commitment to exercise, but you just don’t find the time to get to a gym – so perhaps just do ten minutes at home every day, and that’s a small step you can take to keep healthy. Or if you tried Veganuary and you’ve fallen off the bandwagon, all is not lost, perhaps try eating meat and dairy free just 2 days a week, and within your meals, reduce the amount of meat eaten. So it’s all about making small, do-able steps and making life as easy for you as possible, not hard!'

Talking yourself out of a run or class because of the cold spell/can’t find your gear/you need to do (insert excuse here)? Then check out Movement for Modern Life – it’s like the Netflix of yoga. You subscribe and get unlimited access to hundreds of tutorials from the best yoga teachers in the UK. You can search by duration, yoga type, emotion, teacher and more: click here




4. SHARE YOUR PROGRESS

Mio Skincare’s new campaign #MyMonthOfMio encourages women to replace short-lived and unsustainable resolutions with small changes that form part of a maintainable healthy lifestyle. Influencer, model and fitness enthusiast Flora Beverley(@foodfitnessflora) shares her expertise on how to get moving and start working towards a lifestyle that gives you a healthy body, strong mind, and strong skin.

Flora opens up about her experiences surrounding holistic wellness, helping us to answer questions such as 'What advice would you give someone starting out on their journey towards a healthier lifestyle?' Plus you can share your progress and join the discussion. For more information click here.