Nutrition & Hydration Week, 12-18 March 2024
If you feel like you’ve been living in a winter hibernation, now is the time for change. With spring just around the corner, the time has come to pep up your morning routine and start each day feeling fresh, invigorated and ready to go!
Wassen Nutritionist Emma Bullock-Lynch is here with five hacks to help you start your day right. No more creeping back under the covers or dodging that trip to the gym, follow these simple hints and tricks to feeling fabulous, every day.
- Bedtime bliss
No, we’re not suggesting for one minute that you get back into bed! But the secret to a great morning routine, starts with how you sleep the night before and also, what time you wake up. For optimum health and wellbeing, try to get the same number of hours sleep every night and wake up at the same time. Don’t let the alarm clock be your enemy, but your best friend for a great day ahead! And once that new day starts, try and get out into daylight as early as possible as this will trigger the release of dopamine and increase energy, motivation levels and improve mood.
For a good night’s sleep, switch off screens one or two hours before going to bed, drink a glass of water (definitely no caffeine or alcohol) and try a short meditation or breathing exercise. You will be soon in the land of nod!
- Breakfast boost
Breakfast is by far the most important meal of the day so it’s really important to make it work hard for you. Breaking the overnight fast with foods that will give you energy and keep you full is really important. Eggs with avocado, oats with yogurt and berries or a smoothie are all good, protein-packed options that will satiate and mean you are less likely to reach for an unhealthy snack during the morning.
- Easy exercise
You may not have time for a trip to the gym or a 5K run first thing in the morning but some gentle stretching is a good idea to get blood circulating and moving around the body again. Incorporating just 10-15 minutes yoga or stretching will really help you to fire up your endorphins, waking you up so you feel fully refreshed and energised for the day ahead.
Exercise first thing will help to maintain those energy levels throughout the day so you are less likely to slump and feel lethargic.
- Love a list
Once you’ve nourished and energised your body from the inside out, it’s a great time to mentally prepare for the day ahead. Setting out your goals and actions in a list will help you to feel organised and prepared for whatever lies before you. Whether it’s a day of running errands, a busy day at the office or just a day of me-time, writing down everything you want to achieve means you are more likely to remember and action those things.
If you are feeling particularly stressed or anxious try journaling to note down your thoughts and feelings, sometimes it is better to let these thoughts out than keeping them locked away inside. Writing a journal is also a great way to express your bigger dreams and ambitions so you know that you have committed them to paper.
- Hydrate, hydrate
It’s really important to hydrate first thing in the morning. Drinking a glass of water should definitely be part of your morning routine, but why not give it a bit of spark! With its tangy green apple flavour, start your day and hit the ground running with Wassen Hydrate + Replenish, which has been formulated with spirulina and green tea extract, and contains 100% of your regular daily intake of vitamin D. It helps to support immune health through a combination of selenium and Vitamin C[1], electrolyte balance from magnesium[2] and metabolism from zinc and chromium[3].
Wassen Hydrate + Replenish is available online at www.wassen.com, £11.99 each, for 14 x 5.5g sachets.
Food supplements should not be used a substitute for a balanced diet or healthy lifestyle.
[1] Vitamin C and selenium support normal function of the immune system and protect cells from oxidative stress. Oxidation is the process associated with ageing cells and decay.
[2] Magnesium supports normal electrolyte balance and energy release.
[3] Zinc and chromium support normal metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Chromium supports the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels.