Apr
29

Healthy girl

by Sofia   -   in Random

Many of you were hoping for more posts about a healthy lifestyle and how to feel balanced inside and out. I believe this is a very important subject. But I also happen to believe we all work in a very different way and what works for one diet or workout vice may be all wrong for the other person. What I would love to think is that by listening to ourselves more we would really see what we need in life. More hours spent running in the sun or perhaps a book and a quiet room. As I have said before I´m not really on any specific diet. I love food but I hate that it´s such an “issue” nowadays and as such I would love to leave it out of the blog. I don´t want you to come here and think, great just another person telling me how to eat and feel all worried about that dessert you had at lunch. But I do feel I need to make clear that we don´t feed our kids sugar every day or eat that way ourselves either. When we went to a friends party someone assumed that my kids get treats everyday as I´m often sharing pictures of things I baked. They do on occasion but not daily. We stick to a healthier diet but not by choice for being “skinnier” but because it actually makes us feel better. By healthy I don´t mean vegan or raw but just regular home made unprocessed partly organic and as much as possible domestic food. My kids don´t drink milk or juice with their meals, we stick to water. We try to do active things as a family too but sometimes we do “couch potato” and watch a movie with popcorn. I would like to think balanced is a good word. I´m not one to say no to a fresh croissant for breakfast but on a regular day it´s more likely a smoothie ( and yes I do add some silly superfood in them too like spirulina). Having said all that I´m not at all opposed to sharing my favourite healthier recipes too! And I have some awesome snack suggestions as well to keep you going through the day.

A night snack in our house. Home made almond milk with strawberries, blueberries and toasted coconut shavings. The girls like their almond milk warm and with a pinch of cinnamon. I´m going to share the almond milk recipe on the blog later on.

I also like to exercise as much as possible. Sometimes it´s twice a week sometimes it´s six. I hope that now that my work schedule has slowed down until next fall it´s closer to the six than the two. But then again sometimes I think soaking in a hot tub is just so much more important than running up the hill. Exercise makes me feel good though and I do love those endorphin highs. If you are struggling with time I would suggest doing short stints. I personally feel better even after a 20-30 minute run than skipping it all together if I can´t squeeze in more time for it. If I´m taking the girls to daycare I often drop them off in my running gear and then make a round before heading home to the shower. I know it´s a bit odd to go to the nursery in you tights and trainers but I really prefer the good feeling after a run over the possible embarrassment of someone seeing me in my running outfit. Besides everyone is so used to it by now they really don´t care ( and probably never did). Another thing, if I´m feeling tired and not really up to it, is to attend a class at my gym. Spinning, body pump you name it. If someone tells you what to do and cheers you on you are so much more likely to put all the effort in. And there´s always the peer pressure of the group. Nothing like it, if you know what I mean. I always like to remind myself that even if it´s just a power walk in the evening sun while chatting with a friend I´m lapping everyone on the couch ( I read the last part somewhere but it´s true).

And you can always give yourself an incentive if you need some motivation. Say I have been looking at some pretty new workout gear so I keep myself going by telling myself that if I run up that hill or make it a whole hour or say exercise 5 time this week I get to buy a new pair of tights. Next week it´s the new sport bra or a pretty top. After a month of reaching my goals I get to splurge on some new things and get extra motivation to head to the gym ( with my fantastic new attire). I also saw a handy tip on Pinterest where someone had a money jar. After every exercise session you put 2 € or how ever much you like in a jar and then after a month or a year you can buy something for yourself. I think the way exercise makes you feel should be your primary motivation. But as we all know a new pair of fabulous heels works miracles too.

Then the most important part as in how to stay balanced inside. This one is tricky and we are so different in personalities that it would probably be a very bad idea for me to tell you how to balance your life. But I do have a few little things I have found work very well for me…

Shut down all the unnecessary from around you. I´m not saying you should not read the newspaper or watch the news but I have given up reading all kinds of gossip magazines ages ago. For some it may make them feel good but I only got very upset about people feasting on other peoples lives, their failed marriages or other unhappy events. First of all I´m pretty sure most of it is just made up and second of all it´s really not of my first interest. I´m going to sound very “holy” saying it but I´d rather spend the time working on my actual relationships or even looking at pretty and inspiring photos on Pinterest or lovely blogs than reading tabloids or gossip mags. It´s good to know what is going on in the world around you and not closing your eyes from reality but it´s a completely different thing to know the sordid details of a child´s murder or a famous couples divorce. You really don´t need that in your head.

The other trick is to only surround yourself with people that actually make you feel better. When I say this I know it´s not completely possible but to give the time of day to people who make you feel worse is just not worth it. I´m definitely a people pleaser at heart and would like everyone to love me. But it´s not going to happen. No matter how hard we try we can not please everyone and some people just are not a good match. I don´t shut people out of my life but I do make an effort to stay in a lot of contact with the ones I love and the ones who make me feel like being a better person and just not with the ones who make me feel sad or little or just irritated.

My last trick in a happy life is to try to see the positive in little things. I have for sure always been known to be a positive person and seeing the good in people or the pretty around me does seem to come naturally. But I believe it´s also something we unconsciously or even consciously practise or can practise in life. It may sound annoying but we really should put a lot of thought in to being thankful for what we have. Fine, I do understand that we are all not in a situation where we have been able to get our dream job or have kids or, say have healthy kids. But I´m pretty sure we all have something in our lives to be thankful for. Start with the obvious. I´m thankful to have two legs to run with. I´m thankful I have straight hair that is easy to do in the morning. I´m thankful to have a clean shirt to wear to work. I´m thankful my child slept through the night. I´m so thankful to have a huge cup of coffee in the morning after a horribly slept night. You know where I´m going with this. When you see the things in life to be thankful for or to be happy for you will start to see the good around you more and more. You don´t need to share these with anyone but just recognise them. I think with these little things my life is pretty happy and stress free.

I´m sure not everyone agrees with what I have written above. And it should be so. As mentioned we are not all wired quite the same way. So what works for me may not work for you. I would like to leave you with my most important thought for today. Be kind to yourself and generous to yourself like you would be to others.  I also hope you don´t think I sound like I´m ” on a high horse” as I assure you I´m not. Writing about these things makes you sound “holier” than you really are. These are just some thoughts. I will try to write more about the subject on the blog in a lighter manner in the future.

Tänään nyt vain englanniksi tämä blogimerkintä koska tekstistä tulisi muuten aivan liian pitkä. Ihanaa päivää!

Have a wonderful day beautiful people!

Lattemamma