HEALTH + WELLNESS
BEAUTY BEGINS ON THE INSIDE cont .
Body :
DRINK WATER
Our bodies are composed of about 60 per cent water , which aids digestion , cell absorption , circulation , creation of saliva , the transportation of nutrients , and the maintenance of body temperature , so it ’ s crucially important , but , like a victim of its own obvious success , is often overlooked . Our brains are 90 per cent water and the majority of our blood and every cell in our bodies is composed of water , so it ’ s massively beneficial and we need it to function properly – guidelines suggest we guzzle eight glasses a day , so get drinking .
EXERCISE linseeds ; chia seeds ; and vegetables – be sure to include bitter leaves such as watercress and rocket to stimulate digestion too . It ’ s encouraging to see that more and more people are paying attention to their gut health and how to look after it as it ’ s so important to our overall wellbeing .” Try Quest Nutra Pharma ’ s Enzyme Digest , £ 7.60 , www . qnutrapharma . com .
Regular exercise isn ’ t just a brilliant way for you personally to get a free hit of happy hormone , endorphin , it ’ s also undeniably good for your health , which in turn means less trips to the doctor and less strain on our already stretched NHS . Plus , we live in a society where ( whether consciously or not ) we are constantly comparing ourselves to others – with fitness , your only competition is yourself , so you ’ ll start to feel more confident and less concerned with the ins and outs of other people ’ s lives too .
New for 2018 ? Probiotic water . Probiotic yoghurts and probiotic supplements have been around for ages - even probiotic chocolate has found a niche in the market , but the newest kid on the gut-health block is probiotic water . Functional food and drinks are favoured by many over tablets and probiotic water is a wellness powerhouse combining the goodness of water with the added health benefits of lots of lovely life-giving microorganisms .
TAKE SUPPLEMENTS
Equi London ’ s ‘ Beautiful ’ is a collagen-infused drink that promises to promote glowing skin from the inside out . Ideal for those with time-conscious schedules , but who want to keep a firm eye on their health , the revolutionary supplement delivers a potent boost of nutrients in one tonic . The ' Beautiful ' powder combines GlowCutis ® technology - a powerful complex of marine collagens and all sorts of other natural goodies to fight ageing and promote skin regeneration — with your daily dose of multivitamins , antioxidants , omegas , probiotics and adaptogenic herbs , which work to support every body system needed to keep your skin clear , glowing and more resistant to the signs of ageing . Adaptogenic herbs ? No , me neither , but unusually named ingredients aside , they ’ re all natural and this product is making waves on the skincare scene , so it ’ s definitely worth a try ( https :// equilondon . com ).
A healthy gut can be linked to our mood , digestive health , inflammation problems and more , so it ’ s no surprise that the trend of showing your gut some love is going nowhere in 2018 . “ Your gut flora is incredibly important to your overall well-being ,” says nutritionist Pippa Campbell ( www . pippacampbellhealth . com ). “ When looking at a client ’ s health , I will always look at the gut first as sometimes symptoms can be resolved just by improving gastro-intestinal health . Foods to eat for gut health include oily fish , probiotic foods like kefir and sauerkraut ; soluble fibre including prebiotic foods like asparagus , leeks , onion and garlic ; oats ;
Start small if you ’ re a beginner though . A great way to build your fitness confidence – and your capability – slowly and safely is to train for a 5K run ; the NHS ’ s ‘ Couch to 5K ’ plan is a really comprehensive online guide to achieving that goal and you can view and download the training schedule at : www . nhs . uk / Livewell / c25k / Pages / couch-to- 5k . aspx . If you ’ re not a runner , set a target to do a 30-minute exercise class two to three times a week , either at the gym , or online – www . fitnessblender . com is brilliant .
EAT SUPERFOODS
Move over quinoa , there ’ s another gluten-free grain in town and it scores massively on the superfood scale . A type of millet , teff is an Ethiopian staple and is a tiny grain that looks a bit like watercress when it first starts to sprout . High in resistant starch , which helps to keep blood sugar under control , it ’ s also a good source of magnesium , calcium , potassium and zinc , as well as being super high in protein . Unlike a lot of grains , teff packs a welcome flavour punch too with grains in white , brown and red that range from mild and nutty to sweet .
Just when we were all getting our heads around coconut oil , along comes avocado oil – the celebrated oil du jour that teems with monounsaturated oleic acid , which is hugely important for keeping hearts healthy and is the same omega-9 essential fatty acid that won olive oil its superfood crown many moons ago . Avocado oil may well be the key to keeping the years at bay too as it ’ s among the top five foods rich in vitamin E , a fat-soluble vitamin known or strengthening immunity , defending against skin cell damage from free radicals , and improving skin and eye health .
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