A healthy week for me usually consists of a few strolls to the beach and not having desert at least one day. Thankfully, this week I decided to get my ass in gear and turn the strolls into slighter faster strolls, fill the wine shelf with freshly squeezed juices and revert back to some favorite positive-thinking bibles. It’s now Saturday night and my thighs feel a little firmer, I haven’t spent part of my week with a wine headache (big yay for me!) and I can rap affirmations to the theme tune of Eastenders.
Apparently all of those gurus were right. Small changes can make a difference to your week. So where do you start? Here’s what I suggest…
Read something annoyingly motivating
“Fuck It Therapy” has a ring to it and is as straight forward as it sounds. “Stop fretting and get on with crap” is the harsh but well-needed message. Flicking through it on random days can give a proverbial kick up the ass and hey, it works if you pay attention.
Discover vegetables again
Apparently the Mediteranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world to consume. Just take a look at the people from those countries – they’re happier. healthier and actually live longer than us here in Ireland. Obviously diet makes up a huge part of it but diet makes up part of it.
It might have been a shock to the fridge but it had to be done. A mixture of fresh veggies, fruits, juices, fish and olive oil and actually the easiest to prepare and SO tasty.
Learn how to run properly
I can be so lazy. I’ve been fortunate in my teens and early twenties to avoid weight gain. Being blessed with a great metabolism meant I didn’t feel the need to get involved in sports. Now that weight seems to stick around a little longer, I’ve become a runner. By that I mean, I try to keep up with my boyfriend as he sprints through our little local park. (Imagine Phoebe from Friends with a redder face and slightly less trendy yoga pants.) I catch up eventually…
Get hurt
As a recent introduction to massage taught me, it can be very relaxing and extremely good for you. Strangely, the relaxation part doesn’t really do it for me so I opt for the painful “can’t feel my legs” type of massage.
This week as I strolled into a massage parlor in Dublin, I was greeted by a small Thai lady. Cocky and bitter from lack-luster past massage experiences, I requested that she be very hard on me…30 seconds later and a Thai lady WALKING on my cracking back, I learned that my request wasn’t necessary. 30 minutes later I was left very confused and running for the exit. 4 days later, I feel wonderful and have made my next appointment.
So what have I learned from my week? Vegetables are actually unreal and I should never tell a Thai masseuse “not to hold back”.