Now I realise that not everybody is naturally a morning person, so it might be enough to just drag yourself out of bed rather than adding items to your list of things to do in the morning, but these measures are very simple and each one can help enhance your day.
1) Hot / warm water and ginger first thing
Ginger is great for our digestive system, it also has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties . I keep a jar of peeled, chopped ginger in the fridge, I have a big beer tankard that I pop it into first thing in the morning, I then try and drink the whole thing before my first class / client appointment, which doesn’t always happen, but when it does I feel smugly hydrated. I keep it topped up with hot water throughout the day. Most of the nutrients are just inside the skin, so try to lightly peel rather than chop too much of it away.
2) Consider including protein in your breakfast
It’s important we get enough protein in our diet. Protein is involved in building and repair in the body and is vital for healthy muscles and bones. From mid / late 30s onwards we start to lose muscle and bone, women in particular during perimenopause / menopause are effected by the depletion of oestrogen and need to be mindful of their bone mineral density. Eggs are the gold standard of protein and a perfect breakfast option (if you like eggs!). Protein, as well as providing material for muscles and bones, will keep you satiated for longer and you won’t get that energy peak and drop that you can get from many processed cereals and juices*. Can’t do the eggs? Porridge also fairs well on the protein front and you can add some seeds and a dollop of live natural yogurt which contains protein and healthy bacteria to benefit your gut.
*With cereals and juices check out the ‘sugar’ from carbs on the ingredients label. A breakfast high in sugar may provide a satisfying energy surge straight after eating but can leave us feeling hungry or sluggish mid-morning once that surge subsides. E.g. Flahavans porridge contains .9g sugars from carbs per 100g whereas Special K contains 15g sugar from carbohydrates per 100g.
3) Cold water showers
If you’re not into early morning sea swims, 30 sec to 2 minutes of cold water add the end of your shower can actually have similar health-enhancing benefits – helping to boost the immune system, as well as energy and mood. Research is starting to show that cold habituation decreases inflammatory responses over time. So try a quick cold blast at the end of your nice steamy shower, perhaps not quite as sociable as the sea swims, but certainly easier and convenient. And just for the record, I’m totally into early morning sea swims…mid-summer…in Greece.
4) A brisk morning walk
Getting out for a brisk walk in morning light can actually help improve your sleep, boost your mood (helping to offset the effects of SAD in the winter) and cut your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Any form of walking outside during the day is good, but going in the morning is like a gentle alarm to let our body and brain know that the day has started. Light helps reset our body clock, which in turn tells our body when to go to sleep and when to wake up. The earlier you have exposure to daylight the better for your sleep, possibly even making it deeper with less chance of waking up. Light exposure also triggers the release of serotonin which is a feel good hormone, helping to boost our mood. Brisk walk = moderate-intensity exercise where our heart is beating a little faster, we’re breathing a little heavier but we can still hold a conversation.
5) Some Gentle Stretches
Simple stretches, the likes of child’s pose, lying on your back and hugging your knees to your chest and figure 4 stretch are all lovely and simple stretches to do in the morning to help stretch the muscles around hips and lower back.
