Articles by Estelle

Foundations

I believe there are four pillars that support our health and sense of well-being: nutrition, sleep, movement and stress management. Sometimes we have to focus on one in preference of the other, but they all require our attention on a daily basis to some extent. If your sleep is of poor quality and not restorative it will not matter that you have your diet optimised to the most minute micronutrient. If you are training for a competitive event, whether that be your first 5km or 10th Ironman, you need to sleep and nourish your body.

  

Changing habits places a tremendous cognitive load on your mental function. If the hill seems too big to climb, many people do not even start. I believe we can implement sustainable changes to daily habits if the focus is right for you. What can start out feeling like a lot of work can over time become a normal daily event that does not require a great deal of thinking and the task will seem effortless. 

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I interpret nourish to include your nutrition – the food you eat daily. It is more than macros and micros. It is also about when, with whom and a lot of the time why. Certainly, there are broad guidelines, after all we all need a minimum level of protein. The challenge is how to find your individual principles that fit in with your life AND your goals at a particular point in time. 

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Move every day. There is a saying in muscle research: use it or lose it. Maintaining functional mobility determines how well you age. Move in different ways and different intensities. This will challenge your musculature and learning new skills keeps your brain young. Exercise is increasingly recommended to combat depression. Endorphins are released when you exercise – directly improving your mood. 

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Managing stress is becoming increasingly important in our lives. Many people try meditation, there are a multitude of methods and Apps to help you learn. But it is hard, and it can feel like you are failing at meditation. It can also take time and many busy people feel that they cannot sit still for 30 minutes a day. Other forms of stress management can include walking in nature (forest bathing), exercise and listening to music. I love teaching breathing practices as a way to calm the chatter in your mind. It does not have to take long and you can do it almost anywhere.

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