J'AIME SEPTEMBER 2021

F I T N E S S
Achieve a healthy lifestyle
that works for you
THIS MONTH, LICHFIELD’S FAVOURITE PERSONAL TRAINER RAÚL ROMERO HIGHLIGHTS THE
CHALLENGES OF GETTING BACK TO THE DAILY GRIND, AND REITERATES WHAT WE NEED TO
CONSIDER IN ORDER TO BECOME THE FITTEST VERSION OF OURSELVES
So the summer holidays have come
to an end, kids have returned to
school and we are back to the daily
grind and trying to settle into a
regular routine. This year continues
to be full of ups and downs
with the pandemic still lingering
which has affected so many of us
in our everyday lives, including
maintaining and taking control of
our fitness.
This month, I’d like to go back
to the bread-and-butter basics of
what we need to consider to be
the healthiest, fittest version of
ourselves. You know, the stuff that
everyone knows really but where
the brain doesn’t always connect to
the belly or body to ensure they act
upon what the brain knows!
So, what are the five most important components
to achieving a healthy lifestyle, and what can we do
to nudge our belly and body along to ensure they
comply?
Well, most basically, the five areas to consider are:
NUTRITION - REST - EXERCISE -
POSTURE - AVOIDING ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION
Upon reading this list, your strengths and weaknesses
in these areas will immediately jump out to you. This
is a great first step to take; analyse strengths and
weaknesses in these five areas. Once you have done
this, it will be easier to know what your focus area
is and concentrate on what you need to do to take
control and improve.
1. NUTRITION FOR A HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE
I prefer not to use the word ‘diet’ as, in recent years,
MEAL PREPPING CAN BE A
SAVIOUR DURING A BUSY WEEK
‘diet’ has often been coined as something we do for
a short period of time to achieve quick and often not
long-lasting results.
Nutrition is key, and should be something realistic
that can be sustained as a way of life over a long
period of time. Following the 80/20 rule is a great
way of maintaining healthy nutrition, where we
eat ‘clean’ and healthy 80 percent of the time,
and indulge in the not-so-healthy sweet treats the
remaining 20 percent of the time. This way, we
don’t have to cut anything out food-wise, reducing
the chances of massive sugar cravings which then
snowball into an unhealthy eating habit.
Here are my top tips to help take control of your
nutrition and master a healthy way of eating over a
long period of time:
Meal plan! Write down a weekly menu or meal
plan to organise all of your meals. This will really
help you take control and think about the different
food groups and ingredients you need for different
meals. Remember the importance of including all
www.jaimemagazine.com
47