Wendy King – Inner Balance Health

www.IBH-Dorset.co.uk

Whether you are dashing from meeting to meeting or running after the little ones, hectic schedules can make healthy eating difficult but it is important to remember that eating right will help you handle these challenges. And, a little tip, eating regularly can help you to loose weight!!

But I eat plenty of calories and drink coffee what is the problem with that?

 Certain foods will be broken into glucose very quickly and will give you an instant surge of energy but the body reacts to this bringing your blood sugar down very rapidly Going without food for too long can also have this effect.

When this occurs you may feel low on energy, suddenly hungry, experience sugar cravings and this is generally when you might feel you need sweet snacks or tea and coffee. This can lead to a number of problems including fluctuating energy levels, irritability and poor concentration. A knock on effect is a reduced function of many systems including the intestines, hormones and immune system.

Here are some of my tips on maintaining energy and reducing the effects above.

Don’t skip meals

Skipping meals is a big no no – when you don’t eat every 3 hours you will experience a blood sugar imbalance, leaving you tired, irritable, weak, and prone to headaches and can gain weight! My tip – three good meals and two snacks a day.

If you tend to opt for unhealthy grab-and-go foods, plan for healthy snacks instead and make sure you have them to hand. My top 10 snack tips and easy to carry around with you!

1. Drink at least 8 glasses of water or non caffeinated drinks such as herbal teas. Hydration gives you energy and keeps you mentally alert. Avoid coffee and sugary foods as these are stimulants and will just give you a peak in energy followed by an instant drop.

2. Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta, sugary foods/drinks, biscuits and cakes. This will provide the instead peak of energy followed by an instant drop!

3. Try wholemeal pitta bread or oatcakes with houmous dip.

4. Vegetable sticks – carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers & dip – so easy to prepare beforehand and carry in a small Tupperware box.

5. Rye or Oat crackers with avocado and smoked salmon.

6. A piece of fruit or dried apricots (dark coloured not the yellow dyed ones), with some nuts & seeds, almonds are fab for energy. Remember just a small handful of nuts (8-10) is all you need, they are very good food you, but in excess they can add weight.

7. Oak cakes – very good for sustaining hunger and energy. Nairns do a good selection and they come in small packets of 5 so perfect for the handbag. Kids love them too!

8. Live yoghurt with a piece of fruit (live yoghurt contains healthy bacteria, which is good for the intestines).

9. Slices of rye bread with low-fat cheese or bean or mackerel pate.

10. Try to make your own yoghurt smoothies, easy to prepare and store in the fridge the night before.

ANNIE'S STORY...

A year ago whilst on facebook, Annie Brooks spotted on her friend Jayne's wall a comment recommending Linen at Home as 'a great company'.  Curious to find out more, Annie clicked the 'Be Your Own Boss' link, investigated the website, then immediately picked up the phone to call Roberta Jerram at Linen at Home for a chat.

Feeling an excited sense of potential, Annie arranged to get together with Roberta for coffee two days later. When she saw what Linen at Home had to offer, she became even more excited.  Not wanting to pass up the opportunity she joined the company on her laptop there and then so she could take home the starter kit Roberta had just shown her and begin showing everything off to her friends!

Annie had previous experience of party plan in another, larger company but the excitement of joining at the early stages of a smaller company with a friendly, more personal feel spurred her on to get straight on with booking her diary with party dates.

"My customers loved the fantastic product range and quality," says Annie. "It's really exciting to be at the beginning of something new and different." In her first full month of selling (March 10) she'd sold more than £700 of products and already earned back her kit investment.

Annie says "I couldn't wait to build my team and share the buzz of Linen at Home with everyone".  She picked up the phone to tell others about her new business opportunity and within a few weeks her friend Jan joined too making the business even more fun as she then had a buddy to work with.

Annie has four children: Katie 21, Josh 18, Lewis 9 and Ryan 5. Although her life as a parent is busy, running her Linen at Home business fits in well alongside being a mum. Annie attributes that to feeling relaxed about her journey with Linen at Home.  "I have been supported and encouraged every step of the way with no pressure, just warmth from the company and fellow consultants that really listen."

Over the past year Annie's personal party sales have exceeded £11,000.

She has grown a network of more than 40 consultants and agents across 18 counties and generated top network sales of £58,000.

Congratulations Annie on your amazing first year with Linen at Home - you are an inspiration to many!! 

Happy First Anniversary!

www.linenathome.co.uk/annie