We talk about balance a lot. Usually, this is about the importance of skin balance, but personally, I’m a big believer in maintaining balance in every area of life.
We only have to take a quick browse of social media to see the huge interest currently surrounding wellbeing and the concept of “clean” living.
I can easily plan a whole month’s load of healthy dinners – or develop some seriously impressive yoga techniques, simply by following certain Instagram accounts!
Personally I think it’s brilliant – I’m all for anything that helps people to improve their health and fitness. That said, I’m also a big believer in everything in moderation.
There’s no doubt that eating well and avoiding common triggers like refined sugar is brilliant for improving your overall health – and maintaining calm, happy skin.
While it’s good to have a plan in place, being too prescriptive with your diet can end up stressing you out more, which is worse for the complexion!
Here are some of my tips for staying healthy, in a balanced way.
80/20
We’ve all heard of the 80/20 rule: eat well and mindfully 80% of the time, choosing skin-loving foods like vegetables, whole grains, fruit and oily, fresh fish.
For that remaining 20%? It’s time to relax and consume whatever you want.
We don’t just eat food to fuel ourselves – it has stress-relieving benefits too, the feel-good factor that comes with occasionally indulging should far outweigh any guilt over enjoying a treat.
So, tuck into that chocolate brownie or glass of red wine, and enjoy it!
Don’t beat yourself up!
Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but beating yourself up over a few too many drinks or a bar of chocolate won’t achieve anything.
Get back on track and try to lay off the sugar for a couple of days instead.
Everyone needs a little ‘reset’ to their systems now and then – occasional bursts of indulgence don’t undermine your overall success at eating well.
If you’re anything like me, the itchy flare-up that may follow eating chocolate is reminder enough not to do it too regularly!
Hide your veg
I’m always trying to cram more vegetables into my diet. Whether it’s by inserting them into smoothies (I can’t even taste the spinach in mine now!) or slipping them into sauces, salads or even cakes! An extra dose of veg will always do you good.
Do you have any 80/20 style guidelines you like to stick to?
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