Juggling Everything

December is a busy month isn't it, a lot going on, catching up with people, preparing for Christmas, extra nights out and all that that brings with it. It's a time where normal routine stuff can fall by the wayside if you let it.

With me it takes a lot of planning to keep everything on track and having to be flexible with others time as well. Training has been continuing as planned with just one missed day this month caused by a stomach bug. We had our work Xmas night out last Thursday which led to a very early morning run. The hardest part is getting out the door but it can be done. I had planned the same this morning for a short run, but when I saw the frost I decided otherwise. As Emma has her work night out tonight I got into work early so hopefully I will get the run done on my lunch break. All about planning, preparing and adapting if needs be.

It feels like so long since I had a race and it has been but I hope to sort this out over Xmas with either a Parkrun or one of the other options available. Will be interested to see how the legs get on.

Last weekend was the last weekend for my Nutrition course before Xmas as well but there are a couple of assignments due early in January so it's not time to down tools just yet. Below are some pointers which may help you. They do not require massive effort or changes, which most people are not going to make at this time of year anyway.

• Water: This makes up around 70% of the human body. Even while you are sleeping your kidneys are still working away so you will most likely wake up with some type of dehydration. If you drink a pint of water first thing in the morning this will re-hydrate your kidneys and also signal the body to kick-off the digestive processes again. Again this can be repeated with a glass of water 15-20 mins before each meal to trigger the body to release the digestive juices needed to handle the food it is about to receive.
• Chewing: This really is a common problem, but a simple one to fix. Your teeth are very important in the digestive process to break food down to it's smallest form before swallowing. It takes a lot of pressure off the rest of your digestive system. Remember your stomach doesn't have teeth, so you need to help it. So slow down, enjoy your food and at the same time you will probably feel less bloated after a big meal.
• Vitamins & Minerals: There are a lot of essential vitamins & minerals that the body needs to function at an optimum level and all of these can be found in a range of whole foods. A lot of health problems can be down to a deficiency in some these so it is important to try and get them from your food. This is why you will always hear people telling you to eat plenty of fruit & veg etc. You are really not getting a whole lot from processed foods other than empty calories but that's for another day. At this time of year if I was recommending to take one Vitamin that we do not get enough of it would be Vitamin C. This is a great way of keeping colds and Flu's at bay. Personally I dissolve a capsule in a pint of water each morning and take it that way. If you are feeling a bit run down or something coming on then double the dose. 

Nothing too ground breaking in the above but just a few simple pointers that might help. I'm still looking for a couple of volunteers for the new year so if your interested give me a shout for more information.