Pt. 1.Five Essentials to kick start your way to a better you.

If you're finding it easier to make new excuses than exercise and eat well, or you've given up trying to look after yourself altogether because you just don't know where to start or what to do, you're like the vast majority of the human population in the western world.

The fact that you, (along with nearly everyone else), don’t know where to start isn't surprising with all the circulating information and mis-information... And of course, if the answer to all your problems (be they wrinkles, or that spare tyre you're now carrying around your mid riff) is suddenly going to take less effort to fix or be more successful in less time, you're going to listen.

But here's the bottom line: so far, there is no miracle cure for your expanding waistline and declining health. Except you and time.

As complex as you may be, you still need to attend to what I call your "Essential 5".

They’re for beginners and the elite alike. You can’t live for long without them, and if you pay just a little attention to them you can live well and long. For today, here are 'The Essential Five' listed:-

1. Oxygen. 2. Water. 3. Movement. 4. Fuel. 5. Sleep.

Your body needs Oxygen, first and foremost - to state the obvious, it's one of the reasons that breathing is an automatic function. Automatic or not, try this every morning for the next week after you wake up:

Breathe 5 deliberate breaths into your abdomen and out again through your nose. Those five deep breaths will oxyenate you and remind your body to automatically breathe more deeply for the rest of the day. It will help improve your mood and brain function (those of you who have ever sucked on an oxygen tank after a big night out will be able to attest to this), and it’s also the reason that you come out of a Yoga class feeling tired and energised at the same time...... I’ll elaborate more tomorrow...