When it comes to physical fitness and athletic performance, it's no secret that genetics play a significant role. Our unique genetic makeup can influence various aspects of exercise, including our response to training, endurance capacity, muscle composition, and risk of certain injuries.

If you'd like more, don't forget to check out our website, www.sgdbodybeauty.com

References:

As the temperature drops and winter sets in, a lot of us are inclined to hibernate indoors and forgo our regular exercise routines. However, embracing the chill and engaging in outdoor physical activities during winter can provide numerous benefits for both our physical and mental well-being. In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of exercising outdoors in winter and why it is a great idea to bundle up and brave the cold.

In this episode we run through a few reasons why exercising outdoors in winter can be great.

If you're into the science, and want to read more, some of the references are below.

References:

This episode was recorded during a short networking event, with a very brief introduction on this topic. If you'd like to hear more from Emma, you can go back and listen to her episode as well.

A lot of us don't realise that our gut has a huge impact on our nervous system, and our brain, and vice versa. We all have something called the Enteric Nervous System. While a lot of us have heard of the Central Nervous system, which consists of the spinal cord, the brain and the nerves, the enteric nervous system is different. The enteric nervous system basically consists of the cells lining our gut. The Enteric nervous system helps to control gut functions, digestion, swallowing and similar functions. It also communicates with our brain, and is connected via the Vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is one of the superhighways of the central nervous system, and is involved in a lot of the automatic processes that go on in the body. It's also said to be affected by some of the breathing practices we do in yoga as well, which is just another way yoga can affect our health. A lot of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which impact our mood, are produced in the gut. These impacts could help explain some of the mood and anxiety related symptoms of issues such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Empowered with this, it really makes sense that what we eat affects so many elements of our lives. Anxiety and stress can affect inflammation triggering cytokine responses in the body, and being stressed and anxious can lead to those frown lines that a lot of us women are trying to avoid by slathering on anti-ageing skincare. Hence a good diet and looking after our gut can help our skin in more ways than one.

When we feel stressed and anxious, we often reach for so called "feel good food", which then causes more inflammation, and can upset the gut even more, and lead to a spiralling effect, and even lower energy levels, which is the exact opposite of what we want.

Want to read more?

Check out some of the articles below:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-brain-connection#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

Want to get your nutrition and gut in check? Send me a message, or book in for an introductory consultation to see how I can help.

Did you know that Self Care isn't just about doing an at home facial once a month.  There are so many elements that form part of self care.  Here I'm sharing 7 elements that I think go into self care, and some of the things I'm doing at home.

The New Year is a prime time when a lot of people start to think about rebooting and setting up healthier habits for the new year.  This can also be daunting, as you want to set yourself up for success.  Sometimes breaking these habits down into smaller chunks can be key.

Did you know that creating healthier habits can be great for your mind as well as your body?  Here's what one Neuroscientist thinks about this, and it's well worth the read.

If you're looking for a some healthier habits and eating better is one of them, I'm doing a 30 day program with clients, and I'd love to share this with you as well.

Here's to good health and wellness in 2023.

KJ Wong is a respected sales coach, with an interest in time management and productivity.  As we come into the new year, healthy habits and less stress are on many people's minds, as we seek to set up healthier habits this year.  KJ offers a few tips on stress management, and a perspective on glowing that goes against what many of us may think of when we think of glowing.  

KJ can be contacted via his website:  https://www.awakebyfiveam.com

Some of the time and productivity management tools which KJ mentioned:

Trello

Confluence

If you're looking for healthier habits, workouts or nutrition, I'd love to help, so please get in touch via social media, or email:  [email protected].

https://www.facebook.com/SGDbodybeauty/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sgd-body-beauty/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBOyHH__pG94GYfiDf0CdvQ?view_as=subscriber

https://www.instagram.com/sgdbodybeauty/

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https://linkin.bio/sgdbodybeauty

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-dower-24228513/

The end of the year can be a stressful time for many people.  So how does this affect our body?  In this solo episode, I dive into a few ways stress affects our body, particularly those that are relevant at this time of year.  Stress can affect our sleep, our appetite and our mental health.  I also offer a few practical tips on how you can reduce your stress levels at this time of year.

Training today app:  https://trainingtodayapp.com

January challenge:  https://momence.com/m/42369

In this episode, I dive into all things health, wellness, and meditation with Emma Bitz, the Wellness Mentor.  Emma is a Nutritionist and meditation teacher, and is passionate about helping people move towards a happy mind, healthy body, and happy life.  

Emma Bitz:  https://www.emmabitz.com.au

The tracking diary we spoke about during this interview is My Fitness Pal:  https://www.myfitnesspal.com.  My Fitness Pal also has a free account option.

If you'd like personalised coaching, you can find me online as well:  www.sgdbodybeauty.com.