Balance September 2019 - 35

FOOD FOR THE THRIFTY

Food can be overly costly if you're not careful,
but you don't have to be on top of the latest
trends to eat well. Simple but nutritious foods
can be quick and easy to prep at home and
buying in bulk from zero waste shops like
Unpackaged in Planet Organic stores means
you'll not only do your bit for the planet, but
you'll also reduce your outgoings.
If you're green fingered, growing your own
veg is a great way to save cash, with the handy
side effect of being extremely satisfying. With
indoor growing kits and cultivators now easily
accessible, you don't need an acre of land to
grow your legumes.
Registered nutritional therapist Alice
Mackintosh recommends committing to a
plant-based diet two days per week. "This will
help reduce your weekly food budget as legumes
are cheaper than meat and fish."
TRY Heading to Angela Liddon's awardwinning recipe blog, Oh She Glows, for budgetfriendly plant-based recipes.
* Starting from just £6.50, Ikea has a
handy range of small space and indoor-friendly
cultivators to help you grow your own veggies.
* Paying a visit to The Store Cupboard in Crystal
Palace for all your bulk buying needs. Plus, if
you bring your own containers, you get an extra
five per cent off.

FROM YOUTUBE TO YOGI

You don't have to be an expert to do the
downward dog or cat-cow pose: there is a
ton of online resource to help you get bendy.
BALANCE's go-to online yoga partner is
Adriene Mishler, of YouTube channel Yoga with
Adriene. Her light-hearted, 30-minute tutorials
encourage you to "find what feels good" and
specifically help with everything from stress
management to strengthening your core.
If you're looking for something with a little
more oomph, Ali Kamenova's Interval Yoga
is short (but intense) and aims to develop
strength, tone and flexibility.
TRY Working on flexibility and strength with an
easy to follow tutorial by Yoga with Kassandra.
* Getting your blood pumping with one of Sadie
Nardini's supercharged cardio HIIT workouts.

AN ABUNDANCE
OF LOW-COST
FITNESS APPS
WILL KEEP YOU
MOTIVATED
AND INSPIRED

BODY & SOUL
ADDED VALUE

WORKOUTS WITHOUT THE PAY

A University of Essex study on the effect of
outdoor workouts concluded "green exercise
improves both self-esteem and mood", so there
really is no downside. The pavement, a local
park or even your garden can become your
personal (and free) workout space. Offering
a hand is the abundance of free and low-cost
fitness apps that aim to motivate and inspire.
With its combination of classes and high
BPM music, Aaptiv ensures there's no way
you'll struggle for motivation during your next
cardio session, while upgrading to Freeletics
Bodyweight's premium service will unlock "The
Coach", providing further personalised training
and advanced features including a tailored
training plan and feedback.
If you're running short on time (and money),
the Johnson & Johnson 7-Minute Workout
offers bite-sized sessions you can do anywhere.
TRY Visiting ourparks.org.uk for a wide
variety of free outdoor fitness classes,
ranging from dance fitness to circuit training
* Joining free group ChasingLightsCollective
which offers regular runs around London.
* Doing good while you work out with
GoodGym, a group dedicated to combining
exercise with helping out the community.

SLEEP THE STRESS AWAY

healthy
savings

We all know lack of, or poor quality sleep, results
in an increased risk of modern life's ailments.
As neuroscientist and author of bestselling book
Why We Sleep Matthew Walker explains, "The
best bridge between despair and hope is a good
night's sleep."
One simple technique to try is setting an alarm
for going to bed, just as you do for getting up.
This helps you get into a routine and eventually,
your body will know when to start winding
down; you'll even become sleepy around the
same time every night.
If you struggle to sleep, you may be lacking
in magnesium. You can boost levels naturally
by eating more leafy greens and fish, or buying
over-the-counter supplements to help you
to drift off. A few spritzes of the BetterYou
MagnesiumOil Goodnight spray will help
relieve muscle tension and relax the senses,
allowing you to disappear into a restful sleep.
TRY Tracking and analysing your slumber, with
the Sleep Cycle app pinpointing the time you
should wake up and go to bed for optimal kip.
* For an analogue experience, try logging your
food, caffeine and alcohol intake, and any
exercise and naps in a sleep diary. This will
help you work out the factors that might be
inhibiting your sleep. B

http://ourparks.org.uk

Balance September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance September 2019