Top tips from a leading nutritionist and a master life coach on better routines and a healthier diet

All of a sudden, summer is over and it’s back to school. For many of us, our current routines may not be supporting health and wellbeing as much as it could. Perhaps you need an overhaul.

IMAGE.ie asked the fabulous life coach Lydia Kimmerling and Harley Street Nutritionist Kim Pearson for some tips about putting a healthy pep back into our steps this season.

Take stock

Sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of what’s going well and what’s not. Lydia says “Quite often, what leads to overwhelm is the thinking about taking action, as opposed to actually doing it. There’s nothing like a big brain dump. Get everything out of your head on onto paper, then be really honest and ask yourself, what is the priority?

You can only have one or two priorities. Sometimes things might seem urgent but when we are able to think clearly we we realise they can probably wait 24-hours while we focus on the top priority”

Kim adds “If you’re looking to improve your nutrition or lose weight, keep a food and drink (including alcohol) diary for a week. This will help you get really clear on what elements of your daily diet are supporting your health and wellbeing, and which ones aren’t. You might be surprised what you discover.

It’s easy to think that afternoon biscuit is occasional, then when you write it down you might discover that tin raid is happening on more days than not.” Both Kim and Lydia highlight the importance of writing things down so that you can take stock and get clear on your starting point.

Go slow

Don’t put pressure on yourself to do everything at once. Building on Lydia’s earlier point about prioritising, Kim says: “Rather than embarking on a crazy crash diet or swearing to exercise every day, prioritise what needs addressing first. For example, if those daily wines or G&T are sapping your energy, start by reducing your drinking to a couple of times a week, or even cutting it out altogether for a while. This will help increase you get better sleep and have more energy so that you feel motivated to exercise and eat more healthily.

“Take time to consider the best first step for you, rather than trying to do everything at once and setting yourself up for failure.”

Dream on

It’s often overlooked but sleep has a huge impact on many aspects of our health. Kim explains that “lack of sleep increases levels of our ‘hunger hormone’ ghrelin, while reducing levels of our ‘satiety hormone’ leptin. This means you’re likely to feel hungrier and less satisfied by the food you do eat.

Supporting my clients with getting them into a good sleep routine can be a game changer when it comes to how easy they find sticking to a healthy diet, overcoming their cravings and losing weight. Lydia says, “ We so often overlook some of the most simple means to feeling our best and sleep is one of them. Having gone through two years of getting just four hours of broken sleep a night with my new born, I know the impact of being sleep deprived! Before you can look to level up in your life, look at what’s going on when you’re lying down.

“If you’re struggling to get to sleep due to racing thoughts, try writing down everything that’s in your head.
Keeping a pen and pad next to your bed is a good idea. Sleep meditations can be really helpful too. Kim and I love MEYA, which uses binaural beats to put your brain waves into a relaxed state, ready for sleep”

Self care

Kim says, “I work with many women who overeat because they are energetically depleted. They give a huge amount of energy to work and / or family and as a result, they turn to food to ‘top up the tank’. Incorporating self care practices into your daily routine is a way to reward yourself without food. Try to take at least 20 minutes out for yourself each day to do something that feels restorative for you. Your restorative time might involve reading a book, taking for a walk in nature or going for a swim.

Try to avoid activities that involve screens!”

Up your energy

If you’re feeling exhausted, firstly, make sure you’re getting enough good quality sleep. Secondly, make sure you’re not lacking any vital nutrients. Kim says “At my clinic we often test clients for nutrient deficiencies – low vitamin D and iron deficiency are two common culprits for low energy levels. If you feel tired all the time, despite getting good sleep, it’s worth speaking to your doctor who can run tests and help you get to the route cause.

It’s recommended that we all supplement vitamin D in autumn and winter months. I am a fan of BetterYou’s DLux sprays.”

Lydia says, “Consider your energy as you would your money. You only have a certain amount – spend it wisely! No matter which area of our life you wish to improve in, the results will reflect the energy you are giving it. If you want something to be better, put more positive energy into that area of your life. If you’re giving a lot of your valuable energy to something that’s no longer serving you, it might be time to address that.”

To find out more about Kim and Lydia’s work, you can visit their websites:

Nutritionist and Weight Loss Expert Kim Pearson

Master Life Coach Lydia Kimmerling

This article was originally published in September 2021.