5 Tips For a Healthier Body and Business

By Angela McNally, Founder, Eating Pretty Nutrition and Angela McNally Wellness



Even though my business is all wellness-related, I know first-hand how being an entrepreneur can rule over all things in life—including your health and self care. However, the one thing I’m sure of is that having a healthy lifestyle directly affects the health of my business.


We’re all busy. We all have business priorities, and we’re all deeply passionate about putting every effort into seeing our businesses succeed; but when you take that time to care for yourself first, I promise you that your business will thank you for it. Here are my top five self care go-to’s I use when I’m feeling like both my body and business are in need of a little extra tender loving care.


 

1. Start your day with a power smoothie.


When I begin my day with a nutrient-rich smoothie, my body says thank you and it starts my working day off with a much-needed energy boost. For those of you who are coffee drinkers, adding a green smoothie to the mix can help you add some alkalinity to your morning, which reduces stress, anxiety, indigestion and headaches.


My favorite recipe:




  • ½ cup frozen blueberries

  • Handful of greens (I like baby kale)

  • 1 tsp flax seeds

  • ¼ avocado or ½ a banana for creaminess

  • Top with almond milk, green juice or water (feel free to add a scoop of your favorite protein powder), blend and enjoy!


 

2. Schedule everything—including your health.


When breaking out your Staples planner, be sure to schedule in everything—and yes, this means workouts, too. If it’s not scheduled it’s not real, so put yourself first by penciling in your workouts, grocery shops and even daily meditations.


 

3. Don’t forget to breathe.


Although it’s incredibly rewarding, entrepreneurship can be a stressful gig at times. When you find yourself attached to your computer for hours on end, take a conscious note of it and take a step back. We’re overstimulated all day long with the lights, rings and dings of technology—so be sure to allow yourself to shut down for ten minutes and just breathe. Focusing on nothing but your breath is incredibly relaxing, refocusing and a great way to come back to your center of calm. I like to take four quick short breaths in through the nose followed by one long breath out of the mouth. Repeat this until you can feel yourself unwinding—you deserve it!


 

4. Take five.


Sometimes I feel like I am so wrapped up in what I am working on that I forget to do anything else. Taking just a five minute break whenever I can really brings me back to real life and keeps me balanced. Even if it’s just a quick tidy of my home office, doing something that makes you feel good is can be very re-energizing.


 

5. Schedule offline time.


For us modern day business owners this is a tough one, but do you remember the days when you would bust out your favorite notebook and pen and just creatively brainstorm and express yourself? What about the art of a handwritten thank you card to a colleague or client? Sometimes expressing yourself when offline will produce the best new ideas or authentic moments. You never know what could happen without the constant distraction of email—so why not give it a try?


 

About the author


Angela McNally is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Wellness Consultant from Toronto, Ontario. She loves teaching businesses to include health and wellness into their everyday practices and marketing messages. To learn more, visit www.angelamcnallywellness.com. Angela is also the founder of Eating Pretty Nutrition and the chair of the Toronto Movember Committee.



 

By Andrew Patricio

September 17, 2014

BizLaunch