Good morning and happy Monday!

Firstly, a massive thank you and farewell to Sam, one of our wonderful Chiropractic Assistants, who's decided to make a move to greener pastures and back to the country. Thank you for all your hard work, dedication and inspiring use of memes. You'll be sorely missed and always appreciated.

Today we're going to revisit some basic (and cheap) things we can all do to support our health. You'll know most of them, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded every so often. But first, here's a couple of things I've been into this week…

Listening

Rabbit Hole podcast from The NY Times. This amazing series explores how the internet is changing and how it's changing us. Woah.

Tautou by Marble Sounds. This super cool album by an even cooler group out of Brussels has been on repeat for most of the week. Track 6 is a stand-out.

Reading

I'm half-way through book one – The Cuckoo's Calling – of Robert Galbraith's (aka J.K. Rowling) crime series trilogy and loving it.A relatively "easy" read but no less gripping, and already has me looking forward to the next books.

Thinking about

Strangely, I don't remember where I heard this, but it seems like good life advice.

Have: Someone to love. Something to do. Something to look forward to. Something to give back.

And now for some cheap and easy health tips…

Water

You're mainly water, so keep yourself topped up by drinking a good couple of pints (minimum!) per day. Coffee doesn't count. Neither does tea, beer, wine, juice, Coke or anything else that isn't actually just water. Really. Nail a pint first thing in the morning and you're already halfway there.

Eat real food

Seems kind of obvious but eating real food is super important, and it doesn't need to be "super" foods. Basically, try to stick to fruit and vegetables and avoid processed foods. Tip: when you're out shopping, try to dodge the middle aisles of the supermarket – keep to the perimeter. The choices you make while shopping will pretty much determine what you end up eating when you're hungry/bored/stressed at home. It's tricky to eat a tub of ice cream if it didn't make it into your house. You got this.

Move

Yeah, again. And again. And again. And keep moving. Honestly, it almost doesn't matter what you do, just do something and do it regularly. Shorter, more regular bursts of exercise have been shown to be more beneficial than one long exercise session per day/week. Hence keep moving.

Rest

Sleep more. Go to bed earlier. Don't watch just one more episode.

Meditate

Close your eyes and count your breaths to 10. Repeat. As often as you can.

Cold exposure

Have a cold shower every day. (Or at least finish your shower with cold water.) The cold stimulates your blood vessels and helps keep them healthy. There is also research that suggests regular cold exposure is beneficial to your immune system. Plus it's invigorating and kind of exciting, too.

Call your friends and family

Being connected to people you love and care about is one of life's greatest gifts. Call your favourite people more often.

Maybe pick one of these to focus on this week and let me know how you go?

Big love guys,

Luke X