Nutritional biochemist, author and speaker Dr Libby recently released a book, The Energy Guide, full of advice for boosting your wellbeing every day.
We wanted to share her tips on starting the day, as getting the morning right can lay such a good foundation for the day. We hope you enjoy this extract from her book, as well as her delicious recipe for crunchy buckwheat muesli - why not have a go at making this nutrient dense breakfast soon?
Create a morning ritual
During my research for this book, I was fortunate to be able to interview some amazing people at a leadership retreat. Over the week, I asked some of the world's foremost minds and hearts about their own personal energy, how they experience energy, and what they do to cultivate energy. And one of the most common answers was to have a non-negotiable morning ritual that set them up for the day, physically and/or spiritually - rituals that often involved learning and growth. Many of these people, both men and women, had children ranging in age from 12 weeks to 21 years. Some had four children under 10. Those who did and who had a morning ritual of solitude either got up before everyone else in their household or, if they rose later, they had taught the children to occupy themselves while they did their yoga, meditation, reading, writing or other restorative or vigorous practice. Another key, however, was that they remained flexible so if a child needed them it didn't ‘ruin' their morning. It was just what it was.
I want to encourage you to do the same. When you start your day with a meaningful ritual, it connects you to your essence and plugs you into your natural intelligence. Your mind is sharper, you hold your body more strongly and you are more effective in your work day. You cope better with whatever comes your way. Those I spoke to also suggested that they are better colleagues, parents, partners and friends when they have set up their day. So the ripple effect of a morning ritual is significant. Not only do you experience better and more consistent energy, but those around you get the best version of you, too.
Stop, keep, start
Another useful strategy is to take a journal or notepad and draw up three columns with the headings: ‘Stop', ‘Keep' and ‘Start'. Now fill in each column as you think of things by answering the following questions:
- What am I going to stop doing?
- What am I going to keep doing?
- What am I going to start doing?
For example:
- Stop: I am going to stop getting caught up in gossip as it is exhausting.
- Keep: I am going to keep eating a nourishing breakfast every day.
- Start: I am going to start walking four days out of seven, starting tomorrow at 6 am.
Here are some other ‘starts' that might inspire you:
- I am going to start Stillness Through Movement classes.
- I am going to start lunchtime walks.
- I am going to take singing lessons.
- I am going to call/Skype my sister every week.
- I am going to start drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning.
- I am going to start watching my children sleep (about an hour after they fall asleep) for 10 minutes each evening; they are little for such a short amount of time.
- I am going to start cleaning out my clothes cupboard every six months and give what I haven't worn in the last chunk of time to a charity store.
- I am going to stop responding to text messages immediately. This will give me a sense of freedom.
Recipe: Crunchy buckwheat muesli
This delicious crunchy muesli uses very little sweetener and is a nutrient-dense alternative to many packaged breakfast options on the shelves. The combination of seeds gives it a wonderful mineral boost. I find many people love it served with banana and blueberries, but you can use any fruit you like.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Prep ahead: Soak buckwheat, almonds and seeds
Ingredients:
1 cup (200 g) buckwheat (see Glossary)
1⁄2 cup (80 g) raw almonds, chopped
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons extra virgin
coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric (see Glossary)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (optional)
milk of your choice, to serve
sliced banana and blueberries, to serve
Method:
- Place the buckwheat, almonds and seeds in a medium bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight. The next morning, rinse and drain well.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Tip the soaked buckwheat mixture into a bowl, add the coconut oil, spices and syrup, if using, and mix well to coat.
- Spread the buckwheat mixture over the prepared tray. Bake for 50 minutes or until lightly golden and dry. Set aside to cool completely.
- Serve with your choice of milk, topped with sliced banana and blueberries.
This is an extract from The Energy Guide by Dr Libby Weaver, Macmillan, RRP $39.99. Find out more at Drlibby.com.