While we know that prioritising our health and fitness is important, many of us struggle to achieve work/life balance in our busy lives – and find it hard to make time to look after our wellbeing.
So Now To Love spoke to lifestyle motivator and mum of four, Dani Stevens, for tips on finding health and wellness balance.
Women are more interested than ever in quick and effective nutrition and fitness options, why do you think this is?
In today’s modern world, time is never on our side and we don’t get a chance to look after ourselves first. Things like meal prepping or scheduling some self-love can very easily stay at the bottom of the list.
My Voome Timesaver program is designed for busy women who want to eat well, get fitter, improve their core strength and set a good example for their family. 15 minute meals, 20 minute low impact results driven workouts – it’s that simple, and it’s certainly achievable!
What kind of advice would you give to someone who needs quick but healthy meals?
Fresh is best. I am always heading out the door with a piece of produce combined with protein – think apple slices with peanut butter or veggie sticks with hummus. Easy to carry take away snacks are the key.
For a great quick and easy snack to take on the go, try the delicious Snack Ball recipe from my Voome Program (see recipe below). I love this because it’s brilliant for combating that afternoon chocolate craving and boosting your energy levels after a hard work out.
Where should people start? I find meal prepping sets me up for my entire week. I always have washed and pre-prepped foods in our ‘snacks on the go’ drawer in the fridge or pantry shelf.
I love to either shop online or do a weekly shop to ensure all my meals are ready to go, especially for those busy mid week after school activities and late work nights. Nothing is worse than coming home at 6pm and wondering what to cook for dinner.
What kind of exercises do you recommend for women who want a quick workout?
I love to incorporate low-impact circuits for a quick workout in 15-20 minutes. This includes exercises such as Sergeant Sprawls, Burpees on Bench, and Wall Sit Leg Burner.
My tips for fitting fitness into your routine:
Wake up half an hour before the kids (or if no kids, then just half an hour earlier than usual).
Start your day with a quick Timesaver 20 minute workout, run, yoga, tabata session.
Make time with your partner to cover you with the kids and vice versa when you need your fitness or time out sessions.
Work out with your friends at the park during your coffee catch ups or at lunchtime with your work colleagues.
Are there any moments you think we should take slowly in our health and wellness routines?
I always use our family food preparation as a time to reflect on love and service.
My family is my number one priority so in my household we choose fresh ingredients and we all spend time in the kitchen together making the recipe.
When it comes to fitness, I have now learnt to slow down and I never miss out on my pre and post workout stretches and cool down movements.
Any other wellness tips or tricks you think would make our readers lives easier?
One thing I always do is allow ‘me’ time where I am able to sit and relax and just BE. The world will overload you with information and want you to take action. Ignore it. Self-love is the answer.
My tips for a healthy, balanced lifestyle: Routine. Make time. Our life is short on this earth and family comes first. Live within your means and never lose your diamonds while chasing glitter.
Voome Snack Ball Recipe
This snack is brilliant for combating that afternoon chocolate craving or boosting your energy levels after a hard work out. They are vegan and gluten friendly too!
The balls will keep in the fridge for up to four weeks. They also store well in the freezer, or else you can just cut the recipe down to make less serves.
Serves: 30
Prep: 20 mins
Cals: 142 per serve
Ingredients:
1 Cup Raw Cashew Nuts (140g)
1 Cup Almonds (165g)
1 Cup Sunflower Seeds (150g)
2 Cups Dried Dates (300g)
1 Cups Dried Currants (170g)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence (5g)
1/2 Cups Desiccated Coconut (38g)
Method:
Process the nuts and seeds in a large food processor bowl until finely chopped.
Add the dates, currants and vanilla essence and process until almost smooth and sticky.
Roll into 30 walnut sized balls or 60 smaller balls.
Coat with coconut.
Voome Tips:
It may be easier to process the nuts in small amounts first so you don’t overheat your food processor.
You can use peppermint essence instead of vanilla essence if you wish.
Dani Stevens is a lifestyle motivator, social media influencer and a mum of four children. Check out Voome’s Timesaver Program led by Dani.
