Avoid coffee first up
Caffeine stimulates the body into fight or flight mode, so avoid it first up in the morning on an empty stomach. If you are experiencing burnout symptoms and poor sleep, avoid caffeine altogether and look for good-quality decaffeinated substitutes. Stewart recommends starting each day with warm water with a lime or lemon wedge to alkalinise the body, and ensure peristalsis and digestion are gently stimulated before foods are introduced. In the cooler season, ginger tea is a wonderful alternative.
Salute the sun
Embracing the sunshine vitamin D and inhaling fresh air is the perfect early morning ritual. Exposure to sunlight within the first 30 minutes after waking is ideal and will reset our natural sleep cycle. Deep breathing is best done as early in the morning as possible when the energy of the body is moving through the lungs in the circadian rhythms. Walking, tai chi, yoga or qigong are ideal restorative exercises.
Make each beverage count
Teas have so many beneficial and calming properties. Stewart recommends trying these anti-inflammatory teas: chai for digestion, ginger for detoxification, immunity and anti-inflammation, and mulberry to rejuvenate the body’s hormone production, as well as soothe the mind and nervous tension. Before bed, sip on calming herbal tea like chamomile, rooibos or mulberry.
Add protein to every meal
Protein consumption from foods like chicken, lean red meat, fish, tofu, beans, eggs, and plain yoghurt has been linked to higher levels of dopamine and noradrenaline, which are brain chemicals that play a role in your mood, motivation and concentration. Incorporate 100 grams of lean animal or plant-based protein into at least one of your daily meals.
Get your eight hours
A full eight to nine hours of sleep per night is essential to allow the body to heal, restore and rejuvenate, especially when stressed. The extra hour can give you essential added support to the organs of your body. A quick hot bath with essential aroma oils is Stewart’s tip for ensuring a good sleep.