Finding Balance in Our Lives

 

Balance is an important aspect in our everyday lives. At some point in our lives, everyone wants to achieve balance. Balance helps facilitate our busy everyday lives; stability, managing time correctly, eating healthy, exercise and being mindful in one's thinking are all key ingredients for this. There’s no question that when life gets chaotic, your health is often impacted. It’s important to maintain a healthy balance for eating and living.

First of all, you have to make the commitment to keep to a balanced lifestyle. It’s easy to be distracted, make excuses and become unfocused from our healthy goals. Think about how to incorporate balance into your routine.

Here are a few suggestions:

 

BALANCE YOUR DIET

 

 

A healthy lifestyle starts with your eating habits.  For example, the importance of eating breakfast. Not eating breakfast can easily ruin the balance of your day. We need nutrition, carbohydrates, fats and proteins in order to function. You can eat anything you want, as long as its in proportion. Portion control can be key, start with smaller portions, you can always go back for more if you need it!

Try and eat a range of foods: fruit and vegetables will nourish your body whilst wholegrains are a great alternative to the heavy white bread and pasta options and will give you energy to burn for longer.
Sugar, the dreaded word! Try and avoid too much sugar. Choose a treat day to indulge in the sweet treats you like!

 

 

BALANCE YOUR BODY

 

Trying to balance your job, family and social commitments can be hard, so trying to fit in exercise can feel like a daunting task.

Sue Jackson (owner of Balance, The Countryside Gym) gives us her top tips on trying to find ‘balance’ with your body:

''It is extremely useful in this day and age to have aids like Fit-bits! They can keep you on track, 10,000 steps a day, taking the stairs instead of the lift, parking your car further away and walking that little bit more can all make such a difference. Being mindful to get up out of your chair every hour, even if you are at work, and just walk to the water cooler, or around the office can all be beneficial in getting your activity levels up. Trying to be mindful when exercising is important too, even just 15 minutes of exercise daily can massively improve our wellbeing. Just do it. The moment you hesitate you will lose your drive. Try and have fun when exercising, join classes where there are like-minded people or make a pact with a friend to go, this way you will go as you won't want to let that friend down! Even doing some lunges or squats whilst waiting for the kettle to boil can help!''

Balance, The Countryside Gym has regular exercise classes from yoga, HIIT, circuits and Pilates, there will be a class to suit you and your circumstances. So why not go along and give it a try!’’

 

                                                              

 

 

BALANCE YOUR MIND

 

It is just as important to protect your mental and emotional health as well as your physical body. Being happy is very important when balancing your lifestyle. Meditation can also be a powerful tool to clear your thoughts and de-stress.
Sleep will protect your immune system and is critical to repair your body; you should be aiming for 7-9 hours a day.

Relationships develop your support network and make you feel mentally at ease. Always make time for friends and family as they will prove vital for advice and support.

Mind, body and wellness play an important aspect in our everyday lives. It is important that we all try to find some balance within our lives, it does not necessarily have to be perfect but it will definitely help to achieve a healthier life.

If we drink and eat the right things, take time out and look after ourselves we can be in complete balance.

 

Here are our top tips to finding balance in your life:

Prevent being over worked

Schedule in down-time and breaks, be open to delegate tasks to others around you and try to break down large projects into several smaller tasks

Review your weekly schedule and remove activities that drain you

Look at work, family and household activities and try to prioritise and remove activities that are emotionally draining

Learn when and how to say ‘no’

Saying ‘no’ is healthy and shouldn’t be seen as negative. It does not mean that you are incapable, simply you do not have the time to dedicate.

Make time for Relationships

Prioritize spending time with people who support and nurture you. Make time for partners, family and friends.

Recognise quality over quantity

Make sure you are fully present and engaged during the time you do have. Balance does not have to be equal time at work and at home, it is not the minutes you spend there that counts but about making the most of the situation you are in.

Make time for you

Pick a self-care activity and do it regularly. Be sure to make time for physical activity for a change of scenery and break for your mind.

 

 

GUIDE TO WELLNESS TEAS

 

Wellness. Self-Care. Self-improvement. Whatever we call it we are just trying to be the best versions of ourselves. We believe tea can make this journey a little easier!

Here at Cup of Tea we have a delicious range of Wellness Teas to help find the right balance for you. A healthy outside starts from the inside! Discover our range of Wellness teas, to keep your body, mind and soul in complete balance and harmony. Our carefully selected infusions have intriguing mixtures of delicious and fragrant herbs, fruits and spices - to make you feel great!

Wellness tea is ideal if you’re trying to keep healthy whilst enjoying a tasty brew! Our wellness teas are blended by experts, using the finest ingredients to create brews that are healthy and tasty. They can lift up your senses and give you a welcome boost in the midst of every-day life. We have flavours to energise, soothe and enjoy, come and discover a whole new world of tea-drinking enjoyment!

We have a delicious range of wellness loose leaf teas:

Berry Power - flavoured fruit infusion with red chokeberry and blueberries, caffeine-free

Best Balance – flavoured rooibos with honey, anise, fennel and chamomile, caffeine-free

Feel Fit – fruit and herbal blend with apple-citrus flavours, caffeine-free

Feel Relaxed – flavoured herbal infusion with the subtle taste of oranges and cream, caffeine free

Good Vitality – flavoured fruit infusion with a refreshing red currant taste, caffeine-free

Sleep Well – flavoured herbal tea with caramel flavours, caffeine-free

Wellness Hamper - Delightful wicker tea hamper filled with three of our finest wellness teas, all caffeine-free.

Perfect to relax mind, body and soul!

100g Feel Fit - A boost of lively fruit and herbal blends with apple-citrus flavours

100g Good Vitality - A superb fruity red currant flavoured infusion loose leaf tea

100g Best Balance - A smooth honey flavoured rooibos loose leaf tea

 

                                                                

                                                                                     

If you look back in time, most people drank tea for enjoyment, relaxation, socially and because they enjoyed the taste. With the movement towards health and well-being people have begun to drink teas for their health benefits. People around the world have trusted a variety of herbs for the specific wellness benefits they provide. Wellness teas combine multiple botanicals, usually herbs, spices or flowers, to provide benefits for your body. Varieties include ginger, hibiscus, jasmine, rosehip, mint, rooibos, chamomile and many more. Some of the more common ingredients used in wellness teas are below with a little information about their health benefits:

Peppermint – this tea is known to relieve bloating and is also good for nausea.

Ginger – can be used to help nausea, vomiting or to settle an upset stomach.

Chamomile – this tea can help insomnia and can also be a helpful digestion after a meal.

Rooibos – is high in vitamin C and can help ward off illness.

Rosehip – this tea is also high in vitamin C which helps the immune system, skin and tissue health.

 

Thanks to the abundance of antioxidants and nutrients in most teas, there are many claimed health benefits! Wellness tea combines and blends the ingredients to try and target those health benefits. What we know for sure is that choosing high quality caffeine-free ingredients can only have positive benefits for your wellbeing.

 

 

HOW TO BREW WELLNESS TEAS

 

Whether you want to use the loose leaves or try a tea bag infusion, the standard process is the same.

One heaped teaspoon, 5-10 minutes brewing time,

The standard process is as follows:

Boil some freshly poured cold water

Place the tea leaves in a tea strainer or filter (or place your teabag in a mug)

Pour over the boiling water

Steep the tea for the appropriate amount of time

Strain the tea

Sit back and enjoy!

 

                                                                    

 

 

 

HYDRATION

 

Is tea hydrating? 

Yes! Tea does hydrate you and helps distribute water to the body. There is some confusion over this and it is to do with caffeine. All teas, except herbal, fruit or caffeine-free tea contain some form of caffeine. Compared to coffee it is minimal, 30-40mg for tea and 100mg per cup for coffee.

Our wellness teas are all naturally caffeine free and on the whole, tea gives your body much more water than it causes your body to lose. So, drinking hot tea or iced tea does help to hydrate you.

Here’s why we believe we should be drinking more of the good stuff:

Variety – there are so many varieties of tea out there to try!

Health benefits – there are endless benefits to drinking different types of tea, hydration being the main one! Green tea is well-known to help with weight-loss and memory boosting. Wellness teas can lift up your senses and give you a welcome energy boost.

Personal – Tea can be experimented with and tweaked to your personal preferences, whether it is taste, brewing time, or drinking hot or cold.

Perfect for any time of day – There is always time for tea! Whatever time of the day, tea will always be welcome. Start the day with a breakfast tea, give yourself a boost in the afternoon with a green tea and relax before bed with a soothing chamomile tea. 

 

 

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Have a cup of positivi-tea!

Have a look at our favourite Wellness Teas:

FEEL FIT (loose leaf tea)

 

                                                 

£5.30 for a 100g bag

A lively herbal infusion with hints of refreshing green apple and aroma of juicy lemons. Thirst quenching and revitalising with the support of added vitamins.

Caffeine-free

Brewing time: 5-8 mins

Ingredients: apple pieces, flavouring, acidifying substances, citric acid, mate, sweet blackberry leaves, nettle leaves, dyers' thistle, sunflower petals and cornflower petals.

 

 

BEST BALANCE (loose leaf tea)

 

                                                     

£5.30 for a 100g bag

A harmoniously blend of an herbal rooibos with honey, anise, fennel and chamomile to create balance and provide a soothing feeling to body and soul.

Caffeine-free

Brewing time: 5-8 mins

Ingredients: rooibos, honey bush, flavouring, honey, anise, fennel, chamomile flowers, lemon balm, sweet blackberry leaves, ginseng.

 

 

 

GOOD VITALITY (loose leaf tea)

 

                                                         

£5.30 for a 100g bag

A superb fruity flavoured infusion of fruit and herbs with cola nut that provides energy and adds freshness.

Caffeine-free

Brewing time: 8-10 mins

Ingredients: hibiscus, apple pieces, sweet blackberry leaves, cola nut, elderberries, flavouring, orange peel.

 

 

 

TEA TASTING SELECTION BOX – WELLNESS TEAS

 

                                                     

£5.90 for a box of 10 wellness loose leaf tea samples.

Each tea sample will make between 2-3 cups of tea

Each box contains:

Ginger Twist: A flavoured blend of green tea with ginger and the taste of quince.

Gentle Wake Up Call:  A flavoured blend of green tea and fruity rhubarb/strawberry notes.

Best Balance : A honey flavoured South African Rooibos.

Feel Relaxed: An orange and cream flavoured herbal infusion to allow you to relax.

Herbal Energy: Pineapple flavoured herbal infusion with a hint of mint

Maqui Mandra: A flavoured refreshing herbal green rooibos tea with Maqui berry taste

Lavender Dream: A harmonious combination of lavender and thyme.

Pure Spirit: Decaffeinated black tea with sultana and cocoa cream.

Feel Fit: Herbal infusion with refreshing green apples and juicy lemons

Good Vitality: Fruit Infusion with a refreshing currant taste

 

 

 

LOOKING TO FIND YOUR ‘BALANCE?’

 

 One of the great ways we have talked about finding ‘balance’ in your life is exercise. Just 15 minutes of exercise every day can reduce obesity, increase bone strength and can cut the risk of heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes and cancer. Cup of Tea have collaborated with a great local Countryside Gym to promote ‘balance’ combining exercise and our range of Wellness teas.

Balance, The Countryside Gym, lies on the outskirts of the beautiful village of Timsbury, just outside of Bath. They promote healthy living and well-being and offer nutritional advice and tailored exercise plans to suit your lifestyle and fitness needs. There are a variety of small classes to choose from for all ages and fitness levels including Circuits, Body Conditioning, HIIT, Boxercise, Pilates, Yoga and a Ballet Barre Concept class which you can even bring your baby along to! Personal training sessions are also available as well as massage and postural analysis.

 

                                                                             

 

Balance believe that everyone can get fitter and improve their quality of life whatever their age, size, shape or fitness level.

Class prices start from around £8.00 for 1 hour.

More information can be found on their website www.balancethecountrysidegym.co.uk.

Call: 07776 147920. Email: sue@balancethecountrysidegym.co.uk

 

 

FANCY A WELLNESS DAY?

 

Our lovely friends at Balance The Countryside Gym are running a Wellness Day on 29^TH September 2018 so if you would like to enjoy a day finding ‘balance’ in your life have a browse at their website http://www.balancelifestyleandfitness.co.uk/event/wellness-day-29th-september/ to find out more.

The Wellness day looks fantastic! Go along for a whole or half day and listen, take part and meet new people who can help you deal with the stress and strains of modern life, give you coping skills or just answer questions about how to eat, sleep and function better.

Places are limited to 10 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon, so please book on the Balance website or app early to avoid disappointment

http://www.balancelifestyleandfitness.co.uk/

Half day morning with lunch £35

Half day afternoon with lunch £35

Full day £60

During the day our range of Wellness teas will be available to taste and purchase for you to enjoy!

 

WELLNESS DAY - Sunday 29^th September:

9:30am – Arrival and welcome

10-11:00am – Yoga with Kara Herbert

11-11:30am – Relaxing break with energy ball and Tea/water

11:30-12:30pm – Mindfulness session with Isabelle Arnold

12:30-1:30pm – Nutritious lunch

1:30-2:30pm – Nutrition talk with Q&A session with Laura Hilton

2:45-3:45pm – *TRE session with Deborah Maddison

4-4:30pm – Afternoon tea and cakes, Wildflour cake co (cakes by Jess Langford Snape).

 *“T.R.E. Natural Stress & Tension Release Talk; Breathing Relaxation to follow talk”

 

 

NEW YOGA CLASSES STARTINGAT AT BALANCE GYM SEPTEMBER 2018

 

Balance run a wide variety of yoga classes throughout the week:

 

                                                                

 

Yang Yoga class Thursday 9:30am-10:30am run by Ruth Timms

Yang yoga brings strength and heat into the body. Postures are usually dynamic and active. Practising in this way focuses the mind and burns away impurities by firing up the digestive and lymphatic systems. It makes you feel strong, energised and awake! 

 

Yin Yoga class Thursday 10:30am-11:30am run by Ruth Timms

Yin yoga is cooling and calming. This practice lends itself to introspection and mindfulness as you’re invited to slow down, take stock and stay in posture. Yin is a wonderful compliment to yang styles of yoga such as Ashtanga and ‘yang’ sports such as running, cycling and weight training.

 

From September 2018:

1) Pilates 7.15pm-8:15pm run by Francesca Pole (new Pilates teacher)

This is a fantastic way of developing strong core muscles, all over body strength and improving your posture.

3) Yoga Thursday 7.15am-8.15am run by ex-Army Officer, Christian Henwood

This is the perfect way to start your day and a great boost before heading to work or generally focusing your mind and stretching and strengthening your body. 

 

 

COMMUNITY BASED EVENTS

 

Balance also run community-based events throughout the year such as organised walks and paddle boarding lessons. They are also taking part in the ‘Taste of Timsbury’ day at the Conygere Hall on Saturday the 22nd September - http://www.tasteoftimsbury.co.uk/

2019 should also be a very exciting year for Balance Gym as they are also organising a ‘Balance Retreat’ to Tuscany from the 7th-14th June!

 

 

 Lifestyle photographs courrtsey of @paulosbornephotography 07720290732

 

Posted by cup of tea admin
20th August 2018

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