Looking out for you - julesfrancis.comjulesfrancis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Wellbeing-E-Book.pdf · You’re on a phone call and somehow wandered into the kitchen. Next thing

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Looking out for you

JULES FRANCISEAT BETTER. LOOK BETTER. FEEL BETTER

0 7 8 0 3 1 2 1 9 2 3 J U L E S @ J U L E S F R A N C I S . C O M

J U L E S F R A N C I S . C O M

julesfrancis artwork v5.indd 2 22/12/2017 14:41

Helping employees with their food choices and wellbeing when working from home





I N T R O D U C T I O N

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This e-book is aimed at helping you with your food choices and wellbeing when working from home

I typically work with career-driven women who have a tendency to over-indulge in food they know is bad for them yet do it anyway. Right now, there are many of you who may be struggling at home next to your fridge calling your name louder than ever and you may be challenged by having food in such close proximity.

If constant trips to the kitchen are made, it can not only affect the waistline but also self-esteem, energy levels and work productivity.

Coronavirus lockdown has highlighted and exacerbated many challenges around food or eating habits that were already present. There is never a more important time to focus on your wellbeing.

I have been offering my support to corporate companies during coronavirus lockdown and I wanted to share the information with you too.

I hope you enjoy the contents, put things into action, stay well, stay positive and be productive.





C O N T E N T S

M O V E M E N T

M O V E M E N T A N D E X E R C I S E 42

P O S T U R E 52

TO P T I P S FR O M A N O S T E O PAT H 5 4

E M O T I O N A L W E L L B E I N G

M I N D FU L L O R M I N D FU L? 5 6

A N X I E T Y I C E B E R G 6 0

R E S T A N D R E J U V I N AT E

W H AT A R E YO U D O I N G TO R E J U V E N AT E ? 6 6

S I M P L E WAYS YO U C A N R E J U V E N AT E 6 8

T H E A R T O F R E S T I N G 76

CO N TAC T 8 6

F O O D A N D D R I N K

G R A Z I N G 6

S E T T I N G U P YO U R D E S K AT H O M E 8

P L A N YO U R M E A L S A N D S N AC K S 10

M E A L PR E P I N A D VA N C E 12

W H AT D O YO U R F O O D C H O I C E S R E A L LY M E A N? 16

A R E YO U D R I N K I N G E N O U G H WAT E R? 18

R E D U C E C A FFE I N E 24

F O R N AT U R A L E N E R G Y B O O S T S 26

L I S T E N O U T F O R H U N G E R S I G N S 2 8

E M O T I O N A L E AT I N G 3 0

M I N D FU L E AT I N G V E R SU S M I N D L E SS E AT I N G 32

T H E S . A . D C R AV I N G S 3 4






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Grazing

You’re on a phone call and somehow wandered into the kitchen. Next thing you know you’re eating crackers and dry cereal out of the box. Or maybe you got so caught up in a task and you suddenly realise you haven’t eaten a thing all day.

Or perhaps the “I’ll just have a handful of crisps as I work” mentality turned into accidently eating the entire bag.

Keeping your nutrition in check can be tough when your home is your office. You feel comfortable and there’s plenty of food available. And unlike in the office, you’re free to graze all day and the fridge is all yours. But this habit can wreak havoc on your waistline, sabotage weight loss and halt your productivity.






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Setting up your desk at home

It would make it much easier if your desk / office space is away from the kitchen and is close to natural daylight. You might be tempted to wander over and check the fridge yet again if it’s constantly in view. You can always make a decision that the only time you’ll be in your kitchen during a workday is when you’re getting ready to have a planned snack or meal.

You could always put a note on the fridge door to remind you that the kitchen is closed until the next scheduled meal or snack.






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PLAN YOUR

ME ALS Plan your meals and snacks

Just as you schedule and plan out the rest of your day (get up, shower, have breakfast), establish when throughout the day you’re going to eat. If you know you like to eat lunch around midday you can plan for that. And if you like to have a snack in the late afternoon, you can plan for that as well. Would you graze as much if others were watching you?






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Meal prep in advance

There might be something freeing for some of you about being able to eat lunch without having to stand in line to wait for it. But for some people, the freedom is too much, especially when it comes to weekday lunches.

Meal prepping is really useful – simply select a day of the week when you can prepare the majority of the food in advance and try and stick to this routine of meal prep day. Remember the food shopping needs to have been done before the prep day!

• Plan your meals and snacks or pick your recipes

• Do the food shopping

• Prep the food for the week

Meal prepping simply means preparing or batch-cooking meals, snacks or ingredients ahead of time, to make healthy eating easier during your busier days.

Choose meals with a variety of colours and textures – keep them well-balanced, varied and simple

FREE ZE CUT UP

VEGGIES






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Keep cut up veggies in the freezer or fridge in storage containers – label everything well!

All grains can be pre-cooked and frozen to save time

Pre-cut veggies can easily be added to a salad, an omelette or some rice for a healthy and quick lunch

• Consider meals where you can re-use ingredients.

• Look for recipes that can be made in a slow cooker to save time

• Avoid making the same meal two weeks in a row

• Enjoy the prep day with your favourite music on, listen to a podcast or audio book as you chop veggies, or talk to a friend with your headphones in

• Most food should last 3-4 days in the right container in the fridge

• There is no right or wrong to meal planning – find what works for you

• Include healthy snacks in your prep day to have on hand throughout the week

• Avoid eating snacks straight out of the original bag or box, as it’s much harder to control portions that way.

COOK GR AINS &

FREE ZE






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What do your food choices really mean?

This is my favourite part of the work I do – exploring what lies beneath the surface and transforming it into something more workable. Our food habits and choices are here to teach us valuable lessons – all we need to do is have the courage to step through the door and see what lies on the other side.

Once when we know what lies on the other side, we can then choose to lovingly nurture our wounds and limiting belief patterns, learn what they are here to teach us, and let them go. This is where the patterns of yo-yo dieting stops. When the root of the problem is actually revealed and transformed.






Drinking water can result in a 14% increase in productivity

Are you drinking enough water?

Dehydration can lead to headaches and fatigue, which are both not good for your productivity. If you tend to fill up a water bottle at work or when you are commuting, why not keep one close by when you are at home too. If you have water nearby at all times, it’s more likely that you will drink it.

To make it taste more exciting, you can always add a variety of fruits to it to, or add a straw, or change the bottle around and find what works best for you.

Drinking water is the ultimate brain food. It helps in the following ways:

•Stay energised

If you often get a late morning or mid-afternoon slump, it is often your body’s way of telling you that it needs hydrating. This is especially important if your work involves any sort of physical activity however sitting at a desk for eight hours a day also requires a hydrated, energised, body and an alert mind.

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DRINK MORE

WATER






•Be in good mood

If your body is dehydrated it can negatively affect your mood and even cause confusion, foggy brain and irritability. Even if you are even a tiny bit de-hydrated, it can affect your mood.

Drinking enough water to look after your body and brain helps with calmer and more positive thinking which in turns make for a more enjoyable day at work.

•Strengthen the immune system

Drinking water helps to flush the toxins out of your system. If your immune system has less toxins in your body, it’s free and ready to fight unwanted viruses and bacteria.

•Reduce stress and anxiety

Dehydration is not the only cause of stress or feeling anxious, but it can impact your mental health as much as your physical health. Even being mildly dehydrated can add to stress that you may already be experiencing.

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STAY IN A GOOD

MOOD






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6 Ways to drink more water

• Drink water with each meal

• Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day

• Keep water with you at your desk (within arms reach)

• When you’re craving sweets, drink a big glass of water

• Add fruit to your water pitcher for an added bonus!

• Find a friend to keep you accountable

SLEEP BE T TER

•Sleep better

Your body does most of its re-energising while you sleep. Drinking water before you go to bed lets your body regain its balance. You’ll relax better and refresh your systems overnight. Then in the morning you wake up feeling refreshed, and ready for the day ahead. The more your body gets used to drinking water in the day, the less likely it is to wake you up in the night to go and visit the bathroom.

•Stop headaches

A headache is often the tell-tale sign that alerts us to being dehydrated. The trouble is, we usually don’t feel thirsty or get a headache until our bodies are well on the way to being dehydrated and the negative effects of this are already underway. Drinking consistently throughout the day can prevent your body from getting to this point, enabling you to work better, for longer.

Choose 1 of the 6 steps to drinking more water and see how you go before adding another step to your goals.






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Reduce caffeine

Most people drink coffee to jump start their day and to carry them through a midday slump. Others drink it to stay on track and some don’t drink it at all.

Having access to endless cups of coffee might seem like a great idea but tread carefully when it comes to caffeine. Too much is known to cause headaches, anxiety, digestive issues and even fatigue – none of which are ever good, but particularly not good when you’re trying to work.

Everyone reacts differently to caffeine, however 2 cups of coffee before 11am is less likely to affect your productivity at work than drinking coffee throughout the day. It is also less likely to affect your sleep if you stop consuming it early on during the day. Experiment with it and see what works best for you. Look at the quantity based on your age, body type, weight, time of day and quality of your sleep. You are your own best experiment.

DRINK LESS

COFFEE We are all made differently and what can be one persons’ medicine can be another persons’ poison.






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For natural energy boosts

Taking a walk or gentle jog. This can give your mind enough rest to allow you to come back to your work feeling refreshed and ready to work.

Taking a short nap, no more than 20 minutes, can also give an energy boost – too long however can make you feel drowsy and have the opposite effect.

Good quality dark chocolate is a great energy boost which can boost blood to the brain for about 3 hours.

Keep rotating the options so you don’t get bored and even moving from desk to sofa or walking around your home is enough to clear you head ready for another burst of work.

TAK E A BRE AK






Listen out for hunger signs

It’s really important to recognise your hunger signs and realise that not eating can affect your alertness and productivity. It can also be hard to take a break to actually eat once when you have started working and the day can easily run away with you if you haven’t planned for meals and breaks properly.

You could always set an alarm on your phone or computer to remind you to stop, leave your desk and go and eat something.

You are best to avoid thinking about food when you are already really hungry as this is when bad choices can be made as you end up grabbing the first quick thing in sight. Use the hunger scale to remind you that the best time to eat is when you are neutral with pangs and the best time to stop eating is when you are satisfied, not full, stuffed or even sick!

E AT WHEN

HUNGRY

I’m Hungry......but I’m not hungry hungry

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F frustration

L loneliness

A anger B boredom

S sadness

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Emotional eating

Sometimes people eat when they are not hungry and eat anyway. They could be feeding one of the common emotions that lead to emotional eating. These are easy to remember with FLABS

Pop a post it note up on your fridge door and ask yourself if you feel any of these emotions before you open the fridge door and reach inside.

You could try pressing pause on yourself and having some water instead to take a moment to make a different choice.






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E ATING MINDLESSLY

E ATING MINDFULLY

Mindful eating versus mindless eating

You might be tempted to continue working through your lunch break now that your work colleagues aren’t physically there or you always tend to work alone. But don’t do it! Being distracted during a meal can lead to over-eating and not being aware when you are becoming full.

Instead, take a break from work to sit down at a table to enjoy your lunch and relax for a few minutes. You’ll enjoy the meal more, and it may even help you feel more prepared for the rest of your day.

When we eat mindfully, we can experience all the senses that eating gives us and really get to enjoy the texture, the tastes, the company you are eating with, the view you are looking at , the smells of the food. It becomes much more of a pleasurable experience this way rather than a quick act of just sustaining yourself.






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The S.A.D cravings

There are 3 types of cravings to consider and they are best remembered with this acronym S.A.D. This is a basic outline of what each one means:

•Supportive Cravings

A supportive craving occurs when the body instinctively yearns for a food that enhances the healing process, full-fills a nutritional need, or neutralises an imbalance in the body. The body craves them because the body knows what it needs.

WHAT ARE YOUR

CRAVINGS?






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•Associative Cravings

They occur when we yearn for a food that has a rich, deep, and meaningful association with our past. For example, many people report that when visiting parents or grandparents, they suddenly long for foods from their childhood.

Associative cravings are often the most difficult to deal with because we’re uncertain about whether they’re beneficial or not.

HAPPY MEMORIES






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•Dispersive Cravings

A dispersive craving is a desire for a food that drains health and diminishes our energy. Many people crave foods that are bound to create an adverse reaction, especially when eaten in excess: sugar, alcohol, fried food, and junk food are some obvious examples. A dispersive craving is a distorted yearning in the body.

Just as the heart can look for love in all the wrong places, so too can the body. Both are easily seduced. No blame.






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The improved version of FLABS

Food is not only here for survival, nourishment and to offer optimum health but it can also help us to tune into all our other senses which can bring us joy, love and nourishment from the people we share food with, grow food with and cook food with. Sometime this type of nourishment can be even more fulfilling than the nourishment of actually eating.

Wouldn’t it be great to feel these things when we eat: FLABS:

F fit

L lively

A alert B bright

S satisfied

See what you can do to change what and how you eat in order to feel these things.





M O V E M E N T

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Are you moving about enough?

Movement - it's so simple, yet vital for life: Our bodies are designed to move in all different directions; we run, jump, walk, swim, bend forward, backwards and so on. It's movement that gives us healthy joints, strong bones, physical strength, good circulation, good coordination, improved learning skills and concentration, and mental well-being. Without it we would deteriorate.

Moving the body literally boosts the brain. What impacts our body impacts our brain and vice-versa. Exercise is essential to mental wellness. By working out, we can change and boost our brain functions and structure, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, andepression, and improve mood, and energy.

While it’s always important to recognise that each individual responds uniquely to exercise, there is always one type of movement suitable for everyone.





M O V E M E N T

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Movement

It is important to get regular fresh air as often as you can by going outside for a walk, bike ride, hike, run or skip – whatever you are physically able to do given where you live and the restrictions that surround you.

And it needs to be realistic

It doesn’t need to be a strain





M O V E M E N T

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Other suggestions to move regularly are:

•Series of exercises

There is no reason why you can’t set a recurring alarm and do a set of 10 jumping jacks, 10 push-ups, 10 squats, 10 lunges (each side), 10 sit-ups – you get the idea!

•Have a dance party

Whatever you are doing, your body will need to move so if you don’t like the above exercises, you can also put some music on and dance. Set yourself up with mini dance parties – just select your favourite tune and dance around the house, in the hallway, up the stairs – this is great fun to do with the kids too.

ONLINE E XERCISE

CL ASS





M O V E M E N T





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STRE TCH OFTEN

•Be accountable with friends

You could also set some challenges with friends – keep each other accountable and keep you connected to people.

• Join an online yoga or pilates class

Keep your yoga mat or dumbbells or exercise clothes where you regularly walk past to keep reminding you to do some exercises.

•Put on exercise clothes first thing morning

This is a good incentive to start exercising before the day begins.





M O V E M E N T

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•Create an at home gym

Your home can become an improvised gym if you get creative with what you’ve got.

How about tri-cep dips on the kitchen counters or hamstring stretches on your couch. You could even do Tree Pose while stirring something on the hob! Ever thought of a sack of potatoes as weights?

•Start the day with a fitness challenge

You could always start your day with x number of sit ups or x number of press ups and increase it over the weeks.

•Walk around during meetings

If you don’t need to sit down, then always try and stand up and move about.

WALK AROUND





M O V E M E N T

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Correct postureHow not to





M O V E M E N T





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Three top tips from an osteopath

• Have a chair with arms that rest level with your desk or table and back support.

• Position your keypad with H and G in the centre of your chest.

• Put your bottom right to the back of the chair.






How stress and anxiety affect your body

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Mind full or Mindful?

It is important to find ways to reduce the stress and anxiety in your body and daily life in order to improve your physical and mental health and create the best quality of life possible.

Stress and anxiety can play havoc with your body from your brain to your skin to your digestive system so it really is best avoided.






Reducing this

Feeling like this

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Techniques that you may already be familiar with to help overcome stress include setting priorities in your daily tasks, focusing on what you have accomplished during the day (instead of your shortcomings), getting regular exercise, talking to a friend and taking some time to meditate.











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Anxiety iceberg

Sometimes what we show to the outside world is not really what’s going underneath the surface. Some of us are better than others at hiding our true feelings – partly because we might not know what they are and partly because we don’t want to admit them let alone share them and perhaps even face them. This build-up of un-expressed emotions is not good for us however as this state of dis-ease can actually manifest itself into disease.















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The other important technique to incorporate into your life could be tapping or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)

Tapping is very healing and hugely effective. It gets you in touch with your emotions and improves your mind body connection in a positive and gentle way.

Not only can tapping enhance the techniques you may already be benefitting from but will also provide you with tools to better cope with and find mental relief from stress and anxiety in order to achieve better overall health.

Follow this basic sequence and start tapping!

Set-up phrase examples:

• Identify your issue or emotion.

• Rate the intensity of the issue from 0 to 10.

• Give it a colour and a location in your body

• Say the Set Up Statement: Even though I have 'the problem', (e.g too much work and not enough time), I accept myself anyway.

• Tap on the side of the hand while saying your set up statement out loud.

• Then tap on the eye-brow point and work your way down all the points.






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• Tap on each of the points 5 - 7 times gently while saying anything that comes into your mind about how feel towards this situation.

• After 3 or 4 rounds on all of the points take a deep breath in and breathe deeply out and check the intensity of the issue.

• Just keep tapping and checking in and then pause and see if you still feel the same.

• Once the intensity reaches a 1 or 2 you can start to change your phrase to include words like I am happy to now release this frustration, or let go of this anxiety for example.

Other examples of set up statements:

Even though I have all this stress, I accept myself anyway.

Even though I feel really anxious about this deadline, I accept myself anyway.

Even though this project is making me feel under pressure, I accept myself anyway.





R E S T A N D R E J U V E N AT E

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What are you doing to rejuvenate?

For many of us, letting go and resting does not come all that naturally, and when we have the time to do it, we can often find ourselves surfing the internet, checking social media, overeating, eating mindlessly or actually feeling anxious over the space that we had created for our rest and rejuvenation.

Rejuvenation isn’t a once or twice a year holiday, or a monthly trip to the sauna. Real rejuvenation comes from consistent daily attention to what you really need to thrive.

You don’t have to overload your to-do list to rejuvenate either. Adding simple, nourishing practices to your life can improve your energy, productivity, and focus, so you get more done, more easily, and feel less need to comfort eat, stress eat, and procrastinate.

A TREAT






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The 4 simple ways you can rejuvenate are:

•Go inside

Take a few minutes during the day to connect with what’s going on inside of you.

Spend even five to ten minutes of deep breathing, meditation, visualising what you want your day to look like, or quiet journaling will help you be more aware of what you feel and need and how to take care of yourself.

When you’re feeling stressed, press that pause button, close your eyes and breathe deeply to regain your focus, maintain some calmness, adjust your mood and fight off cravings.

QUIE T JOURNALLING










•Go outside

Sometimes the quickest, easiest way to rejuvenate is to have a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air. Going outside doesn’t need to be extravagant. Sitting on the door-step, or walking round the block is all it needs to increase your happiness, feed your soul and clear your head.

BRE ATHE IN FRESH

AIR

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•Get to sleep

Most of us are sleep deprived. Getting a regular 7.5 hours of sleep a night would make a huge difference to how you might feel. You’ll likely notice more energy and better focus, but thanks to the physiological changes that happen when you are rested, you’ll also be less hungry and less likely to crave sugary foods and carbs.






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•Get into action

If you’re sitting in front of a computer or at a desk all day, one of the best ways to rejuvenate is to give yourself the gift of daily movement.

Choose the kind of movement that feels good and reminds you that you are vital and alive and avoid the type that feel like you have to force yourself to do.

It could be a walk, a stretch, a yoga class, a dance around your living room, or something like digging your garden.

Keep rejuvenation simple but keep it consistent. You’ll notice the difference.

How about creating a foundation of habits that will align your nervous system to better support you and your health.

DO DAILY MOVEMENT










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The art of resting

Resting is not the same as being asleep, or chilling out with the TV on. Just because we are sitting still, does not mean we are resting. Nor does being active in the body mean the mind can’t be at rest. This ability to change gear, is the Art of Restfulness.

We can’t go from a hundred miles an hour to a full stop. Nor should we expect ourselves to be able to. Some of us may find it scary to rest and be still. In case we feel empty which is what many people try to avoid.

When we allow the body and mind to experience some moments of stillness, all sorts of things may come up that make us uncomfortable. Things that we have been using the ‘busyness’ to avoid. Once this feeling passes a new perspective can come in.

There are 3 types of restful state and they are all equally important to feel in balance and well in mind and body.






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•Mental R.E.S.T

The mind rests best when it is safe, and you have a relaxed control of your focus. It should R.E.S.T every day. You deserve it.

• Teach your mind to calm its thoughts down at the end of the day so you can switch off and fully relax from the days events.

• Think positively about the future with visualisations and affirmations.

• Immerse yourself in a relaxing hobby that is meditative (dancing, gardening, jigsaw puzzle, jogging) .

• Unplug all technology for 24 hours.

CALM YOUR THOUGHTS










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•Emotional R.E.S.T

Emotional rest happens when we feel like we are with our close friends and family and are having a good time.

• Write in a journal.

• Talk to a friend.

• Be silly and laugh lots!

• Avoid saying But, Can’t and No for a day!

L AUGH LOTS






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•Physical R.E.S.T

Physical R.E.S.T. is all about the body. And some things make the body relax and open up. Make sure to schedule in some Physical R.E.S.T each day:

• Book a massage or ask your partner for one.

• Soak in a hot Epsom salt bath.

• Lie in the sunshine and read a book.

• Schedule in unscheduled time.


‘Jules is professional and insightful with all feedback highlighting the value of her experience and the manner in which she shares it. She is thoughtful and eloquent, warm and engaging.’

S. Gilbert

‘Jules’s warm, relatable manner made our employees feel they could open up and share their own experiences and the practical tips provided were really well received. Jules is an excellent presenter and a breath of fresh air’.

Suzy Stowell, Head of Events, Mace Group

’Jules is lively and engaging in a way which makes the time fly. Her content is comprehensive but so clear to understand and she quickly dispels all the fears we hold around the do’s and don’ts of food.’

K. Brooks

‘The sessions were lively, interactive and informative. Jules led the sessions with enthusiasm and engaged me and my colleagues whilst at the same time providing us with useful practical information’.

Mark Summerfield, Partner, Solomon Taylor & Shaw

What people say:

‘Jules’s Lunch and Learns have helped the employees to better manage the situation themselves and helped us to identify ways in which we can help the team to make their work from home experience more comfortable.We all really appreciated the extra support that Jules’s sessions have provided. The sessions were fun, informative and delivered in a pleasant, relaxed manner which encouraged participation and an openness’.

Jenni Davis, Partner, Calder & Co

‘Jules came at the right time to share her knowledge with us on health and wellbeing whilst working from home! Jules is really engaging in the way she presented her content with endless knowledge and experience. The way she led the sessions really helped us challenge our own choices and the team really enjoyed both sessions, especially the interactive elements so thank you very much! ’

Alex Canavan, Senior Finance Manager, BT

‘Jules Francis commands a room masterfully. She is highly knowledgeable about her subject and balances informality with technical brilliance.’

L. Mcarrigher






Simply click on this link to book in your call:

julesfrancis.as.me/coachingcall

I look forward to hearing from you

• Do you snack in between meals on food you know is bad for you but you do it anyway?

• Are you perhaps lacking in energy and feel un-motivated to eat well?

• What if I told you cravings are your body’s way of communicating?

It doesn’t need to be a challenge anymore.

Take a step in the right direction to change your relationship with food once and for all and book yourself a FREE 30 minute coaching call with me. In this call we can explore what current challenges you are facing and how you might be able to find a workable solution.

https://julesfrancis.as.me/coachingcall

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Looking out for you - julesfrancis.comjulesfrancis.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Wellbeing-E-Book.pdf · You’re on a phone call and somehow wandered into the kitchen. Next thing