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A nutrition coach shares her three-part wellness routine
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Health and performance scientist and nutrition coach Kate Lenehan, AKA The Monday Coach, shares how eating for her gut feeds into her wellness routine, and the anti-inflammatory ingredients you need to incorporate into your diet.
Pilates instructor, personal trainer, and health, nutrition and life coach Kate Lenehan has a degree in Health & Performance Science, making her the ideal candidate to talk on all things gut health related. From moving her body to the often forgotten importance of social connection, Kate shares the wellness essentials that serve her, along with a delicious recipe for an anti-inflammatory sweet treat you’re going to want to save for later.
What are three essentials in your wellness routine?
It’s tough to pick my top three! Pilates has to be my number one wellness essential, as it not only keeps my body strong and my back pain-free, but it also regulates my nervous system and makes me feel incredibly calm as a result of the focus on breath and technique. I rarely have time to think of anything else during a Pilates class.
Eating for my gut is probably number two. I know that when my gut is happy, I’m not only in better physical fitness, but I’m also in a far better mood. I try to ensure I’m eating a wide variety of whole foods as well as fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir, miso, and kimchi, in order to balance my gut microbiome.
Social connection often gets forgotten about when we talk about wellness routines. Loneliness has been linked with many physical and mental illnesses. Humans evolved to live in tribes, so we are made to be around people. In this increasingly remote world, I try to ensure that I’m getting out of the house and interacting with others, whether it’s through a coffee, a run club, or a night out. Often, our problems don’t seem as big when we can share them with others.
Are there any anti-inflammatory ingredients that you recommend/that are easy to incorporate into your diet?
Good quality extra virgin olive oil is an essential in my kitchen, not just because it contains anti-inflammatory properties, but also because it tastes so much better than the lower quality oil out there!
When you’re picking up fruit and veg in the supermarket, try to go for a range of colours. Eat the rainbow! The more colours, the more diversity for your gut, and the more anti-inflammatory effects.
My fridge is always stocked up with good-quality yoghurt. Like other fermented foods, yoghurt naturally contains a whole host of live cultures that add so much diversity to our microbiome. I also love how versatile yoghurt can be, whether it’s stirred through a curry for dinner or topped with fruit, nuts and seeds for breakfast.
Kate’s recipe for Baked Red Berry Yoghurt
Prep Time: Five minutes
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
Servings: Nine slices
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 460g yoghurt (I used the Activia Fibre Red Berries & Cereals yoghurt)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp corn flour
- 300g fresh berries (save some for the top)
- Optional: 1-2 tbsps maple syrup or honey (depending on how sweet your yoghurt and tooth is)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, yoghurt, vanilla extract and maple syrup/honey (optional).
- Whisk until smooth.
- Add the corn flour and whisk again.
- Fold most of the berries into your mixture (chopping large berries, such as strawberries, in advance), saving a few pieces to decorate the top.
- Pour the mixture into your baking dish and decorate the top with your remaining berries.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes (until yoghurt is set and no longer jiggly).
- Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
- Cut into nine slices and enjoy. I like to garnish mine with more fresh berries and some mint leaves, but this isn’t essential.
For more information and recipes, visit Activia online.
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