My Top Health & Fitness Essentials | Food, Drink & Supplements

1. Water  In any shape or form! Not only does it hydrate you & makes your skin look great, but drink it with the right ingredients & it's a miracle worker! Try adding lemon to your water or drink water in the form of green tea - both are fantastic for your health, they remove toxins from the system & relieves bloating. I started drinking green tea about a year ago & haven't looked back since. Goodbye bloating, hello flat tummy!

2. Meal Preparation  Not to be mistaken for meal prepping. In this instance I mean to plan your food ahead, not necessarily to cook in advance too. I like to plan all of my week day meals at the weekend, write my shopping list & only buy what I NEED! This means that when my cravings hit - I have no spare food to gorge on. By working out exactly what I can eat for that week, I can easily fit in 3 meals & 4 snacks in the day & stay within my macros, meaning that I am never hungry!

3. My Playlist  Not in the mood for your workout? We've all been there! Sometimes you just need a kick ass playlist to get you in the mood. I love nothing more than sticking my earphones in, turning up my music & forgetting everything else that is going on - it's just me & the workout. My playlist consists of everything from DMX to Little Mix to Panic! At the Disco - but they all have one thing in common, they get me in the zone & working hard.

4. Supplements & Vitamins  There's so many out there to chose from, my advice would be only take it if you understand why you're taking it! Here's a couple of my favourites & why I use them... Vitamin C, daily, for a healthy immune system. Vitamin B12, occasionally, when I need a boost of energy mid day. Solgar 7, occasionally, if I experience joint pain or an injury due to my workout. Seven Seas Perfect 7 Woman, occasionally, if my hair, skin or nails are needing some TLC & if I am feeling quite tired or stressed I use this to 'revitalise' my body once more - as it's a fantastic all rounder product, for beauty, energy & health!

5. Protein  If you too like weight training, this part is key! There's only so far that stretching & foam rolling can go to help relieve muscle soreness; if you're not getting enough protein in your daily diet, then you're slowing down your own progress. Remember protein repairs & builds muscles, so it is key! And it comes in so many forms, not just chicken - try Icelandic yogurt, cottage cheese, Quorn, eggs, milk & even the good old protein shake - my particular favourite is Maxi Nutrition's Lean Definition range, which I mix with half milk, half water!

Hope this gives you an idea of things to look out for, to help aid your fitness journey outside the workout & that this shows you don't need any expensive or fancy products to get great results - just hard work, determination & a good diet. 

With thanks to Seven Seas Perfect 7 Woman for inspiring this article! Check out their new range  at Seven Seas. I particularly recommend Perfect 7 because it targets so many areas - from enriching your hair, skin & nails to helping maintain healthy brain & heart functions, as well as boosting energy & supporting good vision & hormonal activity - all in 2 supplements a day!