Finch - Happy healthy strong

NOTE

The content is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

For Violet and Misha.

You show me the true beauty of life

every single day.

Contents

W hile writing these words I ordered a cappuccino my second one for the day. And despite the one-coffee-a-day rule Id made five years ago, when the cappuccino arrived at my table I felt totally at peace.

These days my life is not about rules, shoulds or cants particularly when it comes to what or how much I eat, or how or how often I exercise. These days Ive come to a place where Im all about listening to my body, and working out what it needs and wants. When it comes to my body, and to my health, strict rules are simply not the answer. And you know what? Im all the better for it. It wasnt easy reaching this place, but I believe in flexibility, in balance, and doing what makes my body happy and makes me feel good.

I ran my first 60-metre sprint at the age of three, competed seriously as an athlete until I was 15, and then spent the next 10 years travelling the world working as a model. Im now a television host, brand ambassador and co-creator of things I love, including my online fitness program, a range of cold-pressed juices and a superfood formulation. Ive also been lucky enough to work with fashion labels co-creating capsule collections.

Ive spent the majority of my life using my body as my work. My body is my job, essentially. And as part of that, my body has been pushed, primed and presented in different ways on different days. It has been challenging at times, to be constantly thinking about the way I look, which ultimately determines the outcome of my work and my income.

There have been times when Ive let that all too familiar negative voice inside my head rule my thoughts and actions. Before I began on my journey of self-love (which Ill speak more about later), I needed reassurance on photo shoots through compliments, and I would always question my worth. How silly that sounds to me now. But until I educated myself on what it meant to be healthy beyond salads and smoothies, this was the place where I was at.

Insecurities come naturally to most of us, and our inner critic is something we all have to learn to manage it can become a constant unless we act upon it, to change it. For me, learning my craft and getting more experienced in my profession was very important in feeling more comfortable in my role. But most important was developing my own inner strength, finding happiness and accepting who I was.

I can honestly say now that Ive come to a point where Ive never felt happier or more confident with my body and my life. I believe happiness should be shared but I also believe our challenges need to be shared too, to help heal ourselves and others.

So lets talk about you, and that gorgeous body of yours. How do you feel about it? Do you love it? Or do you have conflicted, sometimes unhappy, thoughts about it? Are you carrying a bit of extra weight that you just cant shift? Do you feel lethargic? Do you yearn to have more vitality, more energy, more happiness? Do you want to make a change to how you live, eat, move and think about yourself?

Well, whatever reasons you had for picking up this book, or however it fell into your hands, thank you for being here and welcome to the start of something special.

MY ADDICTION

I say this all the time: Im addicted to feeling amazing. And I want you to feel amazing too. I get so excited feeling the natural high after a good workout, the mental clarity after drinking fresh juice or the tingling sensation during a massage. On a deeper level, knowing my body is combating illness and disease through the love and care I give it, and that (fingers crossed) I will be able to ski down a mountain with my daughter in 20 years time, makes me want that amazing feeling more and more. I love it and I crave it.

And so, this is the place Ive arrived at a book for you that shares my health and wellness philosophies, crafted from my journey so far towards health and happiness. I want to show you how I found my way to happiness, health and strength. And I want you to find and enjoy that place, too. Easily and simply.

MY SIMPLE APPROACH

Ive lost count of the theories Ive come across out there on how to live a healthy life. You just have to search the word diet online and thousands of pages appear, all prescribing different ways of eating, exercising, and training the mind. You could spend your whole life trying these different options and still not find an answer. Its all too complicated and overwhelming.

In our modern society I think many of us have lost touch with our raw sense of feeling. These days few of us are connecting with our inner knowing; were not following our intuition. With thousands of options for everything to consider, our brains are so busy trying to sort out this high volume of external messaging, important internal messages are overlooked. Despite all of the technological advances and access to incredible amounts of information, were living pretty much disconnected from our selves.

We have come to overcomplicate so much of our life that we are truly living in a fuzzy ball of mess. With 24/7 technology, a workday that never ends, family commitments and social engagements, and then trying to fit in exercise, its no wonder we are seeing increased rates of illness and disease. The intense juggling act of life is insane and is taking its toll.

Just a few generations ago, our options were limited and life was much simpler. Food was prepared based on what was available and in season. People went to work and just went home their workplace didnt usually invade their home, and they walked more. I think we can learn a lot from this kind of lifestyle. Its more important than ever to harness this simplicity.

Actually, I use the word simplicity a lot in my life, and lots in this book. Because I believe its what we need to apply to everything we do. I thank my dad, who taught me the KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie) principle from a young age, for this belief. And its one of the most important lessons I want to share with you. As such, I mention it often throughout this book and I encourage you to really harness simplicity in your life. I swear it will make a huge difference!

FINDING YOUR SIMPLICITY

So what do you need to do? Quite simply, stop and listen to what your body is saying. I believe that no-one can know what you need better than you, and that by tuning in to your own body you can use its signals as clues to better health. In fact, I think one of the most important things for my body that I have learnt on my journey so far is to do what I feel.

Unfortunately, thanks to the complexity that probably rules your life at present, this simple principle can be one of the most difficult to master. I know it was for me. Influences like technology and toxins can quickly cloud our judgement and decisions on everything from food and drink to relationships, career, happiness and rest.