Our health is perhaps the most important thing in our lives, after surfing of course š Unfortunately, far too many of us are resistant to change because itās not what weāre used to. We donāt like to change things in our life because we donāt enjoy the idea of stepping out of our comfort zone, and understandably so. We are, after all, creatures of habit.
Forming habits takes time…
that’s why we interviewed Dr. Eglantine Balland,Ā to help us sharing these 4 simple steps to adopt in our daily life to make aĀ change and even improve our surf!!! YES!
Hi Eglantine! Please introduce yourself.
Hi, Iām Eglantine, a very French name, most of my friends call me Tina here (Iāve been living in Australia for 5 years). Iām a 35 years old surfer, yogini, runner, husky mum, animals and nature lover. I love simple things, nothing better than starting the day watching the sunrise with my dog and share waves with friends.
Iām a scientist, I havea PhD in Neuroscience and a Master in Nutrition, thanks to this I got a visa to live in Australia. Balancing work and āplay timeā is very important for me, Australia has the perfect lifestyle to achieve that.
I admire your healthy lifestyle. Could you share simple practices everyone can adopt daily with an eye for surfers.Ā
Itās fascinating what your body can achieve when you GIVE IT THE RIGHT FUEL!Ā Iāve been interested in human physiology for years, and the keys to a healthy body are:
- Avoid stress;
- Healthy food;Ā
- Good sleep;
- Physical activity.
With surf, running and yoga practice, I tick nĀ°1 &Ā nĀ°4. For nĀ°3, Iām eating heaps of fruits and vegetables, Iām trying to make it as diverse as possible, I complete with good carbs such as wholemeal bread, quinoa, pasta (I looove pasta), healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, nuts (I eat almonds and walnuts almost everyday) and proteins. Unlike most yogi, Iām not a vegetarian, however most of my day would be meat free (I eat meat when I know the origin, sustainability is important to me), so I mostly get my proteins from nuts, eggs, cheese.
My typical day would start with a glass of water before jumping in my sneakers to run with my dog (I always run on an empty stomach), this is around 5.30-6am.
Coming back from the run I will have a fresh squeezed juice (orange, lemon, grapefruit, depending on whatās there) with my āmagic beansā, I take natural powdered fruits and veggies caps to make sure I get the right diversity of vitamins and micronutrients every single day.
Iām not taking my breakfast until 9 or 10am, I pack it to have it at work with a black coffee, itās a smash avocado toast with toasted pumpkin seeds and cheddar or Swiss cheese (did I mentioned that I looove cheese?).
The lunch is packed too so that I avoid unhealthy take away lunches and the single use plastic that goes with itā¦ it can be a quinoa/veggie bowl, pasta with roasted veggies and cheese, salad with a piece of bread.
Check HealthglobalcoachingĀ for more recipes.
Back from work I have a fruit and/or a toast with almond spread (OMG this is sooo good!) before having a long beach walk with Mia, my husky dog.
Dinner is around 8pm, I occasionally enjoy a glass of red wine with it. Yes I love red wine too, wine, cheese, French clichĆ©! Then, I try my best to get 8h of good sleepā¦ and nĀ°3 is ticked š
Another important one: STAY HYDRATED, drink enough water, your skin, hair and joints will thank you!
Iām running every day with my dog and practice yoga 2 to 3 times a week, ideally in the morning after Miaās walk but when I work itās complicated so I practice before dinner.
For the surf, since itās according to tides, swell and winds, there is no rule, can be at sunrise before going to work with salty hair and dripping nose (lol), after work, or anytime if Iām not working. Unlike yoga and running, I wouldnāt go surfing on an empty stomach but not on a loaded one either!
Whether itās early morning or later in the day, a juice and a banana or a cereal bar (that I choose wisely to avoid refined sugars) give me the energy I need to paddle out without being heavy on the stomach. After surfing I donāt have particular routine except drinking water and sharing the surf stoke with my friends.
Ā What is the HGC program?
Last year I created a Facebook page called āHealth Global Coachingā (there is also an instagram account here) to inspire and empower people to live a happier and healthier life.
On this page you can find many yoga video, starting with 6 introductory videos to explain and demonstrate the basics of Vinyasa yoga practice. You can also find short yoga class videos (20 to 30min), I used to teach one live yoga class per week, I havenāt done it for a while but it will resume in few weeks, when I will be back from the Noosa Festival of Surfing.
In the video section of HGC Facebook page, you can also find short videos about stretching moves and strengthening exercises.Ā One of my dream project is to organize surf & yoga retreats for small groups of women in dreamy locationsā¦
We would definitely join one retreat with you. Can you add some tips for surfers who want to improve their surf.
MOTIVATION is essential, surfing is a tough sport, have a strong mind and youāll conquer the waves! Another important thing to progress isā¦ to take waves! It may sounds stupid but if you donāt catch waves, you wonāt improve your surf, even if you spend hours in the water.
To catch many waves, placement is key (more than strong arms!), if you are perfectly placed in the line-up, youāll catch heaps of waves and get better and better.Take your time to observe the spot, identify the surfers who take many waves and stay close to them, try to understand their placement. You can also ask the locals, theyāll be pleased to help a smiley surfer girl.
Beside motivation and understanding the ocean, being fit helps š
I would recommend a regular cardio activity like active walking (perfect for your heart without damaging your joints) or if you have a dog full of beans like I do, running is a good cardio workout (but careful, watch your knees).
Cardio strengthening check! Then what else?
To be a good surfer you need:
- Muscle strength;
- Balance;
- Flexibility.
Wait, thatās exactly what yoga practice will help you to develop!
Secret ingredient to this healthy recipe?
SMILE! Focus on all the beautiful little things coming at you in your daily life and accumulate them to create your happiness. Smiling will make you feel good and itās contagious, spread the stoke!
Random fact: when I drive my van with Mia, her big fluffy husky head popping outside the window inevitably makes people smile (it even works in the worst traffic jam!) collecting all these smiles from unknown people makes me happyā¦ and happy is healthy!
Eglantine is carrying her longboard to the beach with our Slingbags. Get yours here.
MORE ABOUT EGLANTINE LIFESTYLEĀ HERE
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