2014 - The Health Sessions

My Year of Bliss: How I Fulfilled My Dreams Without Setting Goals

How do you want your new year to feel?

Last year, inspired by this classic post from Danielle LaPorte on sensuous goal refinement, I decided to ditch the traditional New Year’s Resolutions and choose a ‘theme’ for 2014 instead: Bliss.

After years of pressing on to reach personal milestones like getting a Psychology degree, setting up this website and improving my health one step at a time, I wanted more space to enjoy everyday simple pleasures: having lunch outside on a gorgeous day, browsing bookshops, taking up yoga, catching up with friends. No more delaying fun plans to achieve grand goals in the future – 2014 would be about celebrating love and life in its purest form.

And that’s just what happened.

A Holiday Reading Guide: The Best Articles on Healthy Living, Psychology and Making Your Resolutions Stick

These dark December days are the perfect time to curl up on the couch with a big mug of tea and catch up on some reading. I hope you enjoy the interesting articles below with useful tips for a healthy and happy 2015!

On Healthy Living

Did you hear about the amazing medical breakthroughs that occurred this year? Check out the most exciting health stories of 2014.
10 Wellness Trends to Watch in 2015. I’m secretly hoping #3 will make its way to my hometown!
If you’re thinking about starting the new year with a super strict diet or crazy fitness plan to improve your health, give these 15 small steps to living well and whole a try first.
Need even more inspiration? Here are 101 revolutionary ways to be healthy. How many of these are you already doing?
Great advice: Stop working out and DWYLT instead – it will change your life.
Hunching over your keyboard all day creates tension in your neck, shoulders and lower back. A Cup of Jo shows us six simple stretches for people who sit behind a desk.
Leo Babauta from Zen Habits rounds up all his best tips for getting in shape in one handy post.
Going for a walk is one of the simplest yet effective activities to boost your physical and mental health. But if strolling around is a bit too dull for your liking, have a look at these 7 powerful ways to make walking more exciting.

Pudding Perfection: 10 Indulgent Desserts for Healthy Holidays

This might come as a surprise to you, given the headline, but I’ll be the last person to convince you to “eat clean” during the holidays.

Ok, embracing every opportunity to satisfy your cravings throughout November and December is not a good idea for your health. But stuffing yourself with turkey or eating one too many ‘oliebollen‘ (Dutch doughnuts) on New Year’s Eve? That’s not such a big deal! Eating isn’t just about nutrients, calories and feeding your body. It’s also about feeding your soul, by sharing a delicious meal and laughs with your loved ones.

And please, if you choose to let go of your food philosophy for those two or three days of the year, don’t feel guilty about it. Make sure you enjoy every bite! You can make healthier choices the next day.

But maybe you have diabetes or irritable bowel syndrome or another health condition, and having sugar-laden desserts with enormous amounts of butter, cream and white flour is not an option. Maybe you simply prefer (the taste of) whole food ingredients like bitter chocolate, raw honey, dates and fragrant spices in your pudding. Whatever the reason, when you like to keep up your healthy food habits during the holidays and still satisfy your sweet tooth, check out these 10 indulgent desserts from my favourite food bloggers.

A Study Guide for the Chronically Ill: 23 Proven Strategies

Study Guide for the Chronically Ill

Most kids love the idea of staying home from school for a day. But that delighted feeling swiftly disappears when you’re sick in bed all day every day.

During most of my high school years, I was too ill to go to class. Even the simplest parts of a normal school day tested my endurance: the constant pain from sitting behind a desk, listening to the teacher’s instructions with a foggy brain, taking written tests with inflamed shoulders, the everlasting fatigue that influenced every aspect of my life.

So ever since I was 15, I had to rely solely on self-study from home to earn my high school diploma and later my Psychology degree from the Dutch Open University.

But getting an education when you’re chronically ill comes with its own set of problems, even if you’re able to attend class. For some sick students, a full-time schedule might be too demanding. Others could have severe trouble with concentration, memory and ‘mental stamina’ due to their symptoms or side-effects of medication.

If you’re a young student with chronic illness or disabilities, what are you to do?

Healthy Snacking On The Go: 10 Savoury and Sweet Bites

When the afternoon rolls around and you feel yourself slipping into a slump, it’s all too tempting to grab a red velvet cupcake to go with your latte macchiato or hit the vending machine at work. But as yummy as these treats can be, there are more nutritious ways to keep your energy up throughout the day – and satisfy your taste buds too.

Here are 10 healthy homemade snacks that you can bring to the office or eat on the go.