How to deal with the change of season

I had a really good time in Paris.
Meeting Peter Lindbergh on Thursday was a major highlight of my stay and then I caught up with friends which is always really nice.

However, this weekend, I completely collapsed.

I felt really weak with no energy left so I had to cancel my plans to spend the night at a friend and instead, Elodie and I lounged on the sofa watching movies (loved “Fading Gigolo” with Vanessa Paradis).

Then I realised that the weather had been so nice lately in the Bay and I have been so busy, that I haven’t really tackled the change of season or prepare my body for it.
September is generally tough on our bodies and minds. The kids are back at school, business picks up, stress comes back, our healthy resolutions take a dive and suddenly all these goodness we felt during our Summer holidays is gone in the blink of an eye and we end the year feeling totally exhausted and depleted of energy. Does it sound familiar?

This year, though, I’m determined to end the year feeling good and not a total wreck so here are a few changes I’ve made to nurture my body and soul and deal with the change of season.

Take supplements: I’m currently taking a course of vitamin C, magnesium, omega 3-6-9 (to promote brain function & vision), vitamin d3 (for healthy bones and teeth) and St John’s wort in the evening to sleep better.
Plan weekly meals: I’m a strong believer in the power of plants to heal our bodies and prevent illnesses and the great thing about healthy food is that you see positive results on your skin, body and overall emotional mood very quickly.
Planning meals ahead is the best way to ensure you fuel your body with the right food so on my way back of Paris, I’ve put together a little spreadsheet in the train with all my meals for this week. I’m aiming for red meat twice a week, carbs at each meal as advised per my Nutritionist, vegetables at lunch and diner and using turmeric (which is anti-inflammatory), coconut oil, spirulina and linseed as much as I can and of course, drink my usual 1.5Lt of water a day.
Eat slowly: If you missed my last post, here are 4 benefits of eating slower
Stay active: I’m sure you already know this but if you’re prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder, exercises is a great way to beat mild depression. In addition to surfing twice a week, I run twice a week with Lulu who also need to lose 10 kg and days I really don’t really feel like running or if I have an injury from surfing, we go for a family walk.
Listen to my body and treat myself: Yesterday I had my first Ayurvedic massage in Paris with a practitioner I found on Treatwell and it was incredible! I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t like to be touch because that’s a very all-body massage which felt a lot more intimate than the traditional massages I had before but at the same time, it was the first time, someone massaged me so much around the stomach and I felt really good afterwards.