As a yoga instructor, fitness trainer or nutritionist, they all take our health and well-being to heart. Taking care of our bodies and minds, they work day after day with the same passion to come up with new programs or recipes that will give us the much needed energy to carry out all our life projects. And since the morning is the best time to be good to ourselves and prepare for our day, we met three young, active and vivacious wellness experts and asked them if they have a special morning routine. Please read on and meet…
– By Isabelle Jeanpierre, Lifestyle collaborator
Chloé Rochette,
Fitness trainer & founder of “le mouvement Happy Fitness”
If Chloé could choose a synonym for the word “sport”, it would be without any doubt “pleasant”. Born into a very active family where sport was omnipresent, she practiced triathlon for ten years, as well as skiing, dancing and soccer. “We had only one rule in our family: no matter what sport we practiced, we had to have fun.”
It is with this philosophy deeply rooted inside of her that she decided to found her own project with her friend and associate Sophie, “le mouvement Happy Fitness”, which has a clear mission: to convince as many women as possible that physical activity, in addition to being good for your health, can also be simple and absolutely enjoyable.
My Morning Routine
“Mornings are my favorite time of the day!
As soon as the alarm clock wakes me up, I head to the kitchen where I drink a glass of water and prepare a coffee from the Canadian brand Kicking Horse, which I drink after eating my breakfast.
My breakfast varies from day to day, but whatever it is it always consists of a good portion of fruits for freshness and deliciousness, accompanied by a portion of protein that will tie me over until lunch. ”
Sophie Geoffrion,
Nutritionist & Co-Founder of “le mouvement Happy Fitness”
The professional significant other to Chloé Rochette, co-founder of “le mouvement Happy Fitness” and a professional nutritionist, Sophie is truly passionate about food and cooking. She is able to spend entire days creating delicious recipes, without ever getting tired of it. She shares her knowledge, tips and tricks with her clients, Happy Fitness participants, but also through articles that she writes for different platforms.
Also born into a family where moving has always been important, this vivacious nutritionist feels good when the fresh air caresses her face, whether it is while running in the countryside or hiking in the mountains.
My Morning Routine
“Just like Chloe, I’m a morning person. My productivity peaks between 6:45 AM and 10:00 AM. Comfortably snuggled up in my pajamas, I prepare a good coffee and religiously eat my breakfast. My traditional breakfast consists of organic sprouted grain toast with walnut butter and slices of fresh fruits.
With the radio or music from around the world playing in the background, work begins: emails, writing, management of the social media, etc. Once well advanced in my work, I put on my running clothes and off I go direction Mount-Royal. ”
Sandrine Bridoux,
Strala Yoga Teacher & Nike Master Trainer
From Montpellier by origin, Parisienne by adoption and a New Yorker by heart, Sandrine’s journey is very unusual. A business lawyer in Paris for almost five years, she realizes that yoga was becoming more and more important in her life; she decides to go to New York for two months in order to train with the popess of Strala Yoga, Tara Stiles. Her objective: to become a “Strala Guide” and to import this method to France. Less rigid and strict than traditional yoga, the more rebellious side of the Strala allows her to distinguish herself.
My Morning Routine
“A supporter of Slow Life, I like to take my time. I stretch gently and practice a few yoga poses. From a nutritional point of view, my routine consists of hot water with lemon juice, a coffee and a breakfast depending on what I’m in the mood for. And here I am, ready to organize my day. ”
If you are interested in starting a Morning Routine for yourself, or change the one you currently have to one that will give you more energy and well-being, read the following conversation with Sophie Geoffrion (nutritionist). We asked her to answer our questions in order to get the right information…
Hi Sophie, before we talk about breakfast as such, let’s talk about sleep. To be fit, are there any rules to follow when it comes to bedtime and waking up?
Ideally, to be fit, we synchronize our sleeping and waking hours with our circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock. This cycle acts in response to sunrise and sunset. Explained in a simple way, our body falls asleep when it is dark, and wakes up when it is daylight thanks to signals from our nervous system and hormones.
Although it is not always obvious with our lifestyle, ideally we should sleep somewhere between 7 to 9 hours per night, and we should get up after the sun to allow the luminosity to give us a little energy “boost” in the morning.
That being said, there is no winning formula that works for everyone, because everyone’s situation is very different (e.g. people working night shifts). To sleep well, make sure your room is dark, silent, well ventilated and technology-free!
It is a well-known fact, that many of us have the reflex to drink a cup of coffee in the morning to give us a good dose of energy. But is coffee really an energizing drink, or is there a better alternative for our health?
Coffee is absolutely effective in increasing our state of wakefulness and concentration. Good news: consuming reasonable quantities is usually not a problem. If you drink two cups a day or less, coffee has no dehydrating effect, contrary to popular belief. In other good news, coffee consumption has been linked to decrease the risk of certain diseases, such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and possibly Alzheimer’s.
That being said, some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine. If this is your case, drink decaffeinated coffee or drinks that are caffeine free or almost caffeine free such as green tea, herbal tea or lemon water.
Now that we have talked about our sleep and our energizing drink, let’s talk about nutrition. What is an energizing breakfast? Could you give us an example?
To be energizing, a breakfast has to include both complex carbohydrates and a source of protein. Let me explain…
Thanks to the presence of fiber, food that contains complex carbohydrates will gradually release energy (glucose) into our system. That is the case for whole fruits (not juices), whole wheat bread, large flake oats, legumes, whole wheat flour, etc.
Proteins are well known for their satisfying effect. They will keep you full throughout the morning. Think of adding Greek yogurt, low-fat cheese, silky tofu, nut or peanut butter, eggs, chia or hemp seeds, gravlax or smoked salmon to your breakfast.
For example, oatmeal made from steel cut oats (naturally sweetened) with a pureed banana and garnished with Greek yogurt and berries is a good option. For a more savory breakfast, scrambled “eggs” made with tofu (not eggs) accompanied by whole wheat toast topped with avocado and sliced tomatoes is a delicious morning meal.
Sophie, to finish our conversation, is there food that we should eat only in the morning? And which products should we avoid?
While we often build our dinners around a protein (e.g. chicken in the oven), we often forget to add it to our breakfast. Yet, it is important to evenly distribute our protein intake throughout the day, so our body can use it properly. Go ahead and incorporate one of the sources of protein listed above to complete your favorite breakfast!
Also, fruits and vegetables add color, freshness, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber to your mornings. Go ahead and eat some!
Fast carbohydrates are not the best breakfast choice. These include refined flours (e.g. white bread), sweetened cereals, commercially baked muffins, chocolate spreads and jams, fruit juices, etc. Since they are fibreless, they will quickly raise your blood sugar level and – like a roller coaster – it will go down just as quickly, leaving you to suffer the inconveniences of a low energy level.
Now have some fun and create your own Morning Routine!
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