Belinda Norton shares the FIVE rules she follows when drinking alcohol to stay healthy

A super fit PE teacher and mum-of-two has shared her top tips for enjoying alcohol while maintaining her enviable physique – and insists it’s possible to enjoy a ‘balanced’ lifestyle and stay in peak in shape.

‘It’s hot topic and one I’m asked daily so let’s talk alcohol consumption and how to create a balanced integration into a healthy fit and flexible life,’ Belinda Norton, a 45-year-old health and fitness education professional and certified trainer from the Gold Coast, said.

‘Always stick with quality alcohol like Chandon, therefore you drink less and feel less inclined to overspend thus drinking thoughtfully.’

A super fit PE teacher and mum-of-two has shared her top tips for enjoying alcohol while maintaining her enviable physique – and insists it’s totally fine to enjoy a balanced lifestyle

‘Always stick with quality alcohol like Chandon, therefore you drink less and feel less inclined to overspend thus drinking thoughtfully.’ she said

Belinda Norton’s nine secret anti-ageing life hacks 

1. Drink more water 

The more water for the skin and entire body cleansing. I know this is cliché’ but it truly works. I personally drink water warm, cold, hot, with ice. I munch on ice cubes and I always have a large glass of water before bed and immediately upon rising in the morning. Always begin every meal with a large glass of water too. 

2. Eat blueberries daily 

Eat bluberries for breakfast whether it be in a smoothie, on oats, handfuls of them on the run, frozen ones in yogurt just eat them. They are loaded with antioxidants and high in vitamins and researches state they have excellent anti-ageing properites due to their cognitive benefits. These little fruits are High in Vitamin K and C and have also been found to improve our blood quality thus enhancing our cardiovascular health and fighting disease.

3. Less cardio more light speed weights 

Please try less running. I know and I appreciate a good run but I have found excessive running to be counter productive to our best body shape. Over the years I have significantly shortened my running distances rather completing quality sessions speed sessions. I used to run and run and this created such stress in my body that I began to age faster. I run only 3km – 7km distances now unless I am completing a race. Otherwise I vary walking, sprints, or complete high quality weight speed circuits with short run efforts in between.

4. Eat Foods that enhance skin health

– Try to eat Spinach at least 5 times a week, in salads, added with eggs in the morning or within dinners eg. Tacos. Snack on almonds daily – approx. one handful. Eat salmon at least twice a week Eat salmon once a week – high in protein, fish oils and good fats for your skin. Eat vegetables in every meal.

5. Avoid ALL processed foods

Less processed foods and avoid the calorie or macro rating as it is a ridiculous way to live especially if it involves you eating processed food. Please stop the ‘dieting fad’ it will NOT fight ageing.

6. Avoid sipping from straws 

They create wrinkles around your lips just like the cigarette epidemic. 

7.  Wear suncream and sunglasses with a hat as often as possible

8. Get a Massage (Monthly/6 monthly but certainly yearly)

Massage should not be seen as a luxury item. It is a healthy necessity just like going to the dentist or any other health professional. It is a preventive actions to avoid injury. Loose and limber muscles mean less pain and less tearing or further ligament damage; not only that but it creates better mobility and also flushes unwanted toxins creating a more youthful body and skin tone.

9. Walk every morning

READ RELATED: The #1 Food Chris Evans Swears by To Look Amazing in His 40s

 Upon waking, get dressed and get out for a walk – before breakfast then eat upon return. It will evoke the waking of your body and your metabolism.

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She always drinks ‘quality alcohol’ because it ‘settles in your body as it has fewer preservatives and higher quality of purity’.

‘Drink slowly and enjoy the taste, savour the moment and sip slowly as this is how food and alcohol should be consumed,’ she said, before adding that she always has water or sparkling water between drinks.

‘Try mocktails in between beverages or my favourite is drink coconut water in between.’

When she arrives home after a day or night of drinking, Belinda always refuels with high quality food before going to bed. 

‘My trick is gluten free toast and Aussiemite with avocado. I will have a green tea and a litre of water as this gives you time to remove your make-up too,’ she said.

She also always drinks ‘quality alcohol’ because it ‘settles in your body as it has fewer preservatives and higher quality of purity’

‘Conscious consumption of any thing in life creates balance.’

Earlier this year, Belinda shared her ‘magic elixir’ for improving health in 2022. 

Her her goal for 2022 is ‘encouraging others’ – and her first piece of advice is to boost intake of raw, wholesome foods. 

‘It truly is the magic elixir to our bodies performance level. These earth-grown foods promote internal health from digestion to blood boosting components,’ she wrote. 

‘I encourage you to eat raw vegetables daily and increase your consumption by adding vegetables to every meal including breakfast.’

Belinda recommends making simple tweaks like adding spinach to eggs, eating raw carrots as snacks, eating baby cucumbers, enjoying cauliflower raw with dips and adding vegetables to every dinner. 

Belinda Norton, a health and fitness education professional and certified trainer from the Gold Coast, said her number one goal for 2022 is ‘encouraging others’ – and her first piece of advice is to boost raw, wholesome foods

She often eats meals like roasted garlic organic vegetables (left) and breakfast bagels made with a toasted seeded gluten free bagel, egg, spinach, purple cabbage and sweet chilli jam

‘The fact is food is more than just calories, its information that our cells need to function, it is the information that our metabolism can use to either run efficiently or sluggish,’ the mum-of-two said.

‘When we eat sugars, fruit juice or refined carbs, it goes right to the liver, where it starts manufacturing fat, triggering insulin resistance and causing chronically elevated blood insulin levels thus driving the body to store everything meaning it holds toxicity.’

She added that ‘real’ foods like vegetables and low glycemic fruits, healthy fats (nut seeds avocado and olives), gluten free whole grains, legumes and responsibility sourced proteins and seafood) give your cells the information they need to function at their very best. 

Earlier this year, Belinda shared her ‘magic elixir’ for improving health in 2022 

‘They improve skin, hair, brain function, mind clarity and immunity,’ she said.

‘Eating well should not only be about quantity but more imperative with quality.’

You can follow Belinda Norton on Instagram here.