The office only recently returned to normalcy, after we all got knocked sideways by that evil flu that’s doing the rounds.

The demon flu (as I’ve named it) was the wake-up call we all needed to start paying a little more attention to our immune systems and general health.

Gym contracts were signed (let’s see how long that lasts), dieticians were consulted, and with the exception of one naughty cheesecake that was hastily consumed, the food and drink intake has for the most part been far greener and far healthier.

We’re also in the business of information, which means that along the way we’ve found a couple of tricks and tips that make staying healthy a lot easier.

The first is this breakfast recipe that celebrity fitness trainer Emily Samuel (pictured up top) swears by. When she’s not posting workout videos for her 122 000 Instagram followers, she’s clearly getting it all in the morning.

Here’s Business Insider with those details:

Before Samuel heads out the door in the morning to work out or meet her clients, she said she grabs a few refrigerated, no-bake protein balls.

“It’s my little secret,” she said. “These no-bake little healthy balls that I make, that take literally five minutes, last me all week. That’s my breakfast every day.”

Protein balls that take literally five minutes to make, hey? Here’s the recipe, starting with the five core ingredients:

If you’re feeling like treating yourself, you can also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, or a little extra nut butter.

You basically then mix everything together in a bowl, roll it into balls that are roughly the size of golf balls, and put it in the fridge. You can either leave them overnight, or put them in the freezer for an hour if you’re pressed for time.

Ultimately, they should look a little something like this:

Hello, this is 2019, we are all pressed for time.

If energy balls aren’t your thing, or you can’t find the time to whip them up, you can also get the calcium, omega fats and protein you need from a Sir Fruit smoothie.

Smoothies are a great pre-workout snack because you absorb the energy that you need faster than with solid foods.

The Pineapple, Coconut, Banana, Yoghurt and Oats smoothie is also a great alternative if you have peanut allergies and can’t eat the peanut or nut butter that the energy ball recipe requires.

For the chia seed lovers out there, that middle looker above will scratch your itch.

While we’re on the subject of Sir Fruit, they also have a range of products that are great for keeping up your vitamin C intake.

You’re worth it, just like that adorable pup above.

Slam a Sir Fruit orange juice mid-way through the day as an alternative to those gross fizzy flu-prevention things that nobody likes.

You know that being healthy doesn’t have to mean that everything has to taste terrible, right?

The biggest obstacle to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the admin of changing up daily life. Sir Fruit juices and smoothies remove the admin and add the vitamins, while recipes like the one above can be made in advance.

Think of it as the lazy person’s guide to getting and staying active and healthy.

[source:businessinsider]