Well, it’s Friday the 13th, so I hope your day has been free of major disasters. No crashes on the way to work or spilling coffee in the car! I see so many people clinging onto their morning cup of adrenalin as they drive — and I don’t blame them. Mornings are tough, especially if you have to herd the whole family out of the door. Having said that, we now have 100 people weaving their way through this week without their usual caffeine intake.

We began the Natural detox on Monday and, so far, so good. It’s fantastic to get so many people off to a better start in 2017, especially all those mums who have put themselves last.

Whether you’re a working or stay-at-home mum, the danger is we all end up on the back burner.

No matter how much we want to be healthy, most of us put our families and jobs first and let our own health and fitness slide. I read an article a while ago with the headline Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness or Friends: Pick 3.

Entrepreneur and former Facebook director of market development, Randi Zuckerberg (yes, Mark Zuckerberg’s sister), sparked huge online debate with her analysis of “having it all”. It sounds a little bleak, doesn’t it?

Without a doubt, I haven’t found my own way to balance every single element of life. I’ve come close and then there’ll be a broken limb, a string of UTIs or a work shake-up to make things interesting. However, although I’m not actually a great multitasker, that’s recently been working in my favour. I’ve been combining fitness and friends a lot — and so far, so good.

It’s simple, really. If you don’t have enough time to work out and see your friends, why not put the two together?

We have lots of individuals taking part in Beat the Couch, but plenty of pairs too. Best friends, spouses, siblings, in-laws, mums and daughters ... It’s a great way to catch up whilst also getting fit. I’ve been doing a few body-conditioning classes with my girlfriend so we can squeeze a chat in before and after.

During is another story — we’re both too busy trying to co-ordinate our ageing limbs and breathe.

Still, it’s nice to have great company as the sweat pours off your brow!

You can cook together too — an especially good option if all the restaurant choices are piling up against you.

For many people, their social life is their sanity, but it’s a shame if it sabotages all the progress you made in the week. So, try diluting the restaurants with some dinners at each other’s houses too — just make it healthy.

If you think healthy is boring, think again. Superfoods are positively sexy these days. Take this Moroccan salad for example. It’s absolutely packed full of colour and vibrant flavours.

It’s beautiful on a large plate in the centre of the table for everyone to share and the spiced yoghurt dressing really sets it apart. Give it a try this weekend with, or without the guests. You can also detox your lunch and layer it into a mason jar for a delicious option on the go. Much better than popping into KFC!

Layered Moroccan Salad with spiced yoghurt dressing

Ingredients: (Serves 1)

1 cup cooked quinoa (add veggie stock and turmeric to the water for flavour)

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Dressing

Large handful green leaves

1 orange (peeled and sliced)

Handful chick peas (garbanzos)

Handful chopped cucumber

1 TBS each of chopped fresh mint and cilantro

1 TBS crushed pistachios

Goat’s cheese (optional)

Dressing:

2 TBS plain yoghurt (organic dairy or plain alpro non-GMO soy)

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp maple syrup

¼ tsp ground cumin (more to taste)

White pepper and salt to taste

Method:

1. Prep the dressing and ingredients.

2. If prepping for one person in a jar, layer the ingredients in based on the order above.

3. If prepping for a crowd, spread the quinoa over the base of a large dish. Once cool, cover the quinoa with the green leaves. Layer on the pomegranate, chick peas, cucumber and orange. Drizzle with the dressing and then top with the pistachios, herbs and optional goat’s cheese.

•The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda.