National Wellness Month Challenge
August is National Wellness Month, so why not take the next few weeks to prioritize self-care in a way that will stick?
What do I mean by that?
Too often, when people set out to improve their habits, they try to make massive changes all at once. Not surprisingly, they usually don’t succeed. My advice?
Don’t try to boil the ocean.
Instead, I’m a big fan of incorporating small changes over time that add up to a big impact. So, with that in mind, I’m sharing 10 of my favorite health tips. These are easy things you can do to improve your health a little at a time. But, to be clear, you can’t just do something once and hope to reap the benefits. The idea is to adopt as many of these practices as you can on a regular basis. Cycle through the list 3 times this month and then challenge yourself to keep up with as many as possible after that.
Ready? Set? Go!
1. Drink water. I know, broken record here. But I can’t say it enough. On a busy day, it’s easy to forget to stop and hydrate, but it’s critical to your health. Aim to drink half your body weight, but in ounces, every day. If you weigh 150 pounds, that means 75oz. of water each day.
2. Eat without distraction. Spend one day with no distractions at mealtime – that means no TV, no phones, no laptops, no social media, no work, no reading, etc. Pay attention to your meal and savor it. Take time to enjoy the people you’re eating with or the company of yourself and disconnect. Eliminating other activities at mealtime means you’ll have better awareness of your hunger/fullness cues. It also means you’ll be able to focus on chewing thoroughly (20-30 times per bite), which does wonders for your digestion. Who needs antacids?
3. Take a walk after dinner. Take advantage of the warm weather and more daylight by going for a walk after dinner (or whatever meal you can). It improves digestion and lowers blood sugar. Plus, any added exercise is good for heart health and promotes healthy sleep.
4. Try one new fruit or vegetable. Or one you think you don’t like, but prepared in a new way. The more variety of produce in your diet, the more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you’ll get.
5. Step away from the screens. Put all electronics away and turn off the TV at least one hour before bedtime. Exposure to blue light at night has been shown to disrupt our natural sleep cycles by suppressing melatonin. Disrupted sleep leads to poor blood sugar control and carb cravings the next day, and has a negative impact on brain health over time.
6. Soak in an epsom salt bath. The magnesium in epsom salt can relieve muscle soreness, reduce inflammation, and aid in relaxation. Studies also show that raising body temp before bed helps us fall asleep faster.
7. Try fermented foods. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso are full of beneficial probiotics and are great for your gut! You don’t need a lot to make a difference either. One forkful of sauerkraut or kimchi per day, for example, and your insides will be happy! But don't feel like you have to stop there if you don't want to. Just make sure they’re labeled as “raw” with “live cultures.”
8. Eat the rainbow. Commit to eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, comprised of at least 3 different colors, in a day. The more plant foods you eat, the healthier you will be. Period.
9. Make it meatless. Try one whole day of vegetarian or vegan eating. It’s the plant food thing again (see #8). Even if you don’t think you want to be completely vegan or vegetarian, one day of meatless eating a few times a month will make a big difference in your health.
10. Root out the processed foods. Spend a whole day with only whole foods. This means eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Think fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy protein sources, and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil. NO freezer meals, packaged snacks, bottled salad dressings, sugar sweetened breakfast cereals, white bread, sweetened yogurt, processed deli meats, sweetened peanut butter, soda, sweetened juices, and foods with artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The more you can get these things out of your kitchen, the better. Giving them up for a day should give you a sense of how big a part of your diet they are. Do this a few times over the course of the month and you may discover that you don’t miss what’s missing.
I hope you challenge yourself this month and beyond. It really is SO worth the effort. But I know that starting can be the hardest part. If you need my help to get on track, book a free session below and let’s talk about exactly what I can do for you. You’ll be so glad you did.
