i guess i’ll start off by saying that i took a longer than anticipated break. in fact, the blog hasn’t gone as planned in terms of me posting. the plan was to keep posting every wednesday and sunday, which seems manageable but if you know me, you know that i try to do things as best as i can. so between my full time work schedule and the days getting increasingly busy, the blog just moved to the last thing on the list. i will say it’s hard to break out of trying to do everything as perfectly as i can. so, the hope is that i will surrender to perfectionism and start with at least 1 post per week and if i have a chance to write more, i will. 

so getting into this first blog post,  let’s talk about how i create and keep small, healthy habits. hopefully this will get you thinking about a tailored plan (making changes and additions) that fit your lifestyle and helps your body perform better. when you commit to doing your best instead of boxing yourself into a rigid, unreasonable routine, you’ll start to develop more productive habits that will benefit you much more in the long run.

see if you need additional minerals – we’re supposed to be getting necessary minerals from our foods, specifically whole foods but there’s a high percentage of us not getting enough. you can get a nutritional panel testing and see if you’re lacking in iron, magnesium, copper, selenium. 

i can say since starting to take magnesium, i feel so good and my mood is balanced and overall so much better. i keep my magnesium in our bathroom medicine cabinet, which is a cabinet i open every day. a good tip here is to keep things you want to include in your routine where you will see them. 

keep your kitchen clean and organized – this way you’ll feel motivated and inspired and you’ll want to be in it more.  you don’t have to have your dream kitchen. work with what you have. get beautiful plates that make your food feel beautiful, add plants, anything that gets you excited to be in your kitchen. 

pasture – raised eggs, wild- caught fish, grass-fed beef, raw honey, etc – if there’s one easy change that i encourage you to make with your health it’s this. i’m not willing to compromise on healthier food options even though it is pricier.  

eat mostly at home – it’s fun and important to go out for date nights and lunches with friends or family. i love going to restaurants and try different things and i always get a lot of inspiration from that but it’s nice knowing what’s going into your food.  

try not to cook with seed oils – you can cook pretty much everything with olive oil, you can even fry french fries in olive oil. 

avoid buying things in a bag, box or plastic – this is a really important one because this is the start. when we do our grocery shopping, my brain is conditioned to avoid the aisles where they keep frozen foods, processed foods. i don’t eat super clean but i’m more for buying and preparing as many whole foods as i possibly can. 

start with a smaller portions and work your way up – this can depend on if you’re going to be active after you eat too. and a good way to look at this is to see how you feel after you eat. do you feel nourished, do you feel energized, or do you feel sluggish? 

always read the ingredients – especially for things that you are eating or drinking everyday. 

keep fruits and vegetables at eye level in your fridge – when you open your fridge, that’s what you see and that’s what you’ll eat. i also take my fruits and vegetables out of any plastic they come in and put them in glass containers. 

improve your digestion – lemon with water in the morning (my rule is i can have my coffee after i’ve had my lemon water) 5-10 minute walk after dinner, or mint tea after dinner and eat an earlier dinner to give my body time to digest food before i go to sleep.  

morning routine – this does not have to be 10 steps. start with one good action, like a morning walk. this simple action will set the tone for the day and it puts you in a good positive momentum and then you will want to continue to do more good things for yourself. the foundation is what will be helpful. in the beginning you might need more discipline to get yourself there but the more you do it and see the benefits on your mind and body,  the more you’ll want to do more and it will become part of you. 

self- love rituals – do little things that make you feel good, inspired and more relaxed. hydrating first thing in the morning with water, early morning walks in nature, being in the sunshine, listening to an inspiring podcast, taking care of your skin, getting ready in the morning doing a bit of makeup, or spending quiet time with God. 

swap out your afternoon coffee for matcha for a better night’s sleep 

daily movement/workout – the first thing is to know why it’s important to move your body. movement takes care of all of the functions in your body, your brain health and physical health. you get natural energy, you sleep better, better digestion, your immune system is overall better and you’re less prone to getting sick or if you do get sick, you recover quickly. 

last thing that i want to say is  just because you’re a healthy person, it doesn’t mean that you’re super clean all the time or that you don’t have your challenges and figuring it all out. health is supposed be where you’re feeling good in your body and having energy.