Lately I’ve been feeling (physically) blah. I couldn’t work out for a month after my surgery and that got me into a bit of a funk. I also have a really hard time processing anesthesia and had pretty major trauma to my face, so I’ve been been off and tired for the last two months.
But I am ready to feel vibrant, healthy, and energized for summer so I decided to channel my old health coaching days (OG followers will remember this era) and create a plan to make that happen.
I’ve broken it down into categories: nourishment, supplement, movement, and mindset. If you want to join along, create the same categories and fill in your own rules or feel free to follow along with mine.
Pictured above: Old swimsuit and swim skirt.
Nourishment
Start every morning with 16 ounces of water with lemon (and in my case, AG1): It rehydrates you after a night of sleep and flushes out the system, helping with digestion and energy levels. Read more about why you should start each morning with water before anything else.
Eat more protein for breakfast: When I eat the kids’ leftovers for breakfast and don’t have a full meal with an intentional serving of protein, I’m more likely to end up mindlessly snacking on garbage throughout the day. I’m trying to be more mindful of prepping ahead of time by making my go-to smoothie or my favorite overnight oats at night or getting up before the kids and eating eggs.
Make healthy snack choices: Check out 15 of my favorite healthy snacks as well as 7 pre-packaged healthy snacks I love.
Drink dandelion root tea daily: Read more about the benefits of dandelion root tea.
Cut down on added sugar: Since I stopped drinking, my sugar intake has been pretty out of control. I crave candy midday everyday which is a new and weird thing for me. When I eat too much sugar, however, I get terrible headaches and feel icky for the rest of the day so I’m trying to keep my added sugar intake to a minimum. That said, cutting it out cold turkey isn’t realistic or any fun at all, so my goal is just…. less.
No alcohol: I’ve been mostly doing this already since last fall but have had drinks here or there. Every time I do, I feel not so hot the next day and it never feels worth it to me anymore. If you’re not interested in cutting booze, try just cutting down!
Supplement
Everyone’s body and needs are very different so consult a doctor or dietician before deciding what supplements would work best for you. This is the list of what I try to remember to take daily and plan to be 100% on top of for the next two weeks!
AG1: I am obsessed with this green powder and wrote a full review here. It’s been almost a year of drinking it daily (only missing a few days here and there) and I don’t think I’ll ever stop.
Collagen Peptides:I add collagen to my smoothie, tea, or oats in the mornings purely for aesthetic reasons: it helps support healthy skin and hair. Read about some other benefits of collagen peptides.
Vitamin D drops: I recently read somewhere (slash probably saw on Instagram) that Vitamin D daily for a year can actually reverse your age. That sounds like BS as I type it but it does help strengthen your immune system and reduce inflammation and I’m here for that. Read more about the benefits of vitamin D.
Joy-Filled: This is a new one that a good friend recommended to me. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, it’s a natural supplement that helps with that. Even though I’m medicated for anxiety, I have breakthrough symptoms and I am happy to report that this has been helping to reduce stress, calm my mind, and boost my mood.
Magnesium Glycinate: I take 240mg (two pills) before bed every night for a more restful sleep. It makes a huge difference in my deep sleep when I take it, according to my Oura ring and also according to how I feel in the morning. Magnesium is also great for digestion.
Probiotics: Along with magnesium, I take a probiotic before bed every night to support gut health and immunity.
NAC: I take NAC daily because it supports healthy sinuses and I have a chronic sinus issue (polyps). But NAC also supports a lot of other systems in the body like the immune system, respiratory health, and liver function. Read more about the benefits of NAC.
Iron: Most people probably don’t need to take this but I’m anemic and feel dizzy and exhausted when I skip it for too many days in a row. My doctor recommended this brand when I was pregnant and it’s been great without causing me any stomach issues. They are slow release which makes it easier on the digestive system.
Movement
Strength-training: I workout once a week with a trainer at Anel’s studio (the perks of being married to a personal trainer!), but have added one more strength-training workout per week at home.
Walking: Brisk walk for 20+ minutes outside every morning. This not only gets Boots and I moving and sometimes even sweating, but it also gives me my morning light intake (see below).
Stretching: I throw my lower back out every couple of months but saw a physical therapist when I was pregnant with Luca who taught me a bunch of stretches to avoid this. Since I started doing these stretches, my back has been a million times better.
Acupressure Mat: This isn’t really movement but I don’t know how else I should categorize one of my favorite wellness gadgets ever. There are a million options on Amazon and they’re all virtually the same as far as I can tell. I have been lazy about laying on my mat nightly before bed so I’m jumping back into doing it daily. It helps my back pain, with headaches, neck tension, and anxiety. Read more about the benefits of acupressure mats.
Mindset
Sunlight in the mornings: A friend in wellness recently recommended 10 by 10. Aka 10 minute of sunlight before 10am. I’m trying to make my bed and stick my head out the window as I brush my teeth in the mornings before even looking at my phone to get this started. It’s small and silly but does make a difference in how I feel during the morning rush with the kids.
Phone off at night: Duh obviously come on we all know to do this yet we don’t actually do it, am I right? My goal is to turn my phone off by 9pm each night for the next two weeks. Or at least stop scrolling.
Rest: I had a long talk with a friend the other day about the important of rest. And learning how to rest without feeling guilty or uncomfortable. I don’t know how I’m going to work my rest in but I’m thinking an hour or two a week at the beach with a book might just do the trick.