Healthy Habits I Can’t Live Without
Do you have habits in your life that make you feel your best?
I do, and these habits have become so ingrained in my life that I couldn’t imagine my life without them.
There are thousands of healthy habits that you can adopt and incorporate into your life. You really have to take the time to get clear on what your goals are. What are you wanting to achieve, what is the end-result you’re looking for and who do you want to become.
This will help you focus on where to start for adding or incorporating new healthy habits into your routine.
My recommendation is always to start with small, sustainable changes that you can really integrate into your life. From there, you can start adding and building as you go once those habits become self-sufficient.
Some people are all or nothing, and if that works, that’s great. But most people I’ve coached need to start with one or two changes or tweaks and continue to add on from there.
However you approach new habits, I am sharing the healthy habits that I can’t live without.
Protein-Packed Breakfast
If you’ve ever worked with me, you know how important a protein-packed breakfast is to start your day. While you’ve been sleeping, your body has been resting, digesting and fasting. When we wake in the morning, our body is waiting for fuel and that fuel determines how your body will feel and operate for the rest of the day. Whether you intermittent fast or not, your first meal of the day should always, always, include protein - and at least 15 grams of it. Twenty grams would be even better.
When we have adequate protein in the morning, we set a better pace for our blood sugar regulation which leads to reduced cravings throughout the entire rest of the day. Yes, that even includes the 3pm dip in energy and craving for something sweet.
Movement
Movement is essential for me to feel my best, show up as my best and feel grounded in my emotions. Life is hectic, we can all agree on that, right? When I’m stressed, anxious or have a lot of my plate, those emotions can get the best of me and I end up overwhelmed, stressed and unproductive. Finding a place for daily movement helps me release any stress, let go of anxious energy, feel strong and powerful and get some solid endorphins flowing!
Now, what’s the key to successful movement? Finding movement you love. Seriously - this is a game changer. If you wake up dreading whatever activity you’ve set out to do, this is unsustainable long term. You will find any reason to talk yourself out of it and you’ll end up resenting movement more than anything.
You need to find movement that you enjoy and that works for your life. Whether that’s walking, yoga, pilates, strength training, running, spin classes, jumping jacks, skipping rope, sports…anything! There are SO many amazing and fun ways to get movement in. Dial in with yourself and see what you would enjoy doing.
And if you aren’t sure, give some new things a try! There’s no time like the present.
Daily supplements
My routine would not be complete without my daily supplements. I am unbelievably routine with this and it is a habit that’s been in my life for over a decade…does that age me?!
While my philosophy will always be ‘whole foods first’, I also know that getting all of the vitamins and minerals that we need from our diet alone can be quite challenging. For many reasons, supplements act as a great “supplement” to a healthy diet. They can help fill gaps, provide higher daily intake and prevent deficiencies.
Did you know the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for zinc is 8 mg¹, and that the best sources for zinc are typically meat and fish. Yet, a chicken or turkey breast only has 1.5-1.7 mg¹. So, are we really getting our daily intake from food alone?
If you struggle with remembering to take your vitamins, you can try setting a reminder on your phone or setting them out somewhere visible. Or maybe take them to the office!
Water, water and more water
This isn’t a sexy habit, and it’s talked about so often that it’s often me with eye rolls, but there’s a good chance that you need more water in your life.
Staying hydrated is important for reducing inflammation, absorbing nutrients into our cells, keeping our skin healthy, improves our energy and mood, promotes better sleep and keeps our body functioning at its best.
I rarely go anywhere without a bottle of water, and I’ll admit I panic a little if I forget it.
So…here’s your cue to take another sip of water today.
Quality sleep
Oh sleep…how I love you. I have really focused on quality sleep over the last year of my life and it makes a monumental difference in all areas of my life. From mood to energy to recovery to stress management. My sleep routine has become crucial to being able to keep up with all the things I juggle.
I’ve had about four years of interrupted sleep through pregnancies and nursing both kids, but now my sleep is something that I actively protect and analyze what is working, and what is not.
Most recently, I have routinely added in magnesium and notice a distinct difference with deeper sleep when I take this. I’ve also been incorporating more reading before bed (though something I’m always trying to do more of), reducing blue light exposure and getting 7-8 hours of sleep.
Have you ever dug into what helps or hinders your sleep?
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN
There you have it! Five of my healthy habits that I can’t live without.
Do any of these resonate with you? I’d love to know if there is one of these habits that you are already doing (maybe all of them!) or something that you would like to incorporate.
I’d love to chat more with you about this. Feel free to comment below, shoot me an email or send me a DM and let’s connect.
Remember - you’re an active participant in your life and in your health, what can you do to move towards how you want to feel?
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/#h5
