Three Habits For Better Health

The older I get, the less I take for granted pain-free movement, or sleeping well, or having sustained energy throughout the afternoon. Nourishing my body has become more of a priority now that I feel the physical effects of my daily choices much more significantly than I used to. There was a time when four hours of sleep, a Big Gulp of Dr. Pepper from 7-11, and a 10:00 pm Taco Bell run did NOT give me my migraines, brain fog and chronic fatigue but those days are long gone (along with my Discman). 

Current day me has pretty high needs when it comes to maintaining my health and wellbeing.  Through trial and error, I’ve learned what fuels me (hydration, long walks, mindfulness, a mostly plant based diet, eight hours of sleep…) and what depletes me (sugar, processed foods, sitting down all day, staying up too late, unmanaged stress…). 

As far as consistency goes, rigidity doesn’t work nor do unrealistic expectations. I’m most successful at overriding my impulses and making healthy decisions from one day to the next when I have a non-overwhelming plan in place that makes me feel good. 

Here are three small tweaks to my daily routine that have kept me on track as far as my health goals of feeling my best so I can offer my best to my family and community. 

1. Packing Healthy Snacks:

Any one who has ever run errands with me knows there will always be snacks in my bag, and in my car, and in my pockets. They could be cut up vegetables and hummus, almonds, a Lara bar, or even leftovers from dinner the night before, oh and most certainly herbal tea bags and dark chocolate. Having feel good snacks on hand improves my mood, sustains my energy, cuts down on sugar cravings, and saves me money. 

2. Wearing a Pedometer:

As much as I’d love to be a workout at the gym kind of gal, truth be told… I’m a walker. I like to hike, and walk with my neighbor, walk with my mother-in-law, walk to Church or our local coffee shop. Getting lots of steps in is my favorite form of movement. Keeping track of those steps inspires me to park a little further away from the store, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Wearing a pedometer keeps me mindful of staying active throughout the day. 

3. Planning my Meals:

Decision fatigue can really undermine my efforts to create nutrient dense plant-heavy meals over what is fast, easy and processed. Planning ahead, even just a little, ensures I have what I need to create simple but nourishing breakfasts, lunches and dinners throughout the week. Typically I take like ten minutes on a Saturday to choose meals for the next few days and then on Sundays, after liturgy, I will stop at the store and get the ingredients for those meals. After months of this, I now know my basic staple items for creating a variety of easy but healthy meals on a weeknight and I just replenish those items as needed. 

HERE is a link to the breakfast recipe I made this morning! 

Being good stewards of our health feeds our souls, minds, vocations, and relationships. A little intentionality goes a long way when it comes to taking good loving care of the bodies God has blessed us with!