Hydrate
Yes, we’re starting off with the most obvious BUT hydrating is highly underrated. We’re getting back to the basics because consuming more H2O is so essential for our overall health and wellbeing. It helps us with things like digestion, reducing overall inflammation, energizes us and carries oxygen and nutrients to our cells. We all know how beneficial it is but many people struggle to drink enough. Here are some easy ways to get it in…
- Carry your reusable bottle EVERYWHERE
- Use reusable straws… yes it somehow makes it more fun
- After brushing your teeth, and before that morning coffee drink a full glass
- Add lemon, berries or cucumber for some added flavour
Move
Getting in your daily exercise is promoted by most, but once again we’re getting back to the basics. We all have very different body compositions and fitness goals, but more frequent, low-impact movement leads to significant results. Why? Because it has been proven to boost longevity and gut health. This doesn’t mean a 5am gym time or 7pm HIIT class, but a simple hour walk on a call, podcast or with a friend can do wonders. It can also look like biking with the kids, swimming, hiking or doing a stretching routine. By simply moving your body can do so much for your mental and physical health.
Blood Sugar Levels
Okay, now let’s talk about getting in your protein, healthy fats and fiber at EVERY meal. Starting off strong by eating your breakfast within 30 minutes of waking will set you up for your day. We want to keep your levels stable in order to decrease cravings, energy lulls, insomnia, mood swings, brain fog, weight gain and in the long-term, diabetes. Building meals should include a plant-based or animal protein like, wild caught salmon, chia seeds or eggs. Followed by healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts & seeds. Then we incorporate our fiber. As examples we would suggest berries, flax seeds, brussel sprouts, quinoa etc. Following these steps for every meal can truly be a game changer leading you to feel full for longer and eliminate those carb and sweets cravings at the end of the day!
Dirty vs. Clean
Eating organic is not always sustainable, we hear you. But buying organic as much as possible is important and there are ways to make it a priority without breaking the bank! Here is this year's dirty dozen and clean fifteen list. Purchasing organic foods off of the dirty dozen list can assure you that you are limiting your exposure to harmful chemicals such as fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.
Dirty Dozen
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale and Collard Greens
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Bell Pepper
- Tomatoes
- Celery
Aim to buy organic off of this dirty dozen list. You can get away with following items on the clean fifteen list when buying conventional.
Clean Fifteen:
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapples
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet Peas
- Eggplants
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Kiwi
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms
- Honeydew Melons
- Cantaloupes
Buying Local
Hello farmers markets! Shopping locally has an immense amount of benefits. Not only is it better for you and your community, but it also helps out the environment. Less distance for travel = less fuel, less preservatives = fresher food and a happy earth. Shopping locally can look like going to the farmers market on the weekend or checking out your nearest health foods store! It sounds daunting but it can be a fun adventure and honestly can be a lot cheaper than buying in a conventional market chain!
Sleep
We lied, sleep hygiene is the most underrated action to take for your health! It’s another basic habit but it leads to more benefits than we can explain in our little blog post. Making it a priority and being consistent will affect every aspect of your life. It can be hard to figure out your perfect ritual but start by adding one simple habit a month. This can be avoiding screen time after 8pm, drinking a night time herbal tea, or reading a book. We also can’t express enough how important it is to wake up and go to bed at the same time. This can also take time to apply but it’s quite simple and once you’re in the rhythm you won't have to think twice about it!
Relationships
We are creatures of connections. Relationships are a central part of our health and wellbeing. It’s not something we think about often, but our relationships started from the moment we were born. Regardless if we are home bodies or social butterflies, meaningful relationships are so vital to our overall health. As believers of a holistic lifestyle, we notice that mental health tends to be overlooked. Our state of mind is incredibly important, and prioritizing connection has a huge effect on that. Nurture and care for those connections, because with them our stress is lowered and that sense of safety and love is unmatched to any “product” or “status”. Additionally, our relationship with ourselves is one to nurture as well. Take care of yourself, for yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Self Care & Stress
What was your self care act of the day? Prioritizing yourself (even if it’s for a few minutes) can lead to a plethora of benefits. Let’s talk about the connection to stress. Stress is a chronic condition and is prevalent. We all experience it in our daily lives, but the scary part is that stress is the leading cause to many (if not all) illnesses. This is due to the significant impact it has on our body and brain (inflammation). Chronic inflammation = disease. This connection isn’t made to scare you, but is meant to open your eyes to the world of self care. Whether it’s a 10 minute gua sha routine or sitting outside in the sun for 5 minutes, taking the time to relax encourages our parasympathetic system to kick in. It can look different for everyone but this is us shouting from the rooftops because it’s THAT important.
Mental Health
Mental health *handshake* physical health. These two go hand in hand, and honestly we may suggest that mental health takes the cake. Mental health is extremely vital to our overall wellbeing and supporting it daily can be an extreme game changer. Ways to support your brain may look like talking to a friend or family member, a therapist or even taking 3 minutes in the morning to meditate. Let's also normalize asking others how they're doing mentally and if they need support. All in all, stay consistent and the benefits will talk for itself!
Gut Health
Saving the best for last, GUT HEALTH. Our gut microbiome is actually the starting point for almost all areas of health. It affects our brain, emotional health, cardiovascular health, digestion, immune health and so much more. We could go on and on, but the benefits include things like better nutrient absorption, proper hormone release, increased energy levels and a decrease of illnesses and disease. Ways to ensure you’re building up the healthy bacteria in your gut:
- Increasing your intake of prebiotics: sweet potatoes, asparagus, garlic, green bananas
- Probiotic food intake daily: kimchi, coconut kefir, organic kombucha
- Limit (ideally cut out) high inflammatory foods: dairy, sugar, alcohol, oils like canola and corn