Get OFF the Toxic Merry-go-Round! Solutions for Long-term Wellness
/Get OFF the Toxic Merry-go-Round!
It’s 6:00 pm.
You’ve been running all day.
You’ve got a killer headache.
You were up way-too-late the night before.
You finally get out of work,
(late as usual),
run an errand,
pick up the kids,
get home,
take out the dog.
Then comes that dreaded question:
“What’s for dinner?”
Frozen pizza.
Again.
With a side of guilt…
because you know
it’s not healthy,
You know it’s full
of fat and preservatives
and sodium, but
you also know you’re
exhausted and stressed…
out of time and out of
patience to cook a
healthy meal right now.
And that plan to go
work out at the YMCA
or go for a walk?
Not happening.
Not tonight.
So far, not yet this week.
And it’s Wednesday.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone!
Our communities are
struggling to be healthy—
to achieve long-term wellness!
Heck, our whole country
is struggling!
Add a health pandemic
and our struggles just multiple:
caring for a sick family member
and trying to stay well ourselves…
all while continuing to juggle work,
family responsibilities, and daily chores.
It’s overwhelming!
And now we want to add long-term
personal wellness to this mess?
How?
Where?
We’re already completely stressed out…
just trying to live day-to-day!
I get it.
I really do.
And I struggle, too!
So, let’s stop that toxic merry-go-round!
Let’s center our focus on just 3 main areas…
1. Nutrition.
2. Exercise.
3. Sleep.
You’re busy.
I’m busy.
EVERYONE is busy.
Too busy sometimes.
And our health is suffering.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Small, simple, daily choices…
plus, a little planning and creative scheduling…
and you CAN live healthier.
You CAN feel better!
Ready to learn how to make
long-term wellness a
priority in YOUR life?
To get good nutrition, regular exercise
and enough sleep every day?
To turn daily choices into regular,
healthy, lifelong habits?
Let’s get started!
1. NUTRITION
Eating healthy food is the ultimate self-care activity,
yet frequently overlooked!
“You are what you eat.”
Have you heard this popular quote?
Way back in 1826, Anthelme Brillat-Savarian
linked food to health and
character, in his book, The Physiology of Taste,
stating “Tell me what you eat and
I will tell you what you are.¹”
Thankfully, this is not literally true
or there would be a lot of donuts
and pizzas running around!
But seriously, his point has a lot of truth.
Our bodies run on the fuel (food) we feed it.
“Bad fuel” can wreak havoc on a body…
physically, mentally, and emotionally!
Conversely, seeking out “good fuel”
in the form of healthy, nutritious food,
helps combat disease—building up
your immune system to fight
stress and illness and physically
protecting you from
fatigue and inflammation…
so you FEEL BETTER!
So, what does “good fuel” look like?
Whole, natural foods.
Low or no preservatives.
A good rule of thumb is
5 ingredients or less²
on the item’s nutrient list…
and preferably all words
you can pronounce!
Sounds great, right?
But how do you fit that into
your already busy life?
2 pretty simple ways:
o Meal Planning
o Meal Prepping
Meal planning just means choosing
a healthy meal for each day of the week...
and then sticking to the plan!
Exceptionally busy night?
Plan a nutritious crock pot.
Late night?
Plan a dinner with a shorter cook time
or simply heat up healthy leftovers
from a meal earlier in the week.
The secret is PLANNING.
Getting home, hungry and exhausted,
with no idea about what to eat for dinner,
is setting you up to fail.
Don’t do that.
Make the plan…and then follow it!
Want to save time?
Meal prep!
Taking an hour or two on the weekend,
to chop ingredients and organize recipes,
can save precious minutes
all week long!
And don’t forget your snacks!
Headed out the door?
Short on time?
Grab an apple.
Or a banana.
It really can be that easy.
Need a quick pick-me-up?
Forgo the chips and munch
an energy bite instead (see
the full recipe in last month’s
newsletter or at the Blue Zones
Project website here.
Healthy eating doesn’t have
to be complicated.
But it does have to be a priority!
Choose whole, natural foods
that fit your life and
taste how good healthy can be!
Need some ideas?
Learn more about the
“5 ingredient rule”for
healthy eating here.
2. EXERCISE
Struggling to fit a workout
into an already busy day?
Can’t find an hour, or even
a half hour, every
day to exercise?
I get it.
I live it—same as you!
But get this…
You don’t need 30 or 60
minutes of daily exercise
to improve your health!
So, how much exercise IS
”enough” to reduce stress
and positively
improve your health?
Not as much as you think!
Just 5 minutes of aerobic exercise
can trigger a reduction in anxiety³.
Plus, physical movement
and exercise produces endorphins,
natural pain-relieving
chemicals in the brain, which
reduce pain, improve sleep,
and decrease stress³.
Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But how exactly do you fit
exercise into an already
busy day…and life?
That’s a juggling act, isn’t it?
Start small.
30 minute lunch?
Eat for 20 minutes
and take a 10-minute walk.
You’ll be surprised at how
revitalized you feel after
just 10 minutes walking
in the sunshine!
Early riser?
Try getting up just 20
minutes earlier.
Take a 10-minute walk to
meditate, plan your day, or
just help you fully wake up!
What about right before
or after dinner…
can you sneak in 10 minutes?
Kids at practice?
Hit the trail and get some steps in!
And the best part?
Even if you’re just getting started,
two 10-minute walks a week
can facilitate significant
improvements in your
physical,mental,
and emotional health⁴.!
The goal is to look at your
personal day and find
small gaps of time where you
can squeeze a workout in.
And don’t worry that
it’s not “long enough.”
Just 10 minutes is WAY
better than 0 minutes—always!
Wondering what exercise is “best?”
Good news!
The Mayo clinic has
found that “virtually any form
of exercise, from aerobics to yoga,
can act as a stress reliever⁵.
So go ahead, try a bunch of
different activities and see
what you like best!
The secret is finding
what works for YOU—
what exercise routine fits
your life and your goals.
Make it something enjoyable…
something motivating…
something that becomes
a life-long habit,
as natural as breathing.
Want more ideas for
exercises to decrease stress
and improve your health?
Check out this article on
9 stress-relieving exercises here.
3. SLEEP
Have you ever been advised
to “sleep on it,⁶”before
making a big decision?
That’s good advice for a reason.
When we get enough sleep,
we’re able to think more clearly,
process information more easily,
and problem solve things
more effectively⁷.
Did you know sleep is actually
essential for a healthy body and mind?
It’s true, sleep “powers the mind,
restores the body, and
fortifies virtually every
system in the body.⁸”
Plus, adequate sleep
boosts the immune system!
So, how much sleep is enough?
Think getting by on 5-6 hours
a night is probably ok?
Think again!
The National Sleep Foundation
guidelines recommend that healthy
adults get 7-9 hours of sleep a night⁸!
Despite the incredible healing
benefits of sleep, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reports 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep⁹!
Are you one of them?
If so, go to bed early tonight…
and tomorrow night…
and every night thereafter!
Making sleep a priority will positively
impact every aspect of your life!
No guilt,
No never-ending to-do list,
No excuses!
Give your body, and mind,
the rest it craves—so you
can wake up refreshed,
revitalized, and ready to take on
whatever the day throws at you!
Trouble sleeping?
You’re not alone!
50-70 million Americans suffer
from sleep-related problems¹⁰!
What about you?
Do you have trouble falling asleep…
Or staying asleep?
If so, here’s a few quick tips¹¹ to try:
o Limit caffeine 6 hours before bed
o Turn off all electronics
o Maintain a cool bedroom temperature 60-67°F
o Practice meditation or mindfulness
o Exercise early in the morning
Want more tips to get better sleep?
Check out “20 ways to help you
fall asleep quickly” here.
Ready to finally get off that toxic merry-go-round…
the one spinning with the stress, fatigue, and exhaustion
that has become your life?
You’re headed in the right direction!
But be patient with yourself…
Lifelong changes take time!
Don’t beat yourself up if
you eat pizza one night,
just jump back on your
meal plan the next day.
Don’t feel bad if you
miss a workout,
just make it a priority
the rest of the week.
And don’t stay awake worrying that
you aren’t getting enough sleep—
just keep adding minutes each night until
you feel rested and energized in the morning!
Above all, be KIND to yourself!
And start making those healthy choices!
Today…
Tomorrow…
The day after that...
One day at a time…one choice at a time.
And pretty soon those healthy choices
will become a habit—
A lifelong habit!
OM SHANTI
Namaste
Katie
***These great sources contributed to this article. Please reference them for additional information!
https://culinarylore.com/food-history:who-first-said-you-are-what-you-eat/
https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/mini-pledge-week-14-five-ingredient-rule/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/fitness/9-exercises-stress-relief/
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html
https://www.sleephealth.org/sleep-health/the-state-of-sleephealth-in-america/
