What does healthy mean to me?

A look at a typical day and the healthy habits I have incorporated

Where do I begin? I do not have time or money to live an expensive organic meal prep kind of life.
This is  what most people tell themselves. I understand how it is to be working three jobs to keep up with life. When you are running 12 hours a day to keep your head above water.
Cooking and dishes are not anything you want to add to your day. Grabbing food anywhere that is on your path through the day wins. In my twenties 20 piece nuggets with sweet and sour sauce and a sprite from the golden arches was many a meal for me. I told myself it was chicken so it wasn’t that bad. That was before I was shown the pink goo that nuggets are actually made of. This was also when I was at my worst health wise. This is when I realized that my body needed actual food not processed stuff shaped to look like food. I knew how to cook. As my Mom would of told  you “she was cooking and baking as soon as she was tall enough to reach the stove”. There was no excuse for me to not to be making food at home. It was all about shifting priorities to make the time to grocery shop and buy food for simple meals.

I didn’t magically flip a switch one day that turned me into a healthy eater but I did start with cutting fast food out of my diet and only went on rare occasions. Maybe once a year I will cave and go to In-N-Out to get animal fries and a strawberry shake. Sometimes hormones win just sayin, Auntie can be very persuasive at times. Rotisserie chicken was my first go to in my steps to eating better. So easy to cut it up and make many different meals from it. Stir fry’s, fajitas, soup, put it on top of salads. Get on the interwebs and search for recipes you will have an endless variety of quick easy options. So let’s fast forward to now.

How my daily routine starts. When I get up first thing I do is make the bed. Literally I get out of bed then make it. This way it is not easy to decide to get back in.  Also it gets me moving and tells my brain it’s time to get productive. Even on weekends the bed gets made. My day is completely thrown off if I do not do this one easy thing. If you need inspiration to make your bed listen to Admiral William H McRaven’s speech here.
Then I drink water. At least 16oz. When I am really doing good I squeeze in a fresh lemon. (something I need to be way more consistent with) Breakfast has never been a thing for me. Growing up I was forced to eat a bowl of cheerios. I would wait till my Mom wasn’t looking and I would heap spoons of sugar until there was a nice layer on the bottom of the bowl. She knew I did it because her sugar bowl for her coffee would mysteriously be lower but if that is what it took to get me to eat she didn’t say anything. (Confess you know you loved those scoops of sugar milk on the bottom of the bowl.) Once I was in high school breakfast went out the window.  I learned that my energy levels were way higher if I didn’t eat breakfast.  Even if it is a super healthy meal after a few hours I wanted nothing but to nap. Then I take care of Maddie our chihuahua, then I wash my face and do my skincare regimen. Another non negotiable. It takes 5 min and is the best way to help you make you a priority first thing in the morning. Another thing I do in my self care routing is use baking soda for deodorant. It’s usually under a dollar for a box and it will last you a year. You sweat for a reason anti perspirants are not doing you any favors. That is another topic that will have it’s own dedicated day. Then I am off to work.

Between 12- 1, I make a Essential Meal replacement protein shake with a scoop of Daily Multivitamin added in. Just add water shake it up and drink. Takes less than 2 minutes to make and it has everything my body needs. I have my bag of shake mix and vitamins at work along with a shaker cup so I never have a legit excuse to not be healthy. After my shake I wash out my shaker cup and make my greens drink.  It is a packet of GreenSynergy elixir, mind health, energy fizz stick and a scoop of inner calm. (Click on the links to learn about the benefits of each one.) Believe it or not this combo is delicious. It does not taste like grass it tastes like a fruit juice. I get so much energy from this combo and it has helped my skin, nails and hair as an added bonus. These two drinks fill me up. I do not feel hungry until dinner time. Both very quick to make and easy to keep at work. The greens drink is super easy to keep in your purse as well very small stick packs that can be added into a bottle of water when you are on the run. These are also safe for your kids to drink. Way better option than soda and fruit juices that are usually more added flavors and sugar than actual fruit juice. Vitamin water a very popular drink that you would think was good for you can have 26g of sugar! It is really important to read the ingredient labels because names can be very deceptive. For days that hormones are making me want to eat everything I keep a bag of pistachios in my desk. I am also known for bringing in bagels and croissants.  I am a carb girl, love my bread and pasta. You have to live you can’t deprive yourself of foods that you love. The key is to not make them the staple you eat daily. They taste better when you don’t get to indulge in them all the time. I drink nothing else but water during my day. You already know the, water is important to every function in your body lecture so I will move on.

Once I get home I feed the dogs and then make our dinner. Chicken and goat are our main staples for meat protein. (We raise goats so access to it is readily available for us) Goat is incredibly healthy for you. It is high protein low fat. I am still learning the best ways to cook it but have actually really enjoyed replacing ground beef with it. We do eat beef just not frequently. I try to cook seasonally to get the most variety of nutrition in our diets. Yes I do my best to buy all of our food organic. But it’s so expensive you say. If you compare the cost of boxed and frozen easy foods it’s not. When you stop spending money on convenient microwave meals and fast food you can actually save money. The town we live in has one grocery store and it is Trader Joe’s. Until I lived here I was always under the impression that TJ’s was expensive. I actually started saving money because they are a smaller store that carries more fresh food than boxed foods. I learned really good shopping habits and now if for some reason I need to go into a big box chain grocery store it is really easy to do what we have been told “shop the perimeter”  Another helpful rule I was taught long ago was to have 5 colors on your plate. Green, red, orange, yellow and purple are all easy colors to get with vegetables. Stir fry’s are a very quick and the easiest way to get your 5 colors in. Buy a bag of mini peppers and you already have 3 colors. Add in some green onions or bok choy better yet both there is green. Toss in some purple cabbage and you have all your colors.

Marinade your meat of choice and get lots of great spices that are not only flavorful but great sources of anti oxidants. Home made chili is another great meal. Use different types of beans to help with your colors and use lots of cumin and chili’s. Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream to help your gut health. Red onions, cilantro and some good cheese on top you have a complete meal. You can throw everything into a crock pot and let it cook while you are at work. Pan fried chicken in grass fed butter with a side of veggies and red and purple potatoes. All quick easy meals that we love. One thing that Jason asks me to make is my chunky salad. When I make salad greens are not the majority. I cut up tomatoes, beets, radishes, carrots(all different colors), cucumbers, squash, fresh edamame … it all depends on what is in season what my combo will be, then add in spinach, micro greens or arugula. So filling and tasty because its not all lettuce. For dressing I use Greek yogurt as the base for homemade ranch or I will use olive oil and mix in lime juice and spices like cumin. Homemade dressings are fast and easy to make not to mention they taste so much better.

We both love dessert but are really good at keeping them as every once in awhile not a daily part of our meals. It has now come to the point that eating sugary things make me instantly sick. My body no longer tolerates candy and all milk chocolate. I am good with this. Now when I want a treat I either bake myself so I can use better ingredients or go to a local bakery who makes everything on site. Once again hand made  tastes so much butter. You get whole ingredients and not all the stabilizers and preservatives. Every little step you take adds up to making a huge difference in your overall health.

Yes it does take a commitment to yourself to work everyday on creating healthier habits. It can be frustrating when you are worn out and don’t want to put in the effort. This is not a change that will happen over night. You shouldn’t set yourself up for disappointment and more stress by trying to tackle more than you are ready for. Start with creating a Pinterest board with recipes that you know you can make. I have boards setup for all different types of cooking. I love me some pampered chef so I have a board for each of the appliances I have from them. Do you have a Quick cooker (instant pot)? Those things are amazing! Huge time savers that opens up a whole new world of easy nutritious meals that taste amazing. I even have boards for baked goods because once again you need to live.

Outside of eating, movement is even more important. Does this mean you need to be a gym rat? No! I call gym’s the meat market you won’t find me in one. If you love lifting weights and classes awesome! Do you and what you will stay consistent at. For me I will  take walks, hike and garden. There are many ways to keep your body active and to build muscle that is very important as we age. Being sedentary leads to muscle atrophy, can lead to depression and physics tells us a body at rest tends to stay at rest. What do you have fun doing? Find something that gets you moving, dance, swimming, yoga, yard work .. so many options that are enjoyable.

Sleep, the other thing that our Mom’s loved to lecture us about. I am working on getting better about a regular sleeping schedule. I do my best to at least go to bed the same day I woke up in. Staying up to 1-2 in the morning is very easy for me.  Definitely a night owl. I wear an Oura ring that has been very helpful in helping me monitor my sleep. It sends me messages on my phone telling me hey it’s time to relax and wind down to get ready for bed. Once you wear it for a bit your chronotype is figured out and that tells you what the optimum time for sleep if for you. Since finding this info out I for the most part go to bed when I am supposed to. My Mom would be annoyed I listen to a rind more than I did to her growing up. LOL  Oura also monitors my oxygen levels, body temperature, stress levels and reminds me to breathe and walk. Another game changer in my health journey because it is a constant reminder to pay attention to my body. Which really is the key. Paying attention to what your body is telling you then making changes to feel better. Yes it is so much easier to ignore the messages now but you will regret it when it is to late and something major fails.

Being proactive about your health does not always seem like the easiest or happiest thing to do but the more you learn your body and what it wants it becomes an automatic behavior. Again it’s not always a light switch but the process is so worth it. Trust me I am still a work in progress and always will be but I now find it very rewarding to take the time and effort into my self care.

What else do I do you ask? I am spoiled and we have our own infrared sauna that we added in red light therapy to. I am not always the best at staying consistent with the sauna but have been doing much better at using it at least 3 times a week. Sweating is so good for your body not to mention how much it helps your skin. I had a sauna before I met Jason but he really helped me take that understanding to a new level. You can get portable infrared saunas very affordably on Amazon now. An investment of a few hundred dollars and worth every penny. If you can get a full size that is also awesome. There are many choices our there now that incorporate all 3 wave lengths of  infrared, light therapy and aromatherapy. Infrared has been studied for going on 50 years for it’s ability to boost health in many ways. I urge you to do some online reading. thousands of studies out there. Not to mention many podcasts.

We drink hydrogen water throughout the day and when we take our nightly vitamins. A neuroscientist that I highly respect was the first person to introduce me to hydrogen water. She laid out all the benefits then I went online and  listened to many Dr’s who also talked about the benefits. Turns out there are many peer reviewed studies that legitimize the extra boost of hydrogen for reducing inflammation among other health benefits. I will tell you personally my cycle which was going crazy from perimenopause has returned to being stable and the only thing I have done differently is hydrogen water. Stress levels if anything have gone up and my eating and activity levels have remained the same. Do your own research and see if it is a fit for you.

The last thing I will go over today is we kicked out all Iodized salt from being on this farm. It is not allowed. We use a mineral salt that has all your trace minerals in it and very low sodium. You still get all the flavor boosting traits of iodized salt but with the added benefits of minerals. Minerals are very important for your body to function. Your teeth need minerals to protect your enamel. I am not a Dr, don’t even play one on TV so I will let you once again do your own research on why your body needs trace elements.

I do not have any complicated or crazy routines for my health. Complicated hard to follow regimens are not going to be followed consistently. Creating habits one step at a time is what leads to an overall healthy lifestyle. Not sure where to start? Here is my favorite challenge for you. If you are a coffee addict and you love adding in creamers and all the sugar syrups I challenge you to change 1 cup a day to black coffee.
If soda and all the sugary carbonated drinks are your daily over indulgence. Take one out and replace with plain water or lemon water. If you want a yummy infusion for your water, Orange rind and fresh basil is amazing. Tastes great and super healthy for you. Google the benefits of fresh basil I dare you. Cutting sugar from your diet is the best thing you can do for your overall health. Taking one daily step a day will make all the difference.

Every day for 1 week replace a bad habit with a good one. Like replacing one drink a day. Then in week 2 replace 2 drinks a day … you see where I am going with this? Little steps that help you feel in control and not setting yourself up for disappointment. All out deprivation is setting yourself up for a fall and who wants to do that? My health journey has been a bumpy one in the last almost 30 years but instead of beating myself up for all the times I ate like shit, collapsed into a ball of depression, didn’t set boundaries and let people take advantage of me well now I celebrate the fact that one step and a lot of tears at a time I found healthier habits.
No matter where you are at on your journey, no matter how far away you feel you are from where you want to be. Know you can and will get there if you decide right now to make one little baby step forward. Everyday take that baby step until you find your strength to take the next. This life is yours and yours alone. You get to decide what your life is going to look like. You may not know it, you may not feel it but there is always someone cheering you on. It may be a coworker that you have never talked to. It may be someone on social media who follows you. You do matter. Your health matters and you are worthy of living your best life.

One day, one step at a time. You can do this. I believe in you and I am cheering you on. Be well my friends. Most importantly until next time, Carpe Diem!!!!