Working towards better fitness and improved overall health is not only good for you, it’s good for your family and the people we interact with on a day to day basis. It’s a foundational piece of our Self-Care routine. In today’s world we hear about Self-Care all the time and I think that can mean a variety of things to different people. To start with I’d like to share with you how I define Self-Care:
Self-Care is: “doing the things for me that are going to help me provide for my family’s needs, the needs of others AND allow me to meet my daily responsibilities.”
I’m joining up with my friend Rachel Letham (a Mindset and Self-Care Coach) to bring you some easy to implement ideas on setting yourself up for success each day. For my portion, I’ll be focusing on Nutrition and Rachel will be bringing you expert Mindset tips. You can read her post here: www.rachelletham.com/blog/how-to-nourish-yourself-with-self-care-through-the-day
Several years ago when I decided to focus on my health, I struggled with what that actually looked like. I had never really taken time for myself. Going to the gym and planning out my own meals, well . . . it just seemed selfish. After all, there are only so many hours in a day and time spent on myself was less time for me to focus on my kids, husband, friends, and all the other people who relied on me, right?
To be truly successful, I had to rewire the way I thought about my own health. We’ve all heard the airline stewardess saying …
“In case of emergency put on your own oxygen mask before helping others”, right? RIGHT!
Because you can’t fully help others if you’re not first taking care of yourself, and it’s the same with your health. If you are functioning well, it will positively affect your loved ones, your work, and your friends.
Taking time for your health is not selfish or frivolous, it’s NECESSARY.
As I mentioned before, for this post I’m focusing on our diets. What does your body need to perform at its best?
Let’s take a look at four areas that are a daily occurrence and that I frequently get asked about. As we go through each of these areas and talk about foods that can benefit our bodies, it’s important to note that these are general food suggestions. Remember to take into consideration food sensitivities, allergies, and any health or food restrictions as advised by your health care professional.
– MORNING ROUTINE: How you start the day:
Do you fly out of bed in the morning, grab a cup of coffee and immediately start helping the kids prepare for their day? Instead, what can you do to energize yourself and make the most of your morning?
Now, you’ll never hear me knock that morning cup of joe, even though I might challenge you to limit your caffeine intake … but I would certainly encourage you to grab a healthy breakfast to go with that cup of sweet, dark, goodness! If you’re waking up tired and sluggish, that coffee will help momentarily but it will fade quickly, and then you’ll find yourself reaching for yet another cup to keep yourself moving.
So let’s think about foods you could include first thing (more than a little shot of caffeine) to give your body what it truly needs to get moving?
There are three macronutrients your body needs to function: Protein, Carbohydrates, & Fats. Your first meal of the day is the one that breaks your overnight fast so picking high quality foods is important.
- Oats are a wonderful source of complex carbs that contain antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, protein and fiber among other things. Complex carbs contain more nutrients and digest slower than simple carbs, giving you more of what you need to function and helping you feel fuller longer.
- Berries are also high in fiber and full of antioxidants and BONUS . . .they’re also low in calories.
- Greek yogurt is high in protein and is a great probiotic. A good way to start your morning!
- Eggs are an excellent source of high quality protein and are quick and easy to prepare, making them a great choice.
- Flaxseed, besides containing protein, fiber, and omega 3 fatty acids, has many benefits like the ability to lower blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. Add it to your Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or use it in a smoothie for a super healthy start to your day.
Years ago, my morning habit consisted of making coffee and heading out the door. Fast forward to today, I make sure I’ve had a combination of quality protein and carbs to kick off my morning. Starting your day off on the right foot will set you up for success . . . and help continue that momentum throughout the day.
– STRESS
Stress is normal and can actually be a positive thing. Having good stress management tools at our disposal will help us effectively meet it head on. Eating a well-balanced diet in general is one way to help your body naturally deal with the stressors that come your way. By eating to fight high blood pressure, build a healthy immune system, and boost serotonin levels you can have a “leg up” when it comes to dealing with stress.
Foods you can include in your general diet:
- Omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna)
- Complex carbs (oatmeal, whole grains)
- Calcium (milk, yogurt)
- Vitamin C (oranges)
- Magnesium (spinach, soybeans, kale)
- Potassium (avocados, bananas)
- Tryptophan (fatty fish, poultry, eggs)
After you’ve been proactive in the battle of daily stress by ensuring a proper diet, there are a few things that can help in the moment. Instead of heading for a quick sugary fix that in reality will make your stress worse by causing a blood sugar spike, followed by that dreaded sugar crash, here are some go-to snacks that may help:
- Research shows that dark chocolate could lower levels of stress hormones (cortisol), so while you’ll want to watch your portions, stopping to enjoy a piece of dark chocolate may help. If you’d prefer to skip the dark chocolate, you could try a banana or pear as well.
- Munching on something crunchy gives you something to do in the moment and helps release tension in the jaw, which makes carrots, sugar snap peas, or whole wheat pretzels a perfect snack when you need a minute to de-stress.
- Instead of heading to the freezer for that tub of ice-cream, try a Greek Yogurt Parfait instead. Besides satisfying your sweet tooth (without all the extra sugar), this colorful sweet treat is just plain comforting.
- Another comfort food that may be helpful is a warm bowl of Oatmeal.
- It’s also important to add that a nice cup of black tea after a stressful situation can help lower cortisol levels and help you get back to feeling better more quickly.
– MIDDAY FATIGUE
Keeping your body running at its best requires some pre-planning. When you’re planning meals and snacks for your family, you should be doing the same for yourself.
That includes staying fueled as the day progresses. And just like a car, you need to be refueling in order to keep running efficiently. One way to ensure this is by keeping blood sugar levels stable. How? By having regular meals and snack times scheduled throughout the day. Here are a few go-to foods with that in mind:
- Bananas contain vitamins, fiber, and potassium with just the right amount of carbs for a boost of energy between lunch and dinner. They’re naturally pre-packaged and an easy snack to have on hand.
- Chia Seeds are high in nutrients and fiber. Chia seed pudding is easy to prepare and a great snack that will help in avoiding midday fatigue.
- Nuts, such as almonds, contain healthy fats, protein, vitamin E, and magnesium, which all help in the fight against fatigue.
- Homemade Trail Mix not only has that nice crunchy factor, it also provides healthy fats, protein, and carbs, making it a great afternoon snack for an energy boost to finish out the day. On the plus side, homemade trail mix allows for added quality nutrition without all the unwanted extras. However, there are some healthy prepackaged options. Just be sure to read the package so you know exactly what you’re getting.
- Hummus, made with chickpeas, contains a variety of nutrients such as magnesium, iron, and vitamin B along with protein. Veggies and hummus make a super healthy afternoon pick-me-up!
One additional key factor when it comes to midday fatigue . . . staying hydrated!
Dehydration can increase fatigue, so staying hydrated throughout the day is another way to help your body run efficiently. Drinking plenty of water is crucial, and watermelon, often overlooked, is a great snack choice. Besides containing nutrients like vitamin A and C, watermelon is 92% water, which can help with hydration.
Hydration – not something you want to forget!!
Keep in mind that one of the major benefits of staying properly hydrated is increased mental alertness.
– EVENING ROUTINE / OPTIMIZING REST & SLEEP
Let’s be honest here, once you’ve finished dinner, cleared the dishes, helped with homework, tucked the kids into bed, is it just me or do we all want to plop ourselves on the couch with a good TV program and a comforting snack? Not that I’ve personally done this (yeah right…) but the temptation might be to grab your favorite ice-cream and a spoon on your way to the couch.
While decidedly yummy, this might not be the best option for a good night’s rest. As you wind down for the day, remember that what you put into your body prior to bedtime will have a direct correlation to how well you sleep – it will influence the rest you get. By being mindful of what you eat in the evening you can set yourself up for a restful night that will leave you feeling energized for a productive morning.
For a nutritious, evening snack that will reinforce a restful sleep, you can think about adding some of these:
- Almonds and Walnuts contain melatonin and magnesium, two things that promote higher quality sleep, which make them a good option for after dinner snacking.
- Turkey is another good option due to high amounts of protein and tryptophan – now you know why you always want to take a nap after that Thanksgiving dinner! 😂
- Rich in antioxidants and serotonin, Kiwi is top of the list for evening snack time! Studies on sleep quality show that kiwi is actually one of the best foods to eat before hitting the sack.
- Tart cherries also contain antioxidants and above average concentrations of melatonin.
- Cottage Cheese, my personal favorite, due to the fact that it contains casein protein, a slow digesting protein that helps in muscle repair and recovery, making it an optimal choice for eating prior to bedtime.
Two other great options that may provide a better night’s sleep are warm milk or tea. A cup of warm milk has long been a remedy for sleeplessness and considering it contains four different sleep aiding compounds (calcium, vitamin D, tryptophan, and magnesium) we can’t leave this one out.
I find that tea gives me that nice comforting feeling at the end of a long, tiring day. Try adding a steaming cup of Chamomile or Passionflower Tea to your evening routine and let me know if you rest better.
There you have it. Four areas of your daily routine that directly affect your health.
Building good habits around each of these will help ensure that your body is functioning at its best and will help you get the most out of your days!
Which of these do you struggle with the most? If you’d like more in-depth help, message me and let’s see how we can get you on the right path to better habits and a healthier YOU.
Let the journey begin!
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