It is summer and I’m finding that established healthy habits are what is keeping my health & carrying me through our busy days.
It is a quite enjoyable kind of busy, as I am balancing my 3 teen girls and writing for this blog which I’m lucky enough to call a job. I found that waking up before my girls and writing in the evenings (sometimes very late evenings) is what is going to work for us this summer. It keeps my days free to enjoy the fleeting and precious moments with my girls.
My oldest is driving now and goes to work every week day, 3 days a week as life guard, 2 days a nanny. She is wonderfully responsible and I just beam with pride when she walks in and out of our front door. I’ve watch her drive off with tears in my eyes– when did she grow up into this beautiful young, hard-working woman who I rarely get to see anymore?! It is a great reminder to free up time in the middle of my day & focus in on being Mom to my other 2 who ARE around, and make the most of this time I have with them.
This free time really isn’t, as they fill every little bit with active social lives and summertime fun.
If it were not for healthy habits that I have established, I’d really be in trouble when it comes to healthy living, as I am quite close to trouble with all the fun places we like to go for lattes and ice cream!
{Habit: a settled or regular tendency or practice. Routine. Pattern.}
These habits keep me on track even during busy and tempting seasons of life.
Drink Up!
Fill a water bottle at the beginning of the day — add some lemon. I’ve been using one that is double wall insulated, which keeps ice from melting up to 24 hours! I will be listing it in a ‘what I buy & why’ post coming soon!
Listen Up
Does music soothe or energize you? Have it playing while you get ready in the morning or while you are cooking dinner. Do certain podcasts inspire you? Swap your music for those. Listen while you walk. Listen while you drive. Listen while you do housework. Listen to what brings you life.
Journal
Just write for 5 minutes as part of an early morning routine or 5 minutes at night before bed. This is a great time to brain dump–get things off your brain and onto paper. Increase the time in increments, go up to 10 minutes and shoot for 15.
Frozen Berries
During the summer there are beautiful berries available, but I always have frozen berries just in case we are out of fresh. I often will set a bowl of frozen berries out to thaw while making dinner, and eat it as “something sweet” after dinner. Anti-oxidants for dessert!
Stretch
Take just a minute to get up and move around if you are at a desk during the day. At the very least, use the chair you are sitting in to twist and stretch your back muscles, and while you are at it, stretch your neck & roll your shoulders. Good at multi-tasking? Stretch while watching television, while doing dishes, or while in the shower.
Greens Everyday
Buy large container of organic greens at the beginning of every week. There is so much good in dark leafy greens! Have a daily green smoothie or a salad for lunch or with dinner. Boom. Done.
Take a Daily Walk
20-30 minutes of daily walking has great health benefits. Just do it. In the sunshine? Even better. Put those ear buds in and listen to what gives you a pep in your step, or just listen to nature as you walk. Use your weekends for a longer workout.
A Multi-Vitamin Everyday
My favorite trusted go-to brand is New Chapter Vitamins. I take New Chapters Every Woman’s One Daily Multivitamin for many reasons, but I especially love that they do not need to be taken with food, so time of day is completely flexible. I take vitamins at the same time everyday and very rarely miss a day!
New Chapter ferments the individual vitamins and minerals with beneficial probiotics and whole foods . The results are whole-food, fermented supplements gentle enough to take anytime, even on an empty stomach. This is so convenient and I am passionate about probiotics so the fermented nutrients and blends of herbs in these vitamins make me happy!
Even though I eat a very nutritious diet, I always take a trusted multivitamin to address any nutritional deficiencies or imbalances. I love New Chapters Every Woman’s One Daily Multivitamin because it’s formulated with nutrients for energy support, & energy is always a good thing!* Bonus: it can easily be ordered on Amazon.
Sleep
Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time most days. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep. There are natural sleep aids to help if you have trouble falling asleep. Do what it takes to provide comfort for yourself as you fall asleep–my foam top mattress and pillow that has a layer cooling-gel are 2 items that I splurged on to help me sleep, because sleep is priceless!
Prayer
Would you like prayer to become a habit? Use your daily drive. Chose landmarks to prompt you to pray for certain people and situations. I was better at the landmark trick when I was driving my girls to school everyday. Now we are driving all over the city depending on the day, so my prayer time is in the morning before their sleepy heads wake up.
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What about you? Do you have established healthy habits?
Did you know all of the wonderful things New Chapter Vitamins have to offer?
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Every Woman’s One Daily Multivitamin — a few more reasons why they are my favorite:
~does not just address nutrient deficiencies, but supports overall health and certain systems of the body*
~Whole food fermented vitamin D3 supports bone health, while fermented zinc, vitamin C and A support immune function*
~includes targeted nutrients for stress, bone, immune and energy support*
~includes B vitamins for sustained energy and super-foods like Ginger, organic Turmeric and Chamomile*
~New Chapter products are responsible sourced, expertly formulated and meticulously manufactured. Certified organic and Non-GMO project Verified products are all sustainable source, from organic Turmeric in India to wild-caught Alaska Salmon
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, care, or prevent any disease.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
