This is your reminder to take care of yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. We can be so quick to take care of others, sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves.
I’ve seen this a lot in my life.
My dogs eat better than I do. I make sure my husband has lunches prepped for the week. I make sure my stepdaughter is getting enough sleep and eating enough vegetables. She doesn’t get dessert before dinner. Not because I’m mean – because I care. Because I know better.
Why shouldn’t I be treating myself with the same love and care? The answer? I SHOULD.
In order to care best for those around you, you need to make sure you’re caring for yourSELF. Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is nothing to feel guilty about. Self-care is a necessity. No one has the capacity to care for you the way you know to care for yourself.
Here are 25 examples of acts of Self-Care to get your wheels turning on what this may look like for you:
1. Make your bed in the morning
2. Make sure you have healthy, nourishing food in the house
3. Do yoga
4. Exercise
5. Go to bed early
6. Wake up early
7. Sleep in
8. Take a nap
9. Diffuse essential oils
10. Meditate
11. Meal prep
12. Wash your hair
13. Spend time in your hobby
14. Watch a Romantic Comedy
15. Have a Harry Potter marathon
16. Go out on a date with a loved one
17. Clean your house
18. De-clutter your space
19. Redecorate
20. Get your hair done
21. Get your eyebrows threaded
22. Buy the more expensive, chemical free, plant based soap
23. Say no
24. Say yes
25. Snuggle
The list goes on and on and it’s completely individualized to one’s taste. What you do to take care of yourself is up to you. You know you best, after all. This week I challenge you to make yourself a priority EVERY DAY. Then notice how you feel and report back to me. <3
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also request to join my new Facebook group for more tips to come – free of charge. <3
We don’t always feel like cooking, but the truth is - as far as your health goes – you’re better off cooking your own food instead of getting takeout or going to a restaurant. Even if you’re going to make burgers and fries at home, it’s going to be healthier than going to a burger joint. Here are 3 reasons why:
1. You’re making it with the best ingredient – Vitamin L (Love). I truly believe one’s heart and soul goes into what they cook. There’s a reason Grandma’s banana bread, Nona’s pasta sauce & Mom’s tuna salad are the best! Restaurant kitchens are filled with hustle and bustle and likely high stress. This translates to the food.
2. When you make the food at home, YOU control what goes in. How much salt, how much sugar, the quantity of ingredients, the quality of ingredients. Organic versus conventional. Things like that. This makes a HUGE impact on your health. While you’re at it, cook twice as much as you need and put half aside for another day! Make it easy on yourself – cook once, eat twice!! You’ll be so glad it’s there on the days you don’t have time for or just don’t feel like cooking.
3. You’ll save money and calories by making your meal at home! $3.50 for a glass of milk? You can get a half gallon of organic whole milk for that much. (Which by the way – keep in mind if you’re buying anything but whole milk – there’s probably extra junk in there. The fat has to be replaced with SOMETHING, and it’s usually chemicals.) If you’re a soda-while-I’m-out kind of person, it’s likely you’ll be drinking more soda at the restaurant than you would if you were home. Bless that waitress’ soul but a third refill of a 20 oz soda is probably not the best idea.
With all this in mind – there’s always an exception to the rule. This doesn’t mean you can never go out to eat. Social life is important, family time is important & sometimes you just don’t want to have to clean up after dinner. Your mental health is important too, it’s just all about balance! Think of it like the 90/10 (or 80/20) rule. 90% (or 80%) of the time, cook at home. 10% (or 20%) of the time, treat yourself and go out to eat!
In the end if you’re someone that eats restaurant food 5 days a week, narrowing it down to 3 days a week is progress! Remember health is a journey and it’s about PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just do your best. One healthy choice typically leads to another. <3
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also request to join my new Facebook group for more tips to come – free of charge. <3
Your body is talking to you all the time. Listen to it.
My body has told me for years, “No, Mary, we don’t like gluten.” “No, Mary, dairy isn’t good.” And I resisted so much!! I’ve now been gluten free for about 15 years and I don’t plan on going back. I have experimented with re-introducing dairy into my diet, and almost every time, my body is like, “No, stop!”
Symptoms are your body’s way of communicating with you. It’s dangerous to shut down this method of communication because your body needs to be able to send you important messages! Health is a journey. And while I’m much farther along than I was 10 years ago (or heck! 3 years ago!) I still have recurring symptoms that I’m trying to figure out. And the truth is, I can’t do it on my own.
Skin issues are what brought me to the concept of gut health. Gut health is related to much more than just the skin – it’s related to hormones, anxiety levels, mood and more – but symptoms showing on my skin came out to tell me something is wrong on the inside. And I’m no doctor, but I truly believe MOST symptoms/issues appearing on the skin are caused by some kind of internal storm – likely in the gut.
I’ve gone to a Naturopathic doctor several times in my life to “re-calibrate” and see what’s going on in my body. I’ve found they’re like translators! It’s so interesting all the insightful information they can uncover with unconventional testing using things like electromagnetism, your muscles & your nervous system! You can even see if your local health food store offers any sort of testing. Mine offers an Asyra test - and I'm going Saturday!
The results from these tests can be overwhelming – because you usually get news you don’t want (like your favorite go-to snack is causing problems in your body). But here’s the thing: this is what you’re looking for! This is what you need to be in tune with your body and move forward living your BEST life, in alignment with your body’s needs!
My best advice is NOT to try implementing multiple new foods and lifestyle practices all at once. Once you know what you’re working with, you can start by slowly implementing SUSTAINABLE changes in your life.
LISTEN to your body and HONOR what it’s telling you. Don’t fight it and don’t just treat the symptom. Just find another way. And that’s what us Health Coaches are here for!!
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also request to join my new Facebook group for more tips to come – free of charge. <3
Did you know your “day” starts the night before? It’s true. If you don’t go to bed early enough (or you don’t sleep well), you’re going to wake up groggy, probably run late & worst case scenario your whole day falls behind. I cannot stand the stress of rushing around – especially first thing in the morning! – so here are some tips to make sure you set yourself up for the BEST day!
1. Choose your clothes the night before
Some of us are still working from home and we don’t technically need to get dressed in the morning (Go Team PJ’s!) so if that’s you, just skip on over to #2 BUT if you are someone that needs to be up, dressed & out the door – laying your clothes out the night before isn’t just for kids!
It seems simple, but not having to rush around looking for a matching sock or the “right” sweater can save you some serious stress in the morning – and I truly believe your morning sets the tone for your whole day!
2. Turn your screens off
If possible, stop looking at screens AT LEAST an hour before going to bed. If this is impossible, use a blue light blocker (I actually have a setting on my iPhone and laptop for the screen to go into “night mode” at a certain time). The blue light makes your brain think it’s still daytime, so it still wants to be “up and at ‘em.” If you’re one who is used to the TV on while you sleep, try music instead.
3. Have a nice, warm cup of herbal tea
This tells your body it’s time to relax. And it’s a nice way to avoid unnecessary snacking at night!! If I’m snacking right before bed, I KNOW I’m not sleeping well that night.
4. Take a soothing bath or shower
I am Team Nighttime Showers. Not only does this save you time in the morning (or maybe it gets you 20 more minutes of sleep), but you’ll probably sleep better being nice and clean. Plus the warmth and steam of the shower (or bath water) helps your muscles relax.
BONUS: take your experience to spa-level by throwing an essential oil shower steamer on the floor or toss a cup or two of unscented Epsom salt in your bath water and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil!
5. Diffuse a relaxing essential oil
My favorite is Lavender! I also love Stress Away & Eucalyptus. Essential oils work with your body on a cellular level and can be a truly powerful part of your Wind Down Routine. When I smell Lavender, my body knows it’s time to relax.
6. Read for 30 minutes (at least)
I sleep SO much better when I have read before going to sleep. It puts my mind at ease and is such a relaxing thing to do moments before I close my eyes.
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also request to join my new Facebook group for more tips to come – free of charge. <3
I’ve been seeing a lot of people lately ask about how to support their bodies naturally through constipation. If this is you, or someone you love, keep reading!
Someone is considered constipated if they have a bowel movement fewer than 3 times a week.
Some of the first things I’d recommend to someone trying to work through this are:
1. Consider going on a probiotic and/or taking digestive enzymes.
You can ask your doctor about probiotics to see if they're right for you (probiotics are not for everyone) – BUT generally speaking they can be a helpful supplement in supporting gut health. Digestive enzymes help your body break down your food and absorb nutrients. To this day, I keep digestive enzymes in my house (and my purse!) and I take my probiotic every night!
2. Drink more water.
You might be thinking “I drink plenty of water,” but how much is “plenty”? Really you should be drinking HALF your body weight in OUNCES daily. (So, if you weigh 200 pounds, your goal should be to drink 100 oz of water every day.) Water makes up 75% of healthy stool! It’s an important part of getting things moving in the digestive system.
3. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables & whole grains.
Refined, processed foods & white flour are not your friends here. Fruits, vegetables & whole grains provide your body with high quality dietary fiber, but they also support healthy digestive function in general. Dried plums are a secret weapon in our house, but everyone is different, so pay attention to the foods that are not serving you in this aspect. High fiber diets don't work for everyone, but getting high quality nutrients is always important. NingXia Red is a yummy whole food wolfberry puree that is jam-packed with antioxidants and is extremely supportive to gut health.
4. Try yoga!
Slowing your body down (and relieving stress!) can help get things moving, but there are also some yoga poses in particular that stimulate your digestive system and get things moving. The breathing exercises incorporated in yoga practice are also very calming to your body systems.
5. Exercise.
You don’t need to go join a CrossFit gym, but going for a 30 minute walk on a daily basis (or at least every other day!) can really make a difference. Experiment with different methods of movement and stick with what works for you. Creating a sustainable routine is key for long term success.
6. Incorporate essential oils.
Essential oils like ginger, peppermint, cardamom, anise, fennel & tarragon are extremely supportive to healthy digestive function. I only recommend Young Living oils because I know they’re safe and unadulterated. Some of our favorite essential oils to use for digestive support are blends called KidScents Tummygize (which also comes in a convenient roller bottle) and Digize. Essential oils can be applied directly to the abdomen. If needed, you can dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil like jojoba oil, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.
In more severe cases, you may need to reach out to a doctor for further support, but I encourage you to try holistic approaches before turning to laxatives or medication as this can make your problem worse.
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also request to join my new Facebook group for more tips to come – free of charge. <3
