Your body was not designed to become ill.
When we take care of our bodies, our bodies take care of us.
“Cold and Flu” is not a season.
High sugar intake is a season with buckets of Halloween candy, desserts on Thanksgiving, events surrounded by Christmas cookies, sweets at every holiday gathering, chocolates on Valentine’s Day & more desserts for Easter.
High stress is a season with family members who don’t get along, celebrations to coordinate among multiple households, perfect presents to find, money that shouldn’t be spent, food to prepare, shopping to do, places to be & schedules that are packed.
When we get busy, self care is the first thing to go. Morning lemon water, yoga stretches, regular sleep, nutritious breakfasts, veggies throughout the day, sufficient water intake.
70% of your immune system is in your gut. Nourishing your gut health is a top priority when it comes to maintaining a thriving immune system.
Probiotic before bed THEN 8oz lemon water right out of bed THEN protein for breakfast THEN morning coffee (organic, if you can). (This is my favorite probiotic and this is my favorite gut-loving coffee.)
Manage your stress with time carved out just for you. 10 minutes first thing in the morning before the day starts, 15 minutes before crawling into bed. However it works best in your schedule.
Quiet your mind. Read a chapter in a book for pleasure. Look up a video for some gentle yoga. Sit in stillness and pray or meditate. Go for a walk around the block. (This is my current favorite quick yoga video.)
Turn off your phone. Keep the screens off for a while. Don’t check your notifications first thing in the morning. Start your day slowly.
As tempting as it may be, limit sugary, processed foods as much as possible. These wreak havoc on your gut, which means they wreak havoc on your immune system.
Stay active during colder months. Make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Prioritize Vitamin D levels and water intake. (This is my favorite Vitamin D supplement and this is what I carry my water around in.)
And irony of ironies, worrying about getting sick makes you more susceptible to getting sick.
Do you drink enough water?
There are a lot of opinions around how much water a person should drink per day. Some say only drink when you’re thirsty. Some say drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Some say drink a gallon a day.
What my health coach told me, what I go by, what makes most sense to me & what I recommend to others is this: half your body weight in ounces of water daily. If you weight 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water daily. And of that, at least 8 ounces should be first thing in the morning.
This makes the most sense because this is the most bio-individual way to account for your water intake. It’s not just “men should drink this much; women should drink that much.” It’s taking into account your own personal body weight and therefore what your body needs to function optimally.
When you first wake up in the morning, your body is dehydrated – it needs water! (In fact, most people are dehydrated most of the time, period. And they don’t even know it.) The absolute BEST way to wake up your digestive system is with a squeeze of lemon in hot water.
If that sounds downright revolting to you, at least squeeze your lemon in room temperature water. If you can’t get yourself to do this either, and you just NEED to drink your water cold – it’s not the most optimal way to wake up your digestive system (you’ll actually give it a bit of a shock) but that’s better than not starting your day with any water! And yes, I said start your day with water, not coffee. That will come after, and you can actually read more on that on this blog post here.
And here’s the other thing: measure it out! Take out a pitcher and show yourself what half your body weight in ounces LOOKS like.
You might be thinking, “Mary, if I drink that much water, I’ll be running to the bathroom every 20 minutes.” Don’t worry! Yes, that might happen at first if your body isn’t used to it. But you’ll adjust and everything will be okay.
My top tip for making sure you’re getting enough water in is this: Bring a reusable bottle with you EVERYWHERE. Not only will that encourage you to drink more water, but you’ll also be saving the planet.
Stay away from plastic when you can – not only for environmental reasons, but also because it’s filled with chemicals that get into the water. Stainless steel and glass bottles are the way to go! Treat yourself and get a cute, insulated one for yourself!
Let me know how you feel once you start drinking half your body weight in ounces daily! I’m sure it will give you a kick of energy and have you feeling great. I’d love to hear about the differences you find. Leave a comment below to let me know how it goes!
Give it a try and let me know what you thought in the comments below! You can also join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
You can also grab my free guide on 3 Easy Steps to Lose Weight and Feel Amazing here.
We live in a culture where it’s a badge of honor to run on little sleep and much caffeine. The reality is this is not a sustainable way of living, and one way or another, your body will cry out for help.
I used to looooooove coffee. In college I would get a triple espresso to keep my engine running. Nowadays I hardly ever have coffee. I still love the smell! And I still think it tastes great! But my body has become so accustomed to little to no caffeine that even a cup of coffee can be too much for my body to handle.
I’m not saying you need to give up your coffee. Not at all. I’m saying you don’t have to be so dependent on it. You can have your coffee just because it tastes good. Not because you won’t be able to function throughout your day or complete sentences otherwise.
Every body is different. In the health coaching world, we call this bioindividuality. What works for one person may not work for the next. This is a huge reason why I don’t believe one particular diet is the answer to a healthy population. But that’s another story for another day. :) That in mind, I do believe the general steps below will work for most, if not all, people to achieve a more energized life without depending on caffeine:
1. Sleep
First of all, we need to stop wearing our lack of sleep as a badge of honor. Your body needs sleep. Accept this, adjust & watch your life change. Sleep changes EVERYTHING. Shoot for 7-9 hours every night. And if you can, be in bed before 10. It makes a difference.
2. Hydrate
First thing in the morning, drink at least 8 oz of WATER. Hot coffee should not be the first thing your body receives each day. Room temperature to hot water with lemon in it is your ideal out-of-bed drink. Cold water can be a shock to your system, but if that’s what will get you to drink water, do it. Hot water with lemon is especially detoxifying to your system, can help break up phlegm & makes for a happy liver.
3. Breakfast
Ideally, 30 grams of protein to start your day. The easiest way to get this in is with a protein shake. If this terminology rubs you the wrong way, just call it a smoothie. Nature’s Sunshine and Truvani are a couple of my favorite brands – some other ones can be junk. Throw plenty of organic greens in there and not too much fruit. Maybe 1/3 cup or so. Hemp seeds are also a great additional source of protein to throw in there.
4. Your morning beverage of choice
By the time you’ve finished your water and smoothie, you’ll eventually get to the point where that’s enough and you don’t need your coffee anymore. Or maybe you’ll switch to tea. But this is the point where you’ll have your coffee if it’s still calling your name.
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – 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
