Do you ever skip breakfast? End up having lunch at 2? Eat your dinner just an hour or two before you go to bed?
I’ve definitely been guilty of this, and it does not make for a happy digestive system!
When I don’t stick to routine mealtimes, it completely throws everything off. I end up having a late dinner, and when this happens, I’m usually going to bed full.
At least for me, this makes for a night of less-than-ideal sleep, not to mention it’s not a healthy habit for keeping a healthy weight.
We all get busy. Life happens. Work gets overwhelming. You name it.
But know this: our bodies thrive on routine.
Don’t skip breakfast
Having a healthy breakfast in the morning will help curb cravings throughout the day. Have your breakfast at approximately the same time every morning to start your day off on the right foot. Plus, having your breakfast too late may cause you to have a late lunch, which pokes holes in the rest of your daily routine.
Eat lunch at the same time
Skip the snacking and go straight to lunch. Not only is this a great way to maintain a healthy weight (or lose weight if you’re a big snacker), but this will help keep your body in its routine and give you time to get hungry for dinner. Of course, if you really do get hungry between breakfast and lunch, don’t deprive yourself of food. The idea here is you’re not filling yourself up on snacking between breakfast and lunch that you don’t end up eating lunch until 2pm.
Have a set “dinnertime”
If you’ve followed the steps for breakfast and lunch, you’ll be hungry for dinner! The same idea goes here with snacking. Don’t overdo it to the point where you’re not hungry for dinner until 8pm. Having a stable eating schedule gives your body the routine it craves.
Don’t let busyness get in the way - and turn screens off
Make mealtimes a priority and set time aside to nourish your body. This is self-care! And if you can, turn the screens off while you’re eating. Most of us already have too much screen time in the first place, but the screens are also a distraction. While you’re eating, focus on eating. This will help keep you from overeating, and will help get some family bonding time in – or just some me-time.
If this was helpful for you, 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.
So, we know skin health and gut health are closely related. Can we then make the connection that what we eat and the supplements we take can impact our skin health? Yes, absolutely!
Probiotics are huge. They’re not for everyone, especially those that are immunocompromised, like those with cancer. Anyone with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is better off without a probiotic as well. Other than that, being on a probiotic is a good idea for most people.
Why is that? Because probiotics feed the good bacteria in your gut. You have good bacteria and bad bacteria in your gut. This is normal, and it’s true for everyone.
The issue that comes in is when the bad outweighs the good. The Standard American Diet (yes, that’s a thing, and it’s ironic that it spells out the word ‘sad’) is notorious for feeding the bad bacteria. It’s filled with highly processed foods, large amounts of refined sugar & way too much salt.
This is why probiotics (and prebiotics – what the probiotics feed on) are so important. This is what nourishes your gut health, which we know impacts your skin health.
So, the next question might be where can you find a probiotic, or which one you should buy? This varies for everyone. Generally speaking, high quality probiotics usually require refrigeration. And some probiotics even contain prebiotics as well! (Remember? The stuff that feeds the probiotic.)
As far as where to purchase - you can find them online or at your local health food store. I usually don't advise getting supplements from Amazon or any "major" grocery store. My favorite brands are Young Living and Nature's Sunshine.
*Update: I started taking Seed in June 2023, and I love it. Probiotics, prebiotics, and it actually doesn't need refrigeration!*
You’ll know if a probiotic is working for you because usually, if you’re paying attention to your body and you have an idea of what ‘wellness’ feels like for you, you will be able to feel a difference. You may also see a difference in your skin.
Being on a probiotic also helps with regular bowel movements, so that’s also a sign it’s working.
If for some reason the particular probiotic you have chosen upsets your stomach, I’d stop taking it and try a different one.
Keep in mind when trying a new supplement (not just a probiotic), a good rule of thumb is to give it 3 months until you decide it’s “not doing anything.” It can take a bit for your body to catch up, and it takes 3 months for a cell to change.
Like any supplement, it’s important to be consistent. I take my probiotic at night, but if you remember better in the morning, that’s fine too. Find what works with you and stick with that!
If this was helpful for you, join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
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.
My number one weight loss tip & what I have noticed made (and continues to make) a huge difference in how I look and feel is so easy you might not believe it.
Eating. More. Vegetables. In the Health Coaching world we call this “crowding out” because it’s not about what you’re not eating or what you’re avoiding – it’s about what you’re filling yourself up with. What you’re eating first. What you’re eating most of. What you’re snacking on.
When possible, organic, local produce is the absolute best. I LOVE to shop at the farmers market for my vegetables. Not only do you get to see exactly who is growing your food, but you get to support local businesses and get a high quality product! You can also be sure the produce you’re buying is in season when you’re at the farmers market.
Out of season, conventional (non-organic) & far-traveled fruits & veggies do not have the nutrients that in-season, organic & local fruits & veggies have. I never went to the farmers market before I became a Health Coach. I highly recommend it!
Nutrition and your overall health is much more than what’s on your plate.
When you go to the farmers market, it’s a social event & it’s good for your soul. You can grab a coffee from a local business’s tent & then go for a smoothie! You hear live music, see people from around town & socialize! It’s also a REALLY good reason to get you out of bed in the morning on the weekends.
Something else to look into would be local farmstands! They may not show up at the farmers market, but they still have locally grown produce for sale! And their hours are usually better than the 4 hours one day a week the farmers market holds. :)
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.
Spoiler Alert: You don’t need to count your calories to lose weight.
As a Health Coach, I do not agree with the rule of “burn more calories than you consume.” I’ve never been a calorie counter, and you don’t have to be either.
Do you think 100 calories of soda and 100 calories of broccoli are processed the same by your body? Not at all! It’s time we think less about calorie intake and more about the quality of food that goes into our bodies.
I actually don’t look at the calorie count on ANYTHING I buy. I simply don’t care.
I DO look at the ingredient list.
How long is the list? Does it contain dyes? Are there really long words I don’t know how to pronounce?
Good rule of thumb: The less ingredients the better. This applies to literally everything.
You want your food to come FROM a plant, not be produced IN a plant.
Eating as close to the source as possible is ideal. More whole foods, less processed foods.
Make half your plate vegetables at lunch and dinner! Snack on carrots or apple slices and peanut butter instead of potato chips.
Counting calories puts emphasis on the wrong thing. It can also lead to obsessive behaviors and eating disorders. That’s not our end goal! And it’s not sustainable. Do you really want to be counting calories in and calories out for the rest of your life? Of course not!
All you need to do is eat more foods with less ingredients. Eat REAL food. Not the fat-free, sugar-free junk you see on store shelves. On that note, I only buy whole milk for my family because the reduced-fat versions are filled with chemicals (the fat has to be replaced with something!).
Same with sugar-free items. The sugar is replaced with chemicals. If you think soda is poison, diet soda is even worse.
Don’t think about it too hard. Look at the ingredient list and see if you recognize the ingredients. If you can pronounce them. Extra bonus points if there’s no ingredient list at all!
Stop counting your calories & start enjoying your life. Just eat real food.
