As the winter and the holiday season is quickly approaching, I wanted to share with you all some of my simple favorite "healthy hacks" that I do every day to stay on the healthy side of things.
Digestive breaks
A digestive break can look different to everyone, and the idea is similar to fasting, but it's less restrictive. The idea behind this is to give your body a little bit of a break before you start eating for the day. Digestive breaks allow your body to fully break down what you ate the previous day before you wake up and eat.
If you're used to eating first thing in the morning, you can gradually push out eating by 15-minute increments each day. Waiting until 9:30 or 10 am could be an ideal time for your first meal. You can have coffee or tea, but it's best to try and drink it black if you can.
Digestive breaks are also beneficial if you're having stomach issues, which is very helpful during the holidays since we tend to overindulge. If you're feeling full, puffy, bloated, or gassy taking a digestive break allows your body to flush out whatever it is that's bothering you. It's important to drink a lot of water during this, which brings me to my next point.
Water with lemon first thing in the morning
Water in the morning also goes along with digestive breaks, but starting your day with a big glass of lemon water is one of the easiest and healthiest things you can do for your body!
In the morning, your body is still detoxing from the day before. That's why breakfast is called "break-fast," so before you indulge in your morning coffee or tea, reach for a big glass of water. If you're not into lemon water, you can still reap the benefits without the lemon.
Bone broth in the afternoon
When that 3 pm crash starts to happen, instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, make a mug filled with bone broth. It is nourishing, delicious, and warm. You don't have to make it on your own my favorite pre-made broth to use is the OM mushroom bone broth. You boil some water and add the packet and enjoy. This particular broth contains so many different mushrooms which support brain health.
Always add a little green
Whenever I'm making something for myself, I try to find a way to incorporate a little green into the meal. It's so easy to throw a handful of spinach into a smoothie - and I promise you can't even taste it!
During the winter months, the easiest way to do this is by growing microgreens on your windowsill. Microgreens are so good for you! It depends on which ones you grow but, they are packed with potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and, copper. They also provide antioxidants which are great to load up on during the winter months. It's also nice to see something fresh growing during the winter. I top all my food with them! Eggs, salad, veggies, sandwiches, tacos, pizza, and soups.
These are all simple and realistic things that you can do to improve your overall health. Perhaps you already have some things rituals you do to stay on the healthy side of things. What are they?