Transitioning into a healthy lifestyle can seem overwhelming. For many, it feels like a world full of unfamiliar routines and unattainable habits.
To break down that barrier, here are seven simple steps you can take to make your own transition, starting today:
1) Start your day with a mug of warm lemon water.
This simple habit is one of the kindest routines you can implement for your liver and colon. The lemon water helps your body to gently detoxify at the start of each day by supporting your liver and relaxing your bowels to promote elimination. In addition, the 200+ enzymes in an organic lemon help to promote proper digestion and support the liver, while its concentration of vitamin C and potassium boosts immunity.
How to include this: First thing upon waking, fill your favorite mug with hot water and squeeze in the juice of ½ lemon. You don’t want boiling water, as this will negatively impact the lemon’s valuable enzymes and vitamins. Drink it as you are getting ready for the day, about 15-30 minutes before breakfast for maximum benefit.
2) Eat a balance of animal + plant foods.
While vegetables are also extremely nutrient dense and should never be omitted from the diet, the nutrients in plant foods are far less bioavailable then those found in animal foods due to things like lectins, oxalates, and other toxins meant to protect the plant from consumption. Additionally, many of the nutrients found in plants must be converted to a more usable form within the body. These conversions require many cofactors and a lot of energy, both of which many of our bodies are lacking. An example of this is Vitamin A, vital for many things including eye health, skin health, internal tissue health, immune system support, reproductive health, and healthy fetus formation in pregnancy. Beta carotene, found in orange foods like sweet potatoes and carrots is a form a Vitamin A. The body must convert beta carotene into its more usable form, Retinol, before it can be used. Many animal foods contain Retinol, such as high-quality dairy, beef liver and other organs, pastured eggs, pastured beef, fatty fish, and cod liver oil.
This is not to say that plant foods are not also important. They contain many incredibly important nutrients, and also add texture, color, and personality to every meal. They also contain important antioxidants and immune-boosting qualities. Eat a balance of both and forget the processed foods. This alone will go a long way in establishing a vibrant life.
3) Eat a balance of macronutrients at every meal + snack.
We’ve all tried the latest trendy, restrictive diet, touted as the holy grail of weight-loss and vitality. But how many times have you tried a diet like that and the results stuck around long term? Eating a balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates at every meal is truly the key to healthy living. Doing so creates both quick and sustained energy, a good variety of the nutrients the body needs to function, and helps to keep you off the blood sugar rollercoaster.
I find that most people are undereating protein…by a pretty big amount. Build your meals around a quality animal protein source, balance with quality fruits and vegetables, and many times the fat works itself out (animal proteins contain fat, and we also use fat in the cooking process). Consider adding healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, etc if you need a bit of a fat boost. You’ll find in doing so that you will want to binge on the cookies less and less.
4) Drink more water with added minerals.
It’s easy to forget the powerful effects water has on every system in your body. Proper hydration reduces inflammation, helps control weight, and boosts your mood and mental clarity. Even mild dehydration prevents your kidneys from effectively purifying the blood, leaving your body and skin with unwanted toxins. I suggest carrying a 1-liter reusable water bottle around with you throughout the day and refilling it at least twice. At your desk, keep it open and near to you as you work.
As equally important to the amount you drink, the quality and mineral content are also vital. Drink water using a quality filtration system, removing toxic elements such as heavy metals, fluoride and chlorine, and radioactive elements. And for the body to be able to fully take the water you are drinking into the cells for use, minerals must be present. Otherwise, you are likely just going to pee out much of what you are drinking. An easy way to do this is to add just a pinch of quality sea salt to every glass or bottle of water you drink.
5) Eat food, not products.
Focus on eating food that is, well, real. I doubt if our great-grandmothers would recognize half of what passes today for food. A good rule of thumb is to avoid eating things you see advertised on television. This will drastically reduce the amount of preservatives, artificial coloring, and additives you are consuming, none of which are doing your body any favors. Ever see a head of broccoli on a billboard? Another good tip is to shop the exterior walls of the grocery store. I always start in the produce section, then go through the meats, then cheeses. There are only a handful of products that I get in the center aisles (such as dried beans and rice).
A simple way to plan meals around whole foods is to choose your protein, then pair that with vegetable or two of your choice (sometimes I just roast a tray of a variety of root veggies!), then finish off with a small portion of some type of grain (if they agree with you) such as rice or quinoa. If you’re feeling fancy, make a sauce to drizzle over all!
6) Create a self-care menu.
What we eat and how much we exercise aren’t the only factors that influence our health. Allowing ourselves to do the things we love doing helps to manage stress and creates a positive impact on our emotional as well as physical well-being. Create a list of things you thoroughly enjoy – whether it’s going for a hike, reading a good book, having an Epsom salt bath, getting a pedicure, taking a dance class, writing poetry, anything. Be sure to include some play in this list! Play can be so important in healing, just to let loose and be like a kid again. Make your list as long as you would like and consider it your self-care menu, scheduling out time for this each week and making it just as much a priority as your nutrition and hydration.
7) Find what lights you up and go do it.
When we are living a life of authenticity, actively following our purposes and passions, we are nourished on level deeper than food can provide. This shows up in improved immunity, increased longevity, and an intangible radiance. So find what makes you glow and go do it!
Taking care of you can occasionally feel indulgent and egocentric. But truly, it is just the opposite. When you are the best possible iteration of yourself, you are able to more freely give of yourself to the world around you. Combine that with a workable approach to a healthy lifestyle, and you’ve created a foundation for your best life yet.
XO Allie
