Healthy Habits

• Sleep

The body can only repair while in parasympathetic nervous system dominance.
Also the BEST way to reduce inflammation without spending a dime!
There is nothing better or a way to replace sleep. YOU NEED SLEEP!
Minimum 8 hours for most folks, some need more.
Children need EVEN MORE SLEEP!
Have the same bedtime and wake time daily to help get your body in a rhythm that works for you.
Have a bedtime routine. One hour before bed brew herbal tea and turn off the electronics.
No electronics in the bedroom
- if you need an alarm like your phone put in the room next to your bedroom. That way you ACTUALLY get up on time and you’re not being affected by the EMFs
Dark curtains or eye cover, no lights ideally
Cool room is best for sleeping

• Breath

Notice how you are breathing without trying to change it
- Where are you breathing? The chest, the belly, maybe the breath is held?
- Exhale shorter than inhale, the same or vis versa?
Breathe from your nose, not the mouth to help filter and moisten the air as it goes into your lungs.
When feeling stressed or needing a break:
- Breathe in for a count of 6
- Breathe out for a count of 6
- Through the nose
- No holding at the top
- At least 3 breath cycles

• Water

Filtered water is best—1/3 to ½ your body weight in fluid ounces—daily.
Green/herbal teas and coconut and cactus waters count!
Begin the day with 2 cups of water with added electrolytes (I like Sole Water) BEFORE YOU CONSUME anything else in the morning.
- This helps to alleviate the dehydration from sleeping

• Exercise/movement

Move your body every day, rain or shine, inside or outside.
“Start low, go slow.” Even if you USED to be active but haven’t been recently. This helps to prevent injuries.
Ideally minimum is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Usually broken down into 5 30 minutes sessions.
The data that I have seen shows that the more you incorporate functional movement into your daily tasks, the better the health outcomes.
YouTube is FULL of free videos to teach you a new type of movement, dance, Pilates, running even if that’s your new thing.
Do not be discouraged by the gym or looking a certain way. You do you!
It is all about feeling good (on the inside radiates to the outside), enjoying moving your, body your way.

• Read labels

Avoid hydrogenated oils, trans fats, chemical sugar substitutes (Splenda, Nutrasweet, Equal), nitrites/nitrates, artificial ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate and anything you cannot pronounce.
Topically avoid sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, parabens, petrolatum, mineral oil and aluminum.
Notice: food-like-food and products are CONSTANTLY changing their ingredients. We saw a lot of this as the pandemic hit and ingredients were unable to be sourced. Continue to check the labels even on trusted products.

• Food

Adopt a whole foods, organic when possible, locally grown, in-season diet.
- BUT do not get overly concerned if you can’t.
- I like the 80/20 rule – aim to eat the way that makes your body feel good and don’t worry about the rest. You aren’t “cheating” you are living your life to the fullest. ENJOY IT! YOU ARE WORTH IT!
  - Also note: cheat days are inherently a form of self-hate. Do not hate yourself. Enjoy what you consume and how you consume it.
Aim for 5 different vegetables and 2 fruits daily, mixed colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black (olives, berries, currants, grapes).
- This is TOP SHELF RECOMMENDATION.
- If you only do one thing this should be it!
Consume grass-pastured beef only, if you eat beef.
Easier places to shop: local health food stores, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s; Farmers’ Markets, community supported agriculture groups (CSAs); “natural foods” sections in Kroger, Safeway, WalMart, Costco, etc.
Recognize the potential for food allergies/intolerances.
- Just because you have eaten a food YOUR WHOLE LIFE does not mean it has NEVER been an issue.
If you eat locally and in season you naturally rotate what foods you are eating. Tomatoes, salad and zucchini in the summer, winter squash and root veggies in the winter.
Avoid microwave use when possible. This nukes the food from the inside out changing the structure of the chemical compounds and nutrients if your high-quality food.

• Community

Humans are innately social creatures, we NEED social interactions to survive
What is community?
- This includes the people you live with
- The people you spend time with (social media, real-life and work)
- What you watch, read, listen to and learn about
You are only as healthy as your community/environment
If you have toxic relationships with family members, no or partial contact is okay!
You can’t choose who your family is, but you can choose who your family is:
- Consider the chosen family concept

• Everything is connected to everything else

- what impacts one area of your life will impact other parts of your life.

Ex. Feeling stressed by the news, choosing to not move your body then leads to disturbed sleep and the cycle repeats worsening each day. You get the picture.

• List top 3 priorities in life.

WEST ELKS WELLNESS