Recently, I read an article about wellness and how most of us know what we’re supposed to do to be healthier. We know we should eat less junk food, cook more of our own food, exercise daily, and not smoke. And  while most of us ‘dabble’ with good healthy lifestyle habits, we don’t commit to them fully.

Why is that?

Part of the reason may be that it’s hard. Yep, I said it. It’s hard to commit to healthy habits. It takes effort and conscious choices to live healthier lives. You have to choose to not drink that 5th cup of coffee, or eat 3 donuts at work when they’re brought in for a meeting. And you have to choose to get up a bit earlier in the morning to have a regular meditation practice. There’s a bit of sacrifice to be made to get 30-60 minutes of exercise 4-5 times a week. See? Hard.

The alternative is harder though. Your body begins to fail you or you get sick.

From experience I’ve seen this. My mom was a smoker for nearly her entire life. She started at age 16 when she started dating my dad who was a smoker at the time. He quit not long after they got married, but she was hooked. She’d been a dancer and as stunning as a movie star. By the time she was my age, it got harder and harder for her to be physically active and she had lots of health issues as a result of smoking, eating a typical diet of processed foods with hardly any fresh veggies, and living a sedentary life. Her lung capacity was minimal and she suffered COPD and emphysema later in her life. It’s likely these two factors that took her from us at age 79.

I’m not saying that she lived a completely unhealthy life – but I’m saying that we can all make better choices and not take what seems like the easy way out.

What are you doing now that you know you could change – today?

Could you get up 10 minutes earlier and jump on a mini trampoline? Or do a regular yoga practice in the morning before everyone else gets up? Maybe it’s something easier – adding in some more vegetables to crowd out the processed foods? Pick something. If you need ideas let me know, we can look at what you’re hoping for and what to try first to get you on the right path.

The challenge is figuring out what your hope is for better health and for taking better care of you – your mind, body, and spirit. Everyone is different and our vision of our best self is different. For some it’s about an ideal weight, for others, it’s living more mindful and finding a way to live and love fully.

For me, it took having too many health issues and being in pain to commit. There came a time when I could hardly walk up and down the stairs. I knew I had to do something different. I had been eating pretty healthy and had a regular workout routine!

But there were still so many things that I could shift. One of those was sitting for too long and eating some things that I knew could be troublesome. And drinking wine. And eating sweets. Too many things!

Now, I’ve also changed my way of eating to follow an Autoimmune protocol. When I read Dr. Amy Myers book “The Autoimmune Solution” I was reading it mainly to learn more about autoimmune disorders to offer my sister some info and ideas. I also had clients who suffered from a variety of autoimmune disorders and were frustrated with being sent to a variety of different specialists and prescribed a plethora of different drugs. More on this in a future post. As I read the book, I realized that many of the issues I had were also autoimmune-related or the result of an unhealthy or leaky gut.

For 30 days I followed the AIP initiation phase and within 2 weeks felt so much better. I could walk up and down the stairs and raise my knees up to my chest! Doesn’t sound like much, but when you begin to move again, it is a huge win.

We all have to celebrate the wins – big and little.

Back to the beginning, I know what I’m supposed to do to be closer to pain-free, sleep better, be more mindful. Just like everyone else, I don’t always do them. Things I work with my clients on all the time! However, there’s awareness and a better plan to keep me on track and committed. And I stick to it most of the time because I know how I feel when I don’t.

What can you do to commit to healthier lifestyle? What are the things you know you could be doing to feel better and stay as healthy as possible?

Here are a few ideas – tell me which one you’re going to commit to for the next 30 days. Or come up with one on your own. Only one for now. Comment to let me know what you’re going to do – I’d love to cheer you on!

  • Add 2 cups of leafy greens to your diet per day – in a smoothie, or a salad, or a wrap
  • Get up 15 minutes earlier and meditate (just sit quietly with your eyes closed focusing on breathing – or use a meditation app)
  • Get 30 minutes of exercise 3 times per week (if you aren’t doing anything, start with walking or bodyweight training – let me know if you need some ideas!)
  • Make time each week to do something for yourself you enjoy – reading, sewing, visiting a friend, go for a walk in a park, or volunteer at an animal shelter or NICU to hold the preemies!

Be aware of your own part in your health. Be committed to taking control of your health. Be your own best caretaker. I’m here cheering you on!

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