Happy fourth week of National Nutrition Month®. This week we want to talk about feeling good by implementing healthy habits. Do you ever stop and ponder just how beautiful it is to have a body to care for? Regardless of what stage you are in life or what you may be going through, you can decide how to treat yourself and your body to the best of your ability. Deciding to shower, brush your teeth, and hydrate throughout the day may seem like insignificant tasks but it’s self-love and self-care. We take time to get ready in the morning to get ready for our day. Our days become weeks and months and ultimately a life we create by the simple actions we decide on daily. Habits are formed by doing the same actions on a consistent basis until they become ingrained in us. Some habits are good for us and others not so much. The wonderful part of being a human is that we can decide to change. You can adopt helpful habits and eliminate poor ones. It doesn’t happen overnight, but change is possible and healthy habits will soon become the norm if you try and keep trying.
What healthy habits can you implement today that your future self will thank you for?
Reducing stress is a great starting point. Did you know that most people would say that coming up with ideas for what to cook for dinner is one of their major stressors? Having to come up with ideas for what to cook for dinner can be stressful when you may be juggling so many other things in life. Planning meals ahead and having a menu for the week can help reduce stress. You may not end up sticking to the menu completely but having a blueprint of where to begin and recipes that you trust and are comfortable with can make your time in the kitchen smoother. Here’s an example menu blueprint:
- Monday: Meatless Monday
- Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
- Wednesday: Slow Cooker Day
- Thursday: Rice or Noodle-Based Dinner
- Friday: Pizza (on flatbread or bagels, not take-out)
- Saturday: Leftovers
- Sunday: New Recipe
Another major stressor for most people is money. Money goes so quickly these days. It is so important to make your dollar stretch which is why making sure that you are purchasing with a shopping list, storing your food safely and using your food in a variety of ways will help reduce wasted money and wasted food. Saving money and eating delicious foods is a sure way to feel good. By keeping an organized pantry and storing food safely in the refrigerator you can help reduce the time spent in the kitchen finding ingredients and preparing meals.
Implementing fun physical movement is also a great habit that will boost your mood. If the word “exercise” and “workout” trigger you or make you feel burdened, then replace those words with “movement”. Movement doesn’t have to be rigid. You can skip around your house with your kids, go for a walk before sunset, dance in the kitchen while baking. Make it fun and do it often. You can come up with simple ways to implement more movement that can have the entire family moving and motivated.
Building healthy habits takes time. Shopping with a list will reduce stress. Saving money at the store and having your food last longer will also reduce stress. Dancing, walking and moving your body will not only reduce stress with also boost your mood. By staying consistent and repeating the process over time you will ingrain these habits to become second-nature. It will become just as automatic as brushing your teeth in the morning. Over time that reduced stress will keep your mind and body functioning at a healthier pace and have your spirits lifted and feeling good.
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