Happy November & Happy Holidays my dear friends.
No matter where you are in the world, some kind of Holiday season is upon us! Here in the US, Halloween just ended and Thanksgiving is upon us. Being American, I'm like most people here... a mixed breed of immigrants past. But part of my heritage is British and Native American so I always look at Thanksgiving in a special way. The joining of two of my heritages. A time where I look around with gratitude for my health, a supportive community, the things that bring me joy and peace, and how I always have plentiful options of healthy food surrounding me. So many people, unfortunately, do not have those same luxuries and it's heartbreaking. To address the first one, health... I ask you now...What does health mean to you? Does it mean: Being skinny? Not having a diagnosable disease? Being unmedicated? Surviving through life? Or does it mean: Truly living with vitality? Peace in your mind and body? Thriving in life? Last year I was reminded of how short life is. The older I get, the more the years just seem to pass by that much quicker. I often look back during these times and ponder at the quality of my life instead of the quantity. It doesn't matter to me how many years I have lived at this point, what matters is how I lived them. Did I truly live? Did I live with passion? Did I live a life that is fulfilling for me? If I answer no to those, I ask myself "Well, why not?" Those answers used to be: I was too busy, I was too tired, the opportunities didn't come, etc etc etc. But I have come to realize that my life is my choice. Every choice I make all day, every day shapes my now and my future. Though we can't always control the things that seem to happen TO us, we can change the way we REACT to them. We can begin to change the dialogue in our minds. Instead of saying "Why did this happen TO me?" why don't you ask "Why did this happen FOR me? What am I to learn during this time to grow and make me a better person?" When we take control of our lives, it is truly empowering. And that includes our health. Making the decision that your quality of life is so important. Making the decision that your body is your vessel for truly experiencing life and all that it has to offer. Making the decision that nobody is worth disrupting your emotional balance because you are not responsible for how others "feel and react". Making the decision to change your mindset around chronically stressing 24/7. It's easier said than done, right?! Trust me, I know! It took me YEARS of small steps to go from the sick victimized person I used to be to someone who thrives and truly enjoys life! And that's the key... small steps. This is the time of year when most of us fall into bad habits.
Eating foods that don't serve us or even harm us
Toxifying our bodies and demanding our bodies just deal with it
Stressing over family responsibilities, workloads and job demands, etc
Stressing over the beginning of shopping, Holiday to-do's, etc
Relenting on priorities for exercise because now you are too busy
The social pressure of generations and social norms of poor quality foods eaten in abundance
It's no wonder they have always called this time of the year, "flu season". Our body's immune systems are weakened by toxins, poor dietary choices, and stress. Your body is just doing exactly what it was made to do. Brilliant body! Our bodies are so intelligent! They are a highly complex group of organisms that function exactly how they are communicated to function.
We are not designed to be Stressed, Toxic, Inflamed, Infected, Malnourished, and Unrested and yet still easily Thrive, Grow, Reproduce, be Thin, feel Well, Eat Anything we want, enjoy perfect BMs, and have Great Sex! This combination would just Not be Natural.
So, looking at your own health dynamics and your own lifestyle choices, what do you feel like you may need to change to thrive in your body? Remember, baby steps. What is one small step you could start with this month to create a new healthy habit? A few ideas you could try for November:
Try a new healthy recipe and share it with your family! You could be the start of a new family tradition for a healthy family.
Manage your stress.
Take up a 30-day 10-minute meditation challenge,
a yoga challenge,
daily gratitude journaling,
Deep or box breathing
Changing your mindset to appreciate the hard times
Learning to let things go and not sweat the small things
Watch videos or movies that make you belly laugh!
Prioritize your exercise routine. And if you don't have one, create one! It doesn't have to be much. Even small changes can make a big difference.
Stretch for 15 minutes first thing every morning
Walk the dog an extra 10 minutes every morning
Turn on a playlist you love and dance around the house throughout the day
Add a few days of muscle building into your week. Don't have a gym membership or weights at home? No problem! You can do squats, pushups, abdominal work, using water bottles as weights, etc. Have fun and get creative. There are also loads of YouTube videos out there to try.
The whole point is to ENJOY it!
Note: these can also be fun ways to interact with and create healthy habits with your family.
Eliminate one food that creates inflammation in your body. Whether that be:
Gluten
Dairy
Sugar
Caffeine
Meat
Soy (processed)
Processed foods
etc
Yeah... don't hate me for bringing it up lol
Bring in foods that are healing and reduce inflammation like plants... lots and lots of plants! The phytochemicals in plants are specifically designed to nourish our bodies and keep us healthy. Instead of taking supplements, use food as your medicine.
Do any of these ideas resonate with you and sound like something you would want to try? Did you even come up with a few of your own that would benefit you better? To start, what is one thing you are grateful for? Comment below.
In Health & Wellness,
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