End of Summer Tips you Need!
The end of summer is near! With this fall almost upon us, it helps to prepare as much as we can with healthy habits. Below I share a few ways we can set ourselves and our families up for success, whether that's in school, work, or at home.
Have Healthy Ingredients on Hand
This will make filling, nutritious snacks and meals a no-brainer and eliminate barriers to grabbing supporting foods in a hurry. Set yourself up for success with a few of my favorites:
Chomps clean meat sticks are my favorite portable, protein (no fillers, sugar, or junk) for you or for the kids the mini sticks called chomplings. Throw one in your bag and in their lunches, everyone loves them!
Have nuts and nut butters (I love Georgia Grinders’ nut butters and I have a discount for you! Use code NWW for 20% off your purchase) on hand for easy grab-and-go snacks that are high in protein and healthy fats and low in sugar. I love almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts as well as almond butter, pecan butter, and cashew butter . You can also make your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. For some of my best quick and healthy breakfast recipes, that are also grab-and-go friendly head to this post.
Embrace your freezer and pantry so you always have healthy ingredients on hand. I always store frozen spinach, frozen fruit, herbs, and frozen entrees after making a double batch of dinner. For helpful pantry staples to have on hand, check out this post. And, if you need more help with healthy meals, Sunbasket is a top choice of mine for healthy meal delivery kits!
Don't forget to hydrate! Drink water throughout the day to feel energized, focused, and help your body run at its best. Make it fun with fresh and frozen fruits and herbs. Aim for half our body weight in ounces of water each day.
Start Focusing on Sleep Habits
We all know how important sleep is to our overall health and wellbeing and I talk about it often, but it really is a complete game changer. Aim to get 8 hours of sleep each night for adults, and 9-11 hours for school-aged children, limiting blue light devices (such as cell phones, tablets, and computer screens) 2 hours before bed. Follow a consistent bedtime routine to help get your body accustomed to falling asleep at the same time each night. For more on helpful tips on how to improve the duration and quality of your sleep check out this post.
Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude
Practice being present and in the moment, rather than lamenting the past or fearing the future. Be still and notice what is around you. Practice deep breathing-such as box breathing (breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, breathe out for a count of 4, and relax for a count of 4) or check out this 2-minute breathing technique to feel calmer, more relaxed and less stressed.
Also, practice focusing on what you're grateful for. This is way more than woo-woo, and is scientifically proven to train our brain to look for the good! And we all could use some good positivity these days! Try writing down 5 specific things you're grateful for every morning or evening. Another fun way to incorporate gratitude is going around the dinner table giving everyone a chance to say what they're most grateful for or “what went well” today! This practice builds resilience, decreases stress and anxiety, and trains our brains to look for the good, which is especially helpful for this time of transition.
Deep Breath
With the new season and fresh start, I hope you continue to create meaning with healthy habits and routines to help you feel your best. Remember to give yourself grace and take it one day at a time. You're doing your best and you've got this! :)
Also, in talking about healthy habits, I want to invite you to JOIN US for our famous Fall mind-body Reset so you can head into Fall (and beyond) feeling your BEST!
21 days to energize and reset your body and mind with real food, real self care, real community, and real results! Click the button below to grab your spot before we sell out!