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Refresh Your Wellness Routine for Fall

10/10/2022

The leaves are changing color, the air is getting cooler, and it's officially time to start the transition into autumn. This can be a difficult time for many people who are used to enjoying the summer sun and activities, but autumn brings its own unique set of delights.

One of the best things about autumn is that it's a great time to reset your routine and start fresh. If you feel like you need a change, now is the perfect time to make some adjustments to your wellness routine. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Get outside
Autumn is a wonderful time of year to get outside and enjoy the cooler temperatures and beautiful foliage. The leaves begin to change color, and the air has a crispness that invigorates the senses. It is also a great time to participate in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and kayaking. The mild weather makes it ideal for exploring nature, and there are often fewer crowds at popular parks and trails. Take advantage of the cooler temperatures and beautiful scenery by spending time outdoors. Go for a walk, hike, or bike ride and soak up some vitamin D.

Eat seasonal produce
Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy all of the delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables. From apples and pumpkins to squash and Brussels sprouts, there are many great options to choose from, so you can explore some new, healthy recipes.

Get organized
The start of a new season is the perfect time to get your life in order. Take some time to declutter your space and set up a system that works for you. This will help reduce stress and make it easier to stick to your wellness routine. No need to wait for spring -- a good autumn purge works just as well.

Make time for self-care
It's important to make time for yourself, especially when the weather changes. Take a relaxing bath, read your favorite book, or take a new yoga class. Whatever makes you feel good, make sure to schedule it into your routine.

Prioritize good sleep
If your sleep patterns have been less than stellar, now is the perfect time to readjust your sleep habits. To get the most out of your slumber, establish a regular sleep schedule, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and limit screen time before bed. Making sleep a priority can improve your health, mood, and overall quality of life.

Shed any extra
In line with the nature of autumn, it's a great time to release anything that isn't working. In the same way the trees release their leaves, spend some time considering what can be cut from your life that isn't serving you well. This will leave room for new habits that help you reach your goals for yourself in a much more realistic way.

Now that we've looked at some wellness routines to help you stay healthy this autumn, it's time to get started on your own personalized plan. Whether you focus on diet, exercise, or self-care, make sure to take the time to enjoy the fall season and all of its bounty. What are you most looking forward to this autumn? How will you be incorporating wellness into your life? Hit reply and let me know what you have in mind, I'd love to hear.

This is a great time to shed excess toxins with my online fall cleanse. Reduce inflammation and boost your energy with a seasonal cleanse.
Click here for more information.

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How Intuitive Eating Can Change Your Life

10/10/2022

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Do you ever feel like you have no control over your eating habits?

You're not alone; your relationship with food can be tricky and challenging to navigate. One tremendous help is learning to tap into your intuition and use it to improve your relationship with food and balance your eating patterns in a way that feels tailored to you.

Intuitive eating is a way of making peace with food and your body. It's about listening to your hunger cues and eating in response to them, rather than in response to emotion. When you're in tune with your body's hunger signals, you're more likely to make the choices that are right for you. So, how do you become aware of your hunger cues?

Learning Your Hunger Cues
Most of us have been taught to eat when we're hungry and stop when we're full. But what exactly are hunger cues? Hunger cues are the physical and psychological signals that tell us it's time to eat. Cues can include things like headache, irritability, or feeling lightheaded. Paying attention to these cues can help you better understand your body's needs and how to fulfill them. Unfortunately, many of us have become disconnected from our hunger cues, and we often eat based on the clock instead of listening to our bodies. In addition, our body may undergo stress or depletion which may result in craving specific foods.

What does your body feel like when you're hungry? What does it feel like when your body has been depleted and needs to refuel? How do you know the difference between when you're really hungry, or when you are craving a food to satisfy a depletion? Paying attention to your cues will help you eat only when you're hungry, eat the right foods to set you on the right path again, or knowing when to slow down.

Long Lasting Fuel
Feeling irritable, or lightheaded could be a sign of hunger or your blood sugar has dropped too low. Knowing your cues can help you take note of what foods may work or not work for you and what food combinations give you longer lasting fuel. For instance, combining a simple carbohydrate like pasta with vegetables may only last you an hour. If you swap the carbohydrate for a more complex carbohydrate like sweet potato and add a bit of protein and good fat like olive oil or nuts, you may have longer stamina and you won’t have the blood sugar spike and drop, resulting in irritability.

Dehydration can imitate hunger. It can cause the body to crave certain foods or make you feel hungry in general when you are thirsty. Signs of dehydration are dry lips, low blood pressure, feeling lightheaded, tired, and heavy or slow reacting legs and arms. If you are not sure if you are thirsty or hungry, try drinking a glass of water when you feel hungry and wait 20 minutes to see if the hunger feeling goes away.

Knowing When to Stop
Knowing when to stop eating can be difficult, especially if you enjoy the food. However, overeating can lead to uncomfortable side effects such as indigestion and bloating and can also be harmful to your health in the long run. That's why it's essential to know how to listen to your body and stop eating when you're full.

There are a few cues that you can look for that will indicate that you're getting close to being full. For example, you may start to feel a subtle sense of discomfort in your stomach. You may also notice that you can no longer eat as quickly as you were when you first started. If you're paying attention, you'll likely notice these cues before you reach the point of feeling stuffed.

Stressors
There are many types of stressors but the biggest one for most people these days is overactivity. Many of us lead busy lives and we are constantly on the go, which to our body is stress. Cortisol is a stress hormone that allows you to interact and cope with your external world. This type of stress sends a message to the body saying, change the energy used to power the internal body (such as metabolism, reproduction, and cell repair) to focus on handling your external environment. The central nervous system is in a sympathetic response mode, a fight, flight, or freeze mode. Over prolonged periods of time it breaks down the body, creating a catabolic state and that is when we start to experience symptoms.

Knowing physical cues such as being sensitive to bright light, jumping at a sudden noise, or craving salty or sugary foods can be an indication your body is overly stressed, your adrenals are being taxed and you’re becoming depleted. This could lead to reaching for a quick fix such as coffee, fatty or sugary foods. This may feel good at first but later send you down a worse path of imbalance.

The body also creates a hormone that repairs and rebuilds the system, called DHEA. The body can’t do both jobs at one time. It can’t build the reserves while using it. To fill the body’s reserves you need to digest and absorb your food efficiently to obtain the nutrients. In order for the body to rebuild and repair internal cells and tissues, it needs to create DHEA. The body can only access DHEA for repairing any damage, if the body comes down off the heighten stress mode. In order to rebound from stress we need to have enough reserves. It is a bit of a cycle. Being in tune with what your body is experiencing can help you know when you need to slow down and rest.

Here are some tips to try to enable a calm state, allowing your body to replenish. It can also help you to tune into your body’s hunger signals and what it really needs.

Take a breath before eating – just a few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth allows the diaphragm to expand and triggering the nervous system to relax
Don’t rush to eat – eating in a relaxed state allows food to digest and replenish your reservoir
Sit down while eating – this helps to tell the nervous system that you are in a relaxed state
Give appreciation to your food – this creates positive mindset and energy
Chew – breaking down the surface area of the food allows enzymes to break down the food better, so you can get more nutrients from your food
Knowing when to Stop – notice signs of when you are getting full
Notice what foods give you long lasting energy – try different food combinations and amounts
Front-load water – drink lots of water first thing in the morning to start your body off right.

Intuitive eating is a process that takes time and practice. When you start eating intuitively, you'll likely find that you have more energy, better digestion, and a healthier relationship with food.

What are your thoughts on intuitive eating? Have you tried it before? Hit reply and let me know.

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Refresh Your Wellness Routine for Fall

How Intuitive Eating Can Change Your Life

Mona Merrick

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