my 2018 wellness practices…

I love January for its fresh starts & clean slates. Our year started with the craziness of house guests, a stomach bug, and then an amazing vacation to Mexico. So I’m just getting to really creating my year. My One Little Word® is practice, so I’m looking at what practices I can explore in various areas of my life. Today, let’s look at wellness…

EATING

I’ve followed a pescetarian (veggies + fish) plan for years now. I am not super strict about it…I don’t freak out if something is made with chicken broth, and I’ve been known to just pick off the bacon that restaurants like to put on everything (I do the latter much to my brother’s chagrin). I don’t have any plans to stray from pescetarian eating this year. We also typically eat fairly low-carb, and practice intermittent fasting. Again, no plans to stray. What will be interesting is the results that I’ll get from the Habit Core test. This test uses information imported from my recent 23andme DNA test, combined with the results of the Habit Metabolic test, to create a customized nutrition plan. I’m so excited to see what this report reveals. Another practice around eating is actually using the awesome cookbooks that I own. Dan & I eat out often, so when we’re home, we normally stick to simple salads & fish. This year, we’re going to do some cookbook-inspired shifts in our meals. The first books that I’ll reach for are The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl & Spoon, and Joy the Baker Over Easy.

EXERCISE

My practice in the first quarter of the year is simple…just move. Some days, that looks like going to the gym. Other days, it’s a yoga video at home. I’m increasing the amount of steps that I take daily (although I don’t use a step counter, so this is not a data based practice) by doing little things like printing to the printer that is farthest away from me at work (bonus, that means I have to go up & down flights of stairs). If I’m at the gym, I’ll also be doing strength training. I’m traveling a lot in the next few weeks, so I’m reminding myself to pack sneakers & workout gear so that I can adapt exercise to whatever location I’m in.

SUPPLEMENTS

Over the past year, supplements have become a big part of my wellness practice. Remember that I’m starting with a really strong whole foods foundation, so I’m truly looking to add to what I’m getting from nutrition. I add collagen (and sometimes Brain Octane oil)  to my coffee. I take Ritual daily. I’ve been taking Ashwaganda, 5-HTP, and Cortisol Manager to help realign & deal with stress. My 23andme results showed that I have a double MTHFR 1289 mutation, so I take a methylated B vitamin, as well as folate, to address that. Oh, and I take Vitamin D because: Vermont. Note that I work closely with my naturopath to decide what supplements I’m taking. 

BEING PRESENT

I shared a photo on IG recently of the bracelets that Dan & I wear. They say “right now.” It’s a reminder to be present for what is happening in this moment. If it’s terrific? Savor it. If it’s tough? Know that it will pass. Being present is a practice that I am always working on. I think that I’ve made strides in not obsessing about the past, and not excessively worrying about the future. I’ll continue this work in 2018, with my meditation practice (which also sometimes involves crystals & cards), yoga, and breath work.

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