20 simple ways to improve your health today
I often say that getting healthier and feeling better isn't a giant project that consumes all our time and energy.
However, there are no magic bullets to health. No one can drink enough celery juice or take a secret, potent blend of powders to truly become healthy without changing any other behaviors.
There is some deep work required to adopt new ways of thinking so you can take new actions. Feeling better in your mind and body (what we call health) is possible for you.
An overall lifestyle of health can seem overwhelming and sometimes we don’t know where to start. It can be helpful to have a couple quick ideas or tools to get us going.
Pick one of these simple ways to improve your mental and physical health, your blood sugar levels, and your mood.
It doesn’t matter which step you start with.
What matters is that you start today.
Become the watcher of your thoughts: notice which thoughts are causing you to suffer or not take action toward your health goals
Do your breath work every day: try Box Breathing or 4-7-8 breathing. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth
Cook your potatoes and rice, and then allow them to cool fully before heating them back up again to eat
Eat your foods in the correct order: fiber first, proteins and fats second, starches and sugars last (if at all)
Go outside first thing in the morning, as soon as you can. Aim for at least 5-10 minutes outside if it’s sunny and 15-20 minutes if it’s cloudy
Move your body after meals
Take a walk, every day if you can. Most days for sure
Wake up at the same time every day (within a 30 minute window)
Get at least 20-30 minutes of daily sun
Get your Vitamin D level checked and asked your healthcare provider about supplementation if your level is not between 35-60 ng/ML
If you feel guilty spending time for your own self-care, ask yourself, why? Feeling guilty means you are doing something out of line with your values. Is taking care of yourself something you do not value?
Write down 3 things that you are grateful for and really feel the emotion of gratitude in your body
Eat fermented foods: sauerkraut, pickles, kefir, kombucha, kimchi etc
Know & eat nature’s true superfoods: organ meats and meat on the bone, dark leafy greens, bone broth, fermented foods, pastured full-fat dairy, cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines)
Eat more sources of Magnesium: dark leafy greens, nuts & seeds: especially pumpkin seeds, fish, avocados, yogurt, bananas, figs, dark chocolate
Do not multitask or constantly switch your focus between things competing for your attention
Never eat a naked carb: Always add a source of fat or protein to your grains, crackers, breads, treats etc
Eating sources of potassium, magnesium, and calcium are more important for decreasing blood pressure than salt restriction.
Sit less, stand and walk more
Do not scroll social media channels before bed. Even better: no screens 1-2 hours before bedtime
Bonus! This isn’t a tool or tip, but a quote that has really helped me improve my mental and emotional health. I now understand the amazing skill of not letting my inner critic boss me around or make me feel terrible:
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts” -Marcus Aurelius
Which “first step” to feeling better stands out to do today?
All the small actions we take toward feeling better every day really do count in our body and the way our actual cells become healthier. It’s not about the big grand gestures like going to the gym once for 2 hours.
It’s about getting back to the basic building blocks of health: movement, nourishing foods, rest, stress management, quality sleep, and social connections (give out all the hugs).
Write it down, commit to trying your 1st step every day for at least a week. Let me know how it goes.
I see you putting in the work, you’ve got this.
xo, Sarah
Have questions about any of these tools or the science behind their effectiveness? Join my newsletter and you can email me all your questions. Can’t wait to hear from you.
