Try fresh lemon and mint in your water.
If it only takes doing something three days in a row to create a habit, why aren’t we all doing what’s best for us all the time like well-oiled machines? Because it only takes three times to un-do a healthy habit. We’re all stressed and busy. And because common knowledge of what’s healthy changes like the wind. Remember when eating bacon daily was super unhealthy, then George Burns lived to 100 and made bacon a health food? Same thing with the juice phase. Fresh squeezed is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants – but also so much sugar it can result in wild mood swings, carb cravings, and weight gain.
In the 70s everyone replaced butter with margarine thinking it was less fattening. Then the pendulum swung back, and now margarine is recognized as unnatural and loaded with bad trans fat. A good rule of thumb to follow is the more ingredients, especially those you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, the unhealthier. Read the words Fat Free as Chemical Sh-t Storm and steer clear.
So how do we install healthy habits that will withstand the test of time? And help improve our egg quality, get us pregnant faster, and grow a healthy baby?
Perhaps moderation is key. If it seems extreme, it will most likely not last. Also, check in with yourself and your own body. Do you feel better or worse each week after your new habit? If you are doing it to lose weight, are you losing weight? Our bodies are vastly different, so what works for one person, will not work for everyone. And, of course, keep in mind social media is loaded with false ads and testimonials. Believe your own experience before anyone else’s. Track your progress by scheduling weekly check-ins so you have time to evaluate.
5 Tried and True Measures to Better Health
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Exercise
We know being active on a daily basis is good for your circulation, your mood, and your weight. And we have learned that sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day is not good for overall health. So plan on being active every day. Things that require low stress on your joints are easiest to stay with for life. So walk or bike to work. You can even ‘commute’ to your home office by installing a 20-minute walk around your neighborhood into your routine. Do it for three days in a row and it’s a habit. Check in with yourself after each week and see if your new habit is improving your overall sense of health.
If you find yourself waiting for something every day, insert an exercise routine. Example: My on-demand hot water heater allows me to do 60 crunches every morning before my shower. I don’t think about it. I wake up, turn on the shower, and knock out 60 crunches.
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Get Your Mantra
What’s your mind doing while you brush your teeth? Roaming aimlessly around in your head. Why not channel that time into a positive thought fest? I know it may sound silly and take some getting used to (like doing it three times in a row) but what if you use the time to reinforce positive beliefs in yourself? Write your own or try, “I am beautiful, I am worthy, I am loved, I am brilliant, I am a positive force in the world, I am successful.” Or for fertility, “I am fertile, I am healthy, I am ready to love a baby.” Imagine what telling yourself these things 2x a day will do to your overall mental and physical health? Most of us agree that negative thoughts have power. Positive thoughts and praise are loaded with power too and can even affect our immune system and overall health. Try it.
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Eat Less and Eat More Vegetables.
The key to losing weight is really eating less – plain and simple. There are a million ways to complicate it, but the fact remains, you’ll drop pounds if you consume less calories. So the foods you do eat need to do a better job of getting you the vitamins and minerals you need and keep you feeling full. Snack on crunchy vegetables with low sugar content, like jicama, broccoli, pea pods. Eggs are a great source of protein and raw almonds will counteract any extra high cholesterol. Eat avocados as they are loaded with everything good for you. Battle through the first few weeks of making the switch and once you check in and feel the difference, you won’t even miss your old snacks.
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Drink More Water
What flushes out all the toxins in your body? Water. What makes your brain work and your organs function? Water. What are you 90% made of? Water. The author Tom Robbins joked that water invented humans to carry it around from place to place. Good hydration helps everything in your body work, feel, and look better. So get in those eight 8-ounce glasses a day. Install a filter or use a Brita so you know the water you’re drinking is as clean as possible. Getting plenty of water can help you feel full and give you radiant, wrinkle-free skin.
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Take Vitamins
Perhaps the easiest habit of all, pop a vitamin. If you are trying to get pregnant make sure it is a good prenatal with folic acid. Get your blood work done and find out what, if anything, your body is missing. Here in the Pacific Northwest almost everyone needs more D3. Knowing that you’re not deficient in vitamins and minerals – or taking measures to adjust your levels, is extremely important to your long-lasting overall health. B12 shots may be a fad but getting the right amount of B vitamins will help you stay healthy so make getting them easier for yourself and take a pill form.
While nothing is immediate, doing these five things should increase your overall health and may increase your fertility. Caring for yourself is a great way to know you’re ready for the extra responsibility of parenthood. Note that even the healthiest person in the world can still have a fertility issue that needs medical attention – like a blocked Fallopian tube. So if you are under 35 and have been trying to 1 year, or if you are 35 or over and have been trying for six months without success, make an appointment at a fertility clinic and come in for an assessment. Your partner will need a semen analysis as well. Also, if you’ve had two miscarriages in a row that can be a sign there may be an issue so don’t wait to seek out the help of a fertility professional. Healthy habits can lift your mood, add years to your life, improve your skin, and keep you lucid and active longer.
