5 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW to Start a Health Routine

Let’s face it – A busy schedule, abundant iIlnesses, lack of motivation, pure exhaustion, confusion of where to start and just – well, life – gets in the way of trying to get into a great health routine.

You can break free, read on to learn how.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com

"Eat a rainbow of foods everyday. Take your morning and nighttime vitamins. Drink eight glasses of milk a day. Go for a run, daily.  Take a few deep breaths."

Those are just a few pieces of advice I received from family and friends over the past 20 years when I mentioned anything at all about needing a solid health routine. Sounds easy, right? Wrong, so very wrong (don’t worry, that’s what I thought too!).

Starting a health routine is absolutely not easy! But it is simple.

There are 5 simple steps that you can implement today that will have an lasting impact on you for the rest of your life. Warning: Nothing is guaranteed if you do nothing. If you are reading this, you are already moving in the right direction and I commend you for that.

Before we do this, I need something from you – this is very important.

If you continue past this point, you must agree to starting these steps within the 3 days. I highly recommend starting them tomorrow morning. I will not be there to hold you accountable. But you will be. So, hold yourself accountable (and I highly recommend rewarding yourself once you do) and if you don’t do it completely, try again the next day. Do not give up.

Step 1: Hydration is Key
Did you know that the older you get, the less sense of thirst you have?

Sure, we all know that water makes up over 60% of the human body but did you know that staying hydrated with this magical substance can give you energy, mental clarity, flush out toxins, lubricate your joints, regulate your body temperature, assist in weight loss and more. Every single cell in our body depends on hydration in some form. Isn’t that amazing?

Now, I know that we all love our sugar drinks (I’ve been there, I get it!) and I’m not judging over here (I literally cannot); However, when you stop for a moment to review the contents in think about those sugary and caffeinated beverages, water is a much safer bet since it is zero calories, zero carbs, zero sugar – completely straight H20 for your body. Not only is it a safe bet but also it has little to no impact your oral health, gut health and mental health. This is why water reign King!

You may be reading this and thinking: “I don’t like the taste of water” and that’s okay too! There are many ways to sneak in some additional water throughout your day besides just drinking it alone:

Drink bone broth soups for lunch or add into a soup for dinner.
- PRO TIP: There are a few bone broth to go soups you can buy at the store which are low on calories and high in protein (and other nutrients).
- If you are a vegetarian or vegan, opt for the Vegetable stock or you can make your own at home to use throughout the week.
Drink a cup of tea. This is good for a morning changeup, afternoon pick-me-up, or evening wind down. Adding honey can enhance the flavor (and aids in digestion too).
Add a wedge of lime or lemon to your water. The change in flavor might entice you to drink more (another digestion aid).
Eat foods high in water content like watermelon, honeydew, grapefruit, cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini.
Try coconut water. This is rich in electrolytes which can help with exercise recovery (also good in soups and a replacement for water in your recipes in many cases).

New Routine: Aim to drink half your weight in ounces of water daily. Make a goal to always start and end your day with water.

I highly recommend investing in two things if you do not have them on hand:

A.) A 20 ounce reusable tumbler. I love these but you can find them almost anywhere. Why a tumbler: They are easy to drink from, refillable, keeps your water covered at all times from airborne pathogens and Mother Earth will thank you for not filling up the landfill with bottles.

B.) A small journal that will fit in your pocket or purse. This will be for journaling your water intake.

Now that you have those in place, let’s get started!

First, you need to know how much you are actually drinking right now!

On your first page, write 3 things: Todays date, your weight and how many ounces you should be drinking a day (remember, half your weight in ounces).

On the second page, at the top left corner, write down todays date again. For every time you drink a FULL tumbler, you are going to jot down TWO tick marks. This will make it easier than recording in 8 ounce increments and you can also record several days on a single page).

Knowing where you are at is half the battle so you can understand where you need to be. Feel free to start a new page if your weight changes so that you are reinforcing your goal and remember where you should be with your intake.

Don’t forget to choose from the list above to sneak in some water when you are wanting to change things up.

Fun Fact: Water is not absorbed right away. In fact, it can take 45 minutes to an hour to feel the benefits. While you are eating, the water intake does not get top priority. Food is digested first, then water, which may take up to 120 minutes to be absorbed.

Step 2: Practice 3 Moves a Day
Three little moves, that’s it?

Like water, movement is imperative to our health. According to the Mayo Clinic, Excess sitting is now linked with 35 diseases and conditions, including obesity, hypertension, back pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease and depression!

Physical activity can not only improve your brain health but it is also proven to lower your risk of anxiety and depression, improve your sleep and sharpen your mental clarity, according to the CDC.

Now it’s time to get on the move. But you may be asking – How?

New Routine: After you begin your day with water, find a soft spot in your house (or lawn) and stretch. There are several at home workouts online (thank you, Pinterest). Here is the routine I initially started with and over time I gradually mixed in new moves that suited my interest. You will love these particular moves because, as an added bonus, are great back stretches.

Breath deeply before, during and after these stretches. Breathing deeply can relieve stress and aid with digestion (though you will want to refrain from working out on a full belly).

Once you get used to this daily routine, you can customize your workout with new moves.

Set in your mind that you need to be active at minimum 60 minutes a day.

Looking for ways to get some additional activity in your day? Look no further:

Skip the elevator when possible and take the stairs.
Opt out of people movers, walk around.
Dance while you fold laundry or clean dishes (safely, of course).
Play outside with your loved ones
Go for a walk around the block.
Rather than sitting, walk around the house while you talk on the phone.
Get on the floor and wrestle with your kids.

If you sit or stand stagnant for long periods of time, try to get on the move hourly (back stretches!), even if only for a couple of minutes. This can improve circulation, burn calories and clear your mind for what comes next.

When you are proficient in these two routines, it’s time to kick it up a notch: Tracking your calorie burn and/or number of steps you are taking! Invest in a smart watch (you can buy them cheap online) or dust off the one you stashed in storage (maybe you know someone that does not use theirs anymore). Most smart watches allow for you to log your work out time, track water intake, sleep hours/quality, monitor heart rate and track calories burned.

Step 3: Learn to Calm Your Mind
“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.” -Bryant McGill

Have you ever been frustrated to a point where someone tells you (or you convince yourself) to go take some deep breaths? Deep breathing can not only help calm us down, lower blood pressure, aid in digestion, and lessen muscle tension but it is also a form of meditation. You read that right! You may be meditating and not even aware you are doing it!

Meditation knows no ages, genders, ethnicity or political preferences. All you need is 5 to 10 minutes a day and somewhere to sit or lie down comfortably. A calm, clear mind can do wonders with our focus and productivity.

New Routine: Set aside 5 minutes first thing in the morning to meditate. Do NOT look at your phone until after meditation. The point is to break away from distractions and focus on clearing your mind (That Insta post can wait, trust me).

Many have proclaimed that not only does this calm anxiety and negative behavior but it also may lead to a positive mindset and additional positive behaviors.

If you are new to meditation, that’s okay! I highly recommend downloading a free phone app like Headspace or Calm. Like most apps, they do have paid features but this should be enough to get you started. If you do not want to opt for the paid version, the gratis one will help teach you to meditate so you can do it on your own. Start with a 2 or 3 minute meditation practice and work you way up to longer sessions.

Once you complete your meditation practice, open your eyes and say something positive to yourself (for example: “Today is going to be a great day”, “I can’t wait to take the kids to school” or “I’m going to crush my task list today and it feels good knowing that!”. After all, this new routine is to be commended!

Once you get used to morning meditations for about a week, add in an evening meditation right before bed. Turn off all your TV and either sit on your bed or next to it and follow the same routine. Not only can clearing your mind in the morning energize and renew you but it can help you sleep better at night.

After several days of sticking with meditation, you should start to see an improvement in your flow of thoughts and clarity. You may even notice a decrease in stress as well as a better response to new stress!

Have you heard about the American Institute of Stress? Their website covers some really great information on stress: workplace stress, stress management, and how stress affects your body. Check them out HERE.

Step 4: Become a Sleeping Beauty
It’s not just for Fairy tales.

Proper sleep is essential to our health for several reasons: It allows our body to heal, improves concentration and productivity, may prevent depression, prevents illness and excess weight gain, lowers inflammation and can strengthen your immune system. To ensure we are maximizing our ability for proper sleep, we need to practice “Sleep Hygiene” aka a series of sleep habits.

According to the CDC, adults should be getting between 7-9 hours of rest a night. So try and aim for 8 hours. In the chance you fall a little short, you will still be at or close the recommendations for peak performance.

Before you start your routine, aim to have your last meal no less than 3 hours before turning in. This prevents acid reflux, disturbing dreams, heartburn, and allows your body to focus on healing instead of digestion during sleep.

New Routine: First, determine what time you need to wake up in the morning that will give you plenty of time for your morning routine. Set a nightly alarm nine hours before that wake up time. This is the time you will start your nightly ritual. Stay consistent with this, even when you are not at home. Our bodies crave routines and the more consistent we are, the better our results will be.

Your nightly routine will consist of:

Prepare everything you need for the next morning (this sets you up for success): Clothes, set the coffee maker, a task list, set a covered cup of water next to your bed.
If you have a smart watch that monitors your heart rate and tracks your sleep, ensure it is fully charged for you to wear at night (pro tip: schedule your watch and phone for DO NOT DISTURB mode spanning your planned sleep hours + morning and nighttime routine time). Tomorrow’s YOU will thank you!
Ensure all lights (including blinking ones) are out of view.
Turn on your blue light filter on your phone (better yet, schedule it to turn on automatically at night and off in the morning). Blue light
Sit down in a comfy spot and drink a cup of your favorite tea (Chamomile and lavender tea are really great at night)
Turn off the TV and read a book.
If your mind is too busy, try meditation (Read Step 3, if you haven’t already).

Enjoy your Zzzzs! Rest assured knowing that your body is healing itself during this reset so you can be your best self tomorrow.

Step 5: Protect Your Health
The world is abundant with illnesses but a little prevention can go a very long way.

Let’s face it: Our bodies are pretty dang amazing. From producing millions of blood cells, creating and exerting energy, hair growth (about half an inch a month!), cleansing blood, repairing bones, shedding skin cells to preventing cancer, our body performs hundreds of thousands functions every minute of every day.

Though drinking plenty of water, physical activity, meditation and proper sleep are fundamentally important to our health, ensuring our body is getting the right amount of nutrition is considered to be just as important. Unfortunately, most humans do not get the daily recommended amount of nutrition, according to the CDC. Also, food is not nearly as nutritious as it used to be. An earlier study has found that for 43 different vegetables and fruits, there were significant declines in the past 50 years in the amount of protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus and Vitamins B2 and C. Enter vitamins and supplements.

Much is still to be researched and tested about vitamins and supplements to this day. After all, these still are not regulated by the FDA but can be produced in an FDA-approved facility. It is known that deficiencies in micronutrients, such as iron, vitamin A, folate, zinc and iodine can have devastating consequences – and that affects almost one-third of the world’s population! This will take some research on your part to determine which vitamins and supplements are right for you. Always seek a medical professionals advice if you have questions about which vitamins you should be taking and which ones you should be avoiding that is best for your body.

My recommendation is to look for plant-based vitamins and minerals that are non-synthetic, non-GMO with RAW ingredients – this will typically yield a high bio-availability which means you are actually absorbing the amount of vitamins (or very close to it) on the package (Be weary with ones that do not state all their ingredients). Find ones that have protein and also have gut health support with probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes. Steer clear of ones that want you to take them throughout the day or if there are 5 or more pills/capsules in the pack – those methods and amounts are not sustainable and are sometimes synthetic.

After trying about 20 different vitamins in the past 17 years, I finally found some that work for me and I have seen real results with my energy, focus, sleep and weight loss. You can read about them HERE and sign up for a Free Customer Account.

Once you find vitamins and supplements that work for you, now comes the easy part – working them into your daily routine.

NOTE: Not all vitamins and supplements are created equal. Read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly.

New Routine: Set these out the night before – either next to your bed with your water (if you can take on an empty stomach) or in the kitchen to take after breakfast (if you need to eat first). Keep them in their original container or a pill box if you have small children or pets (safety first!)

Plan on taking your vitamins and supplements daily, preferably at the same time every single day (remember my comment earlier on how our bodies crave routines?).

If you do opt for vitamins that are taken throughout the day or morning/evening ones, set an alarm on your phone. Drink 8-10 ounces of water at each dose (gotta get that in where we can!)

Bonus: Look for an immunity booster that you can take 2 to 3 times a week. There are many out on the market, but stick to plant-based and non-synthetic one (like your vitamins). Here are a few helpful ingredients and benefits to look out for in a good immunity booster:

Bee Pollen (Works as antioxidant, fights inflammation)
Vitamins C (Boost immunity, prevents chronic diseases, protects your memory)
Vitamin E (An antioxidant that prevents cells from damage)
Super Greens:
- Spirulina (Incredibly nutrient packed algae – read more HERE)
- Wheat Grass (Antibacterial potent in antioxidant that kills cancer cells)
- Beet Root (Improves circulation and lowers blood pressure)
- Ginger Root (Improves digestion, relieves nausea, and eases cold and flu)
- Echinacea (Plant to helps fight the flu, manage anxiety and improve cell health)
Low in Sugar
Little to No Caffeine

HERE is a link to one that I take regularly. Additionally, you can sign up for a Free Customer Account.

Fun Fact: Your stomach lining is completed consumed by acid and reborn twice a week! Click HERE to read about that and 4 other impossible things your body does every day.

When you master these 5 health routine steps (and you will) by showing up consistently for yourself, you will see benefits. How many and how soon is up to you. Hold yourself accountable. It is normal to reward yourself on a recurring basis as long as you always fall back into your daily routine. Rome was not built in a day and neither is a healthy body and mind. I hope that once you do master that you come back here and comment with your results and feedback and perhaps other tips you picked up along the way. You never know who you may make a life-changing impact on.

Cheers!