Hello all!

I am feeling very thankful that I’m able to send out another article to you all so soon! It is a crazy time of year for many as the school year is ending and our summer vacations and activities are approaching soon! And that is why I want to send you a little something to help simplify your health. Some things that you know deep down, but might need to hear organized in a simple fashion to help narrow your focus and keep you feeling good this summer.

This time, we’re going to chat foundations of health. Why? Because, as we’re bombarded with BPA, safe ingredient lists to check, the “cleaner” sunscreen product, creatine?, the right magnesium powder to start taking, the perfect cleanse, an “easy” summer diet, and all things health from all marketing aspects, we need to remember the basics that matter more than any of this: sleep, movement, nutrition, and stress management.

If these 4 aren’t in check, the other things? They don’t matter even a little in comparison. If you are trying to lose weight, but not getting enough sleep? It’s going to be significantly more challenging. If you’re looking at getting cleaner products into your home, but are only getting 2,000 steps a day? The cleaner products won’t even scratch the surface of changing your health like exercise would.

This isn’t to say that these other things won’t help in their own small way. It’s just to remind you that these four FOUNDATIONAL aspects of health? They are the big rocks that you need to focus on before you pour in the pebbles. Remember that analogy? Everything fits in the vase when you start with the big rocks, but when you start with the small? The big will not fit!

So, onward to simplification!

Movement

Let’s not ever quantify the perfect movement for everyone. 10,000 steps? Maybe it’s healthy, but if you’re only getting 2,000 right now, is it realistic to shoot for this? Not lifting a weight? Then, it’s not realistic to expect you to go deadlift, bench, and squat 4 days a week. So, instead, let’s start with this thought: when it comes to exercise, something is always better than nothing.

There are recommendations out there for sure, but the truth they’ve found is that ANY exercise improvements will positively affect your health. 

So, are you getting 2,000 steps right now? Aim for 3,000.

Are you not lifting a weight? Start with 1 day a week or even start by researching or seeking out a professional or program that can assist you with getting started.

Movement does not have to be all or nothing. Just aim for more than now…. That next step!

And honestly? If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t keep doing it. So, swim, do yoga, walk, lift, bike, dance, stretch, play a sport, golf, hike, or garden. Just move your body, enjoy it, and keep doing it!

Nutrition

Ugh. Do I have to eat vegetables and protein and stop eating sugar, Jess? Is that what you’re doing to tell me again?

Well, yes… BUT, can we just look back and apply similar principles to nutrition as we did to exercise?

Maybe you aren’t eating a vegetable. Maybe you drink one glass of water a day. Maybe you have entire meals that lack protein…

So, let’s not jump into eating 4 cups of veggies, 100 oz of water, and your body weight in grams of protein!

Instead, let’s start eating a cup of veggies, drinking two glasses of water, or adding protein to every meal.

Wherever you’re at, do you see the trend? 

Just because you aren’t hitting certain recommendations doesn’t mean you aren’t improving.

You don’t need to hit every goal recommended to you, you just need to better YOURSELF starting from where you are RIGHT NOW.

Goals

A brief interlude on goals…

Make them the right level of hard.

Be sure that they are attainable enough so you can gain confidence and create momentum when you achieve them, but challenging enough that you feel you’re actually moving the needle in your progress towards your eventual goal.

Performance vs Outcome goals?

Make goals that are focused on actions you take (performance) vs an outcome at the very end of the road.

Think: I want to exercise 5x/week, eat 3 cups of veggies a day, eat my weight in grams of protein a day, drink 100 oz of water a day, sleep 8 hours each night, and do a quiet devotion time to start the day on at least 5 days of the week to manage stress (getting to each of these in a gradual and timely pace)

VS

I want to weigh x amount of lbs by x date.

Why? Because, the performance goal is something with which you can track progress, celebrate success, and change into natural, deeply ingrained habits… they change your systems and change who you are! The performance goals will not only get you to your end goal, they will help you stay there for LIFE.

Keep your focus small

This is similar to making them achievable and taking those small, confidence building steps. But, the list of process goals you just saw as an example? They aren’t happening all at once! Pick one area to start and focus on that first. Maybe it’s cutting out that show before bed so you can get enough sleep. JUST start with that. After you’ve done it for a week or so, add in 2 days of exercise a week. Once that’s a habit? We might add in 3 workouts or start tracking protein.

If you want it to last, you need to make sure you establish it instead of doing a baptism by fire approach and creating a chaotic, unsustainable change with everything at once.

Stress Management

Okay, so haha, Jess… Stress management? So I’m supposed to ADD IN MORE to my already crazy busy day and that’s supposed to make me LESS stressed?!

Yes and no. Think more CHANGING your reactions and tactics to current situations vs ADDING. The tire is flat? The dog died? The kids are sick (again)? They buyer fell through? The taxes are late? Your husband is out of town? The water softener backed up into your plumbing? You are in charge of a breakfast at school and no one chips in for pancakes so you have to make 100 yourself? (Okay maybe I’m projecting a few of my latest stressors, but fill in the blank with yours!)

We can act like the victim here and throw in the towel to our other goals… Or? We can realize this is life. These things are a part of EVERYONE’s LIFE!! You are not exempt from things going wrong. They should, in fact, be expected.

Does this make them less stressful? Not entirely, but it does help us shift our view to realize we are not alone, and it is a temporary circumstance (sometimes).

Now, we are not in control of a lot of stressors in our lives, all of the above included… BUT, you know what we are in control of? Our reaction to them.

We can get mad at everyone around us and treat them poorly. We can stop exercising, skip our event with family or friends, eat a half gallon of ice cream, fill up that virtual or real life shopping cart and buy it all, or stay up late binging our favorite TV show.

OR

We can use stress management techniques that our future self will THANK us for vs REGRET.

Try speaking your feelings vs spouting them in anger: “I’m stressed right now because of xyz… can I get some extra help/time to myself/a few minutes to figure this out?” Speaking it often takes the power away from the situation! It is an amazing yet sorely underutilized skill.

Maybe we go on a walk in nature vs our planned run on the treadmill, so we’re bringing the cortisol down but still getting in movement.

Maybe we order out to eliminate the stress of cooking, but we get food from a place we know is healthy for us and is still a treat so we don’t binge or eat unhealthy food in attempt to bring our stress down.

Maybe we do have 1 scoop of ice cream vs …5?

Maybe we will go to sleep early instead of staying up late watching that show.

These are healthful ways to handle stress.

And in the moment? It’s hard to change these reactions we’ve been conditioned to use throughout our life. But, it starts with a deep breath, a fist clench for 5 seconds, a count to 10, a prayer for control, a closing of our eyes… these simple tactics can help us take the seemingly out of control moment and remind us that our circumstances may be out of our control, but our reaction is our responsibility.

Add in some yoga, some journaling, some listening to quiet music, quiet walks, or purposeful stress management moments if you want, but stress management, once again, does not need to be an hour long morning routine, it can be a simple tactic chosen in a few seconds of hardship.

Sleep

The last and most underestimated part of health. Get 8 hours. 7 at the very least. And watch your life transform. Sometimes, I’m convinced this factor alone could’ve healed me all on its own.

You need it for your brain, your body, your mood, your everything. 

So, how do you get more?

Again, if you’re getting 5 hours? Get 6 instead to start.

Are you waking up early or in the middle of the night? Try movement and nutrition to see their effect.

Start small. Keep progressing. Keep your eyes in your own lane and work on better for you. Keep it simple.

Keep your focus on the foundations this summer!

FREEBIE ALERT!

That is all for now, but hopefully it’s narrowed your view to working on the foundation of your health first and giving yourself small, achievable steps towards improving it.

Take care, happy summer planning, and hopefully I’ll get to send out more soon.

Before you go, I have a few exciting things coming up!

I am working towards getting my health coaching certification and then becoming Nationally Board Certified! As I do this, I am not taking 1:1 clients, but I will be opening up my email and social media messages to you FREE OF COST because I would love to gain all of the experience I can! This includes any questions you have nutrition, workouts, hormonal balance, sleep, goals, habits, behavior change, stress, or anything else health-related within my scope!

This fall I will also be offering a few FREE 1:1 client openings as a part of my Board Certification process. The only caveat is agreeing to record a session that can be reviewed by my instructors for feedback on my techniques.

I am so excited for this opportunity, and can’t wait to work with some of you!

Here is my info to ask any questions and have a deep dive into it with me AND/OR to sign up for my free 1:1 client slots for fall.

Email: wholeehealthy@wholeehealthy.com

Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/wholeehealthy

Instagram Messenger: https://www.instagram.com/wholeehealthy/

And don’t forget to order my book, Women’s Cyclical Health Guide, if you haven’t already!

Take care of yourself and talk soon!

Jess