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Good morning friends! How is your week going? I don’t know about you but the time change always puts me off for a couple of weeks, almost as if I have jet lag. It does the same for my pups because they are getting up at 4 am for breakfast and they are jumping around at 3:30 in the the afternoon for dinner. I’ve been a little sluggish this week, it could be the time change, getting up in the middle of the night with 3 pups or the weather. Whatever the case I have been extra vigilant with my “wellness routine.”
The definition of wellness has changed over the years, it used to be about eating healthy or exercising and that is certainly important but it is more than that, it is all of your healthy habits, including healthy eating, exercise and a good nights sleep combined to form the basis of your “wellness routine.”
I don’t know about you but as I age my mind and body are changing. Things I used to like to eat I no longer do or my body has become intolerant to them, like dairy and gluten. Things I used to like do I don’t have the same interest in. And things that I used to think important, like weight are no longer my focus. My priorities have shifted to overall wellness so that I can be strong and healthy in mind and body.
This is my wellness routine.
SLEEP
I wake up between 7:00-7:15 every day, I do not set an alarm it is when my body naturally wakes up. I am not a morning person( I am a night owl) and only wake up really early if I have to be at the airport or if I am going to “boot camp.” I go to bed at 10:00 and read for about an hour and it is lights out at 11:00, typically I am asleep in 5 minutes
Morning Routine
I start the day with a hot cup of lemon water, there are some that say it is beneficial and some that disagree, I just like the taste and it is a great opportunity to start the day hydrated. Remember, you’ve been sleeping for 8 hours, your body is thirsty.
Exercise
I do an hour or an hour and a half of hot yoga 5 days a week, my studio teaches Vinyasa Flow of as my yogi calls it “yoga for athletes.” The classes are challenging for the mind, and the body and in the 6 years that I have been going I have never done the same flow twice. Yoga is a practice, every day that you step on your mat is different and some days “you’ve got it” and some days you don’t. Some poses you may never get because you are not bendy or flexible and some you can work towards.
In addition to working my body, yoga is like therapy for me. It helps me stay focused, it relieves my stress and tension, it makes me feel calm and anxious. My yoga studio and daily practice is the only things I missed(other than my family and friends) during Covid-19.
In addition to yoga I LOVE walking. I will walk in the rain, in the sun, on a beach, in a field, in the dessert or up a mountain. The only think I love more than walking is snowshoeing. In the past I used a Fitbit Flex but after the third one died I quit using a tracker. I was tired of wearing it and I was getting a little neurotic if I didn’t have my 12, 000 steps for the day. After taking a year off I am back at it and now have the Fitbit Inspire and I strive for 10,00 steps a day, if I don’t get them I don’t stress.
Food and Drink
I practice intermittent fasting and have for years, even before it had a name. I have never been a breakfast person so this way of eating suits me fine. I won’t give all of the details of what I eat but I will say this, not every diet or eating plan works for every person, you have to find what works for you and do that.
I do not eat gluten and rarely eat dairy because I get inflammation when I do so much so that I cannot bend my fingers.
I didn’t eat meat for 23 years and started to eat it again about 5 years ago. When I wasn’t eating meat my hair fell out, my nails were brittle and I was not getting enough protein in my diet, not to mention that 80% of my diet seemed like it came from carbs.
I eat sugar, I know that many think it is bad and that is fine but I eat it. I don’t drink coffee, never have but I love my daily cup of Parisian hot chocolate. I drink water and green tea as well. And I love champagne and cocktails and pizza and pasta. I try to eat everything in moderation.
If you were judging me solely based upon the recipes and photos on the blog you would think the only thing we eat is cakes, candy and cookies. But looks can be deceiving, 95% of all of the treats shown on the blog are in the house for the photos and then they are sent off to friends, family, neighbors, the Fed-ex and UPS man and even my dentist.
Fresh Air and Vitamin D
I make sure to get some fresh air every day, sometimes it is a walk outside, or playing in the yard with the pups and sometimes it is just sitting on the porch in the sun reading a book.
Night Life
In the evening I like to wind down by reading. I don’t really watch tv, I like movies but I am not really into series so most nights you will find me reading a book or reading magazines and articles on the internet. I also like to talk online classes, this keeps the mind sharp and it is fun to learn new things.
I head to bed at 10:00, turn off the phone, write in my gratitude journal, and will continue to read until it is time for lights out, then I say my prayers and I am off to sleep.
I also make sure to go for wellness exams, yearly physicals, mammograms, etc. My list is by no means complete, but a few things that work for me especially during the last year. I am a person that likes a routine and this has helped me a lot.
How do you take care of yourself? Do you Exercise? What is your favorite way to exercise? Do you try to get 10,000 steps a day? Do you intermittent fast or is there another program that works for you? Please share your health and wellness tips I would love to learn more about taking care of myself as I age.
Have a great day friend!
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I love this. So very true you have to work on what works best for you on each of these. My husband and I have both enjoyed yoga and had a paid online 60andme yoga that we loved and used until sometime during Covid it quit working. I, too, am a night owl and getting enough deep sleep is what I am working on now. Moderation is so my goal for weight and healthy eating, plus I love that WW keeps me accountable to myself. I miss swimming at our gym and I need to get back in a healthy walking routine and add yoga back in. Drinking water is a goal daily, as is, quiet time for prayer and journaling…And,like you, so much of what I cook here, especially during Covid has been delivered to happy folks! Thanks for sharing!
Leslie, you have had an amazing covid journey and your transformation shines like a bright light. Taking care of our bodies, mind and spirit are critical for well being. Have a wonderful day my friend!
I have just embarked on a study and simple practice of Ayurveda…warm oil massage, neti pot, gentle yoga and during this transition season, trying to eat more bitter, astringent and pungent foods to cleanse the palate…I am 72, a 2 time cancer survivor, finally learning to take better care of myself.
Patricia this sounds wonderful! I think women in general neglect their health and it takes us a little while to realize that we need to do more for ourselves. IT sounds like you are doing everything right! 72 years young and many many years left to enjoy family and friends. Taking care of yourself will help fight off cancer, thank God you survived two bouts!
THIS IS YOUR BEST POST EVER!
I ENJOYED IT!
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I have exercised my entire LIFE until this last year!I do not even walk.
We will see down the road how that benefits me!!!!
My exercise is in the GARDEN.
Thank you Elizabeth! That means a lot! I think that working in the garden is getting you all of the exercise that you need.
I seem to sleep fairly well, and while I set an alarm for days I’m working, I rarely need it, as I usually wake up a few minutes before. My primary exercise is walking. It used to include swimming, but that was before Covid. We’re not yet back at the point where pools are opened up again.
William, they say it is best of you just wake up naturally so you are doing something right. Walking is a great exercise, it is free and you can do it anywhere. Hopefully soon your pool and the world will open back up. In the meantime, stay healthy.
Wonderful post
I will get a fit it thing. Sleep is better when I turn off the TV right after or before 11 o’clock news. It has added over an hour to my nightly snooze.
Maywyn, I think you will like the Fitbit, it keeps you motivated and it really does spur you to walk and work a little harder at getting some exercise. As we age sleep and our health are very important! Have a great night.