TODAY’S GUEST POST FEATURES INSPIRED WORDS FROM FRIENDS OF GONEGIRLGO WHO HAVE A PENCHANT FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
I work with so many women at different stages in life, making incredible changes in their lives, yet their energy levels have tanked!
Women who have baseline creativity, energy, and motivation and are driven to create fulfilling and purpose-filled lives, but they’re tired, aren’t sleeping, have gained some weight or don’t feel as engaged as they should.
Sound familiar?
As a board-certified functional medicine health coach, I can tell you that if this sounds like you, you’re not alone and it doesn’t have to be this way.
Despite what mainstream media says – that once you hit a certain age – tiredness, insomnia, and weight gain are part of aging, well, all that’s a myth!
There are legitimate reasons for these things to happen as we get older, but in traditional medicine, your doctor will tell you to either take medication or see a therapist, right?
By making these small shifts and incorporating healthy habits in your life, you can toss that narrative down the proverbial drain. Zoe tells me you are some amazing women, so I hope this post helps level up your energy!
I’m here to help you understand that within a functional medicine framework, we try to get to the root cause of symptoms and offer longer-term solutions rather than quick fixes.
Functional medicine is a new way of thinking. It seeks to look at the body not as separate systems but as mind, body, and spirit.
It takes into consideration how your lifestyle choices and environment have an incredible impact on the functioning of your body, mind, and spirit daily.
Have you heard of the gut microbiome?
Prevailing research supports the idea that most symptoms and health issues begin in the gut. Your gut, called “the second brain,” controls a lot of what goes on in our brain/mind.
Almost 90% of our serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, is created in the gut.
Imagine that!
If we heal our gut with healthy foods, less stress, more sleep, and a little movement, we can get rid of melancholy feelings or lack of motivation and get energized instead.
Most of us feel that doing more in our lives is the solution to leveling up when, in reality, doing less and making better choices is the key.
Let’s look at ten healthy habits you can do to level up and escalate any business or personal goals you’ve set.
By adding these straightforward behaviors throughout your day, you can increase your energy, sleep better, and possibly drop a few pounds. You don’t have to do them all but choose a few to start with and see how they change your day, and ultimately your life.
#1 Wake up at the same time every day
Do you wake up consistently at the same time every morning whether it’s a weekday or weekend? You might want to make this a habit. Our bodies work best with a circadian rhythm.
#2 Move your body in the morning
Find time to include movement into your morning routine. Even if it’s just 10 or 20 minutes. Walking, running, yoga, or tai chi. Add 10 minutes a few times during the day and before you know it you have 30 minutes of movement or exercise in your day.
#3 Eat a protein at breakfast
Eating protein with breakfast and with every meal is a fantastic tweak you can make to increase your energy. Try free-range organic chicken sausage, protein powder in your smoothie or plant-based protein options.
#4 Self-Reflecting
When you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, and stressed out with deadlines looming, find 5 or 10 minutes to be quiet and contemplative. It’s likely the last thing you would think to do, but it’s the best way to create space in your mind and support productivity.
Start the day with breathing, meditating, praying, or gratitude journaling.
Or add them at select times of the day – before lunch, after lunch, at the 3:00 slump or before going home. Then begin to notice what’s different on the days that you choose these practices. MIND-BLOWING!!
#5 Drink more water
You can live in a state of mild dehydration and not even know it. And this can make you feel more tired. That’s why drinking the recommended intake of 1/2 your body weight in ounces is so essential.
#6 Decrease your sugar intake
Drop added and natural sugar from your diet. If you look at the nutrition labels of your favorite foods, you will be surprised to find how much sugar they contain! Start by getting rid of one item a day.
#7 Stand up instead of sitting down
If you work at a desk or in a sedentary job, get up every 50-60 minutes for at least 10-15 minutes. Have you heard the phrase “Sitting is the new smoking”? It’s true.
Sitting raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other ailments.
#8 Say no
Before committing to a request from a friend or family or even coworkers, buy yourself some time to decide if you should say yes or no. Say “no” to things that are not within your values and priorities. Learning to say no is elemental to gaining energy. Listen to your body on this one. As they say, “If it isn’t a ‘hell yes’ then it’s a ‘hell no’ “
#9 Release toxic relationship
Deciding not to answer a call from an “energy vampire” can reduce stress and add energy to your day. Most things don’t require your attention and energy, so be selective about who gets to spend time with you.
#10 Make bedtime a non-negotiable
Lack of sleep can lead to cognitive decline, increase your risk for diabetes, dementia, mood swings, and a whole host of difficulties. Create a sleep ritual to gel you fall asleep. Limit or even drop alcohol from your evening ritual. Turn off all electronics 2 hours before bed.
All of these healthy habits deserve a blog post of their own.
I’ll be sure to talk to Zoe about that. In the meantime, choose a few of them and see how these healthy habits change your overall health, productivity, and life.
If you want to learn more about functional medicine health coaching, I offer a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to see if my coaching is right for you.
Karen Bush, National Board Certified Health and Wellness coach (NBC-HWC) has the distinction of being among the first coaches in the country to be Board Certified through the National Board of Medical Examiners. A designation that places her in the top tier of health coaches in the US.
Her experience in healthcare began after receiving her Master’s degree in Speech Pathology and working in hospitals and rehabilitation centers around the country. Realizing that she needed to be on the wellness side of healthcare she trained at Duke University’s Integrative Medicine Health Coach training program, one of the pioneering programs in health coaching. Her training involved extensive work in positive psychology, mind-body medicine, motivational interviewing and the principles of behavior change.
Karen is a former health coach at the Center for Functional Medicine at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, where she worked with an exceptional group of collaborative physician providers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and dietitians. She obtained further certification through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) a collaboration with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM).
She now works in private practice collaborating with physicians and clients around the country, blending integrative and functional medicine to provide a root cause, holistic practice.
On any given day you can find her rowing on the mighty Cuyahoga river, biking, practicing and teaching yoga, hiking with her husband and dog Jackson, traveling, and cooking plant-based meals for her family. Karen provides virtual coaching sessions as part of the practice, to support you in living your happiest and healthiest life.
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