This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Garlique
Self-care is always important, and during seasons of our lives that are more stressful, more isolated, or just busier, we need to especially prioritize making sure we don’t feel depleted or neglected. I wanted to share some of my favorite tips for great self-care for those of you who may be feeling a bit stagnant, or who feel your health could use some more attention… hopefully they will help you feel motivated and energetic!
My favorite 5 tips for staying healthy all year round:
1. Walk everywhere, and always take the stairs. Granted, walking up 8 flights of stairs at work can be a challenge, but the less we sit, the better our heart health. Standing, walking, and climbing stairs are all great for our bodies, and we look better too (secretary butt is a real thing!). If you work someplace with lots of stairs, consider skipping the elevator and making those staircases your aerobic exercise for the day, and if you’re just starting out, walk up until you’re tired and take the elevator the rest of the way to your office to build up your stamina. Try taking the stairs anywhere they are available as much as you can, and if a store or library is less than a mile away, put on your walking shoes and enjoy a stroll while the beautiful summer weather is still here. Fresh air is really good for you too!
2. Eat clean, and skip meals. I pretty much only choose organic if the option is available, and shop most of my groceries from the rim of the store- produce, meats, eggs. Eating healthy is important, but I also feel like many of us eat too much, and I definitely have a better day and more energy if I skip breakfast and enjoy my first meal of the day as lunch (salad with chicken is a favorite choice for me). Longevity is linked to shorter daily eating windows, as is better weight management, and increased stamina. If you aren’t hungry, don’t force yourself to eat breakfast just because it’s touted as “the most important meal of the day”… instead, listen to your body and feel free to skip any meal you want. Just don’t make up for it with last night bingeing, and try to keep the eating window tight (eat both meals with 7 hours and let your body digest and rest the other 17 hours of the day).
3. Only drink water and coffee/tea. Water has many health benefits, and coffee and tea has a slew of great side effects as well (when enjoyed in moderation- maximum of 2-3 cups a day if they are caffeinated). I cut out alcohol, soft drinks, energy drinks, and anything artifial long ago, and don’t miss the sugar cravings or rise and crash those beverages would cause me at all. It’s surprisingly easy to maintain a healthy weight if you aren’t sipping down empty calories or causing insulin spikes with sugary drinks throughout the day, and you feel better overall as well.
4. Take Garlique Healthy Immune Support Formula for its immunity supporting blend that includes garlic and antioxidants like Vitamin C. Garlique is a great way to incorporate the many health benefits of garlic without the side effects (like heart burn and garlic breath), in a once-a-day, easy to swallow, odorless and tasteless pill. Garlique is the #1 pharmacist recommended garlic supplement, and provides daily immune support that promotes healthy cell function and your body’s natural immune defenses, and well as supporting a healthy cardiovascular system. The garlic used in Garlique has the highest allicin yield, which is the powerful compound in garlic that scientists believe have the most health benefits.
Garlique Healthy Immune Support Formula is gluten free, vegetarian friendly, soy-free and Non- GMO. There is also a Garlique Healthy Cholesterol Formula and Garlique Healthy Blood Pressure Formula, but for my personal needs, Garlique Healthy Immune Support Formula with Vitamins B6, C, D, Zinc (cold fighters!) is just right, offering more than other garlic supplement or immune supplement I’ve tried in the past.
5. Have a happy-making hobby A hobby or past-time that fulfills you and relaxes you is a quality of life enhancer, and balances out the “perfect square” of life – health, wealth, love, and self-expression. All my other tips in this post focus on health, and your job and relationships are linked to your success with wealth (prosperity) and love, but if you don’t have a way to funnel your creativity and energy into creations or activities that make you feel energized and proud, and feed what fulfills your spirit, then something will feel like it’s missing. It can be simply reading classic novels while enjoying your own homemade tea blends, painting watercolor landscapes that you envision in your mind, or beating up the bad guys in your mind while you throw down in kickboxing class… if it makes you feel satisfied, then do it! We all need a hobby that makes us feel good.
What are your tips for self-care?