I am trying to make some healthier choices in my day to day routine. Once again I have found myself in a rut of old habits and its time to turn the wheel. Here are a few things Ive been trying to do lately to help that... Starting with breakfast. I am a fried egg junkie. Period. I realized the other day that I had eaten fried eggs for breakfast for almost a month straight. I decided to start mixing it up again with one of my other favorites that I have let fallen to second, yogurt, berries & granola. I need to learn to switch it up more often... but I get so into my habits... especially with food.
When Im in my unhealthy habit routine I will grab a granola bar and call it lunch, and eat while I am packaging up packages or answering emails. This. is. no. good. When Im in my healthy habit state I generally eat some sort of 'pickers' lunch like this depending on what we have on hand, and eat it outside if the weather is nice... with no technology! I need alot more of this in my life.
Dinner is tricky around our house b/c James and I have very different eating habits and tastes. I eat alot more pasta and chicken than I would on my own b/c it is what he loves. I don't mind so much, but I do love the nights where we each cook our own meals... Like this huge chicken salad. It had apples, almonds, grapes, dried cherries and feta with strawberry balsalmic dressing. I actually really love making my own dinners.
Snack time for me is usually a shake. And I won't lie, I don't make the 'healthiest' of shakes. There is nothing bad in it, but it is quite fattening Im sure... but I love it, and I don't care. Usually has almond milk, flax oil, banana, peanut or almond butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, green powder & ice... and just recently I found out about adding curry and pumpkin spice to shakes, so that goes in there too. Oh, and dates or figs. So so yummy!!!
Drinking more herbal tea. Since I got the tea mix from Danmala Teas I am way more excited to make tea than just with my normal tea bags. This takes it to a whole new dimension. I just tried this blend called Bohemia and oh my I am in love. It is sweet and floral, which I actually thought I would not like, but I was blown away with its taste. It is just right. And is not ridiculously beautiful?
I tend to wait to use my essential oils until I am in dire need of them... like when Im in the middle of a migraine or really pms-ing. I have been trying to remember to use my favorite oil blend Clary Calm a few days before I start those feelings and it really helps me when I do. Another daily self nourishing thing I have been using is LaLaEarth's breast butter for daily and life long breast health. It is so important to me since I came from a line of women with breast cancer including my mom and grandmother, and lost my mom to it. This is probably my favorite self nourishing thing I do. (I'm not sure if its still active, but try using the code ROOTS10 for 10% off anything in her shop)
Another big healthy choice I am trying to make is more quality time with James. As with any relationship there are ups and downs, ebbs and flows... and with the preparation of selling my parents house, the cold winter months that seem to be dragging on, bouts of moodiness and depression from both of us, work stress, lack of time with friends, lack of exercise and the list probably goes on and on... we have found ourselves in a bit of a slump. A slump of stagnation. So we made a joint effort after finally communicating about it to bring back more of our fun things we used to do together, like playing scrabble. (of course I kicked his ass, but that is besides the point... right?) And any other little thing we can do or ways we can think of each other... Relationship and marriage is alot of fun, but also alot of work, and sometimes it is downright scary at how hum drum it can be at times... But we have both learned over the years sometimes you just need to pay more attention, change your routine, put the focus back on each other, list the things you are grateful for, and do the things that feel like 'play' together more often. Its a constant learning process.
Yoga. Need I say more? NO, but I will... I have been doing yoga off and on since I was about 18. Um... almost 14 years now... but sadly I have never allowed myself a very loooong duration of being fully committed to it. I take time off, I do it once a week, or once a month, sometimes everyday for a little while, then back to every now and then. I realized the other day how desperate my body was for movement, and I remember I had this dvd set my friend let me borrow. (I need to return it soon so I will be getting my own copy soon, its worth it). This video kicks my butt and is way different than the gentle yoga I do in my local town when I attend class... but I like it b/c it feels more like a real work out. And since there are so many different dvds that focus on different things you don't get bored. I get bored easily with doing the same dvd routine over and over again. With any kind of workout. I think that is why I never stick with them. Anyway, I love The Ultimate Yogi, so thank you Marissa for letting me borrow it all this time! It feels good to be back on the mat.
My biggest personal favorite way of showing myself love is through the bath. Probably b/c I am a cancer and so connected to water. When I am in the bathtub I can really think, bliss out, read, write, whatever it is I feel I need to get out or do during that time... I can focus more fully than I can out of the water. Out of the water I am fidgety, I can't keep myself contained to one space... I can truly relax in the water. There was a period a little while back when I realized I hadn't taken a bath in what felt like a few months, which is almost unheard of for me. I realized quickly this might be part of why I was feeling so off. Water grounds me, and connects me to spirit. I need my time in water.
Do you have any old or bad habits you feel like you need to release right now? What is keeping you from doing so? Are there things you used to take more time for but now realize they are in your distant past? How can you resurrect them today? Remember, it really is a choice.