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Why Health and Wellness Gifts Are Important

Health and wellness gifts are important because they promote self-care and a focus on personal well-being. By giving the gift of wellness, you are showing the recipient that you truly care about them. Even better, it will be clear that you have taken the time to put thought and effort into finding something that fits them and their lifestyle goals. This is intentional gift giving at its best and is an approach that will bring both you and the recipient a great deal of satisfaction.

Here are a few other reasons why health and wellness gifts are important:
1. Encouraging self-care: Many people may neglect their own well-being due to busy schedules or other responsibilities. Health and wellness gifts serve as a reminder for your people to take time for themselves and prioritize their health.
2. Promoting a healthier lifestyle: Health and wellness gifts often involve activities or products that encourage healthier habits such as exercising, eating well, practicing mindfulness, or getting enough sleep. By giving these gifts, you’re helping your loved one adopt a healthier lifestyle.
3. Reducing stress: Stress is a significant factor in overall health and well-being. Health and wellness gifts, such as massage tools, stress-relief products, or relaxation items, can reduce stress levels and promote a sense of calm and relaxation.
4. Enhancing mental well-being: In this day and age, focusing on mental well-being is crucial but is something that many of us put on the back burner. Items like journals, meditation apps, or aromatherapy products can help a friend or family member improve mood, reduce anxiety, and boost mental clarity while promoting the prioritization of mental health.

Tips for Choosing the Best Wellness Gifts

Choosing the right wellness gift requires thoughtfulness and understanding of the recipient’s needs and preferences. It’s also important that you don’t use gift-giving as an opportunity to promote your own agenda for health and lifestyle changes that you think that person should be making but that they haven’t necessarily expressed an interest in. If it comes across as pressuring them, even the seemingly best health and wellness gifts will go unused.

Here are some tips to guide you:

• Consider their lifestyle: Are they always on the go or do they enjoy spending time at home? Do they prefer indoor or outdoor activities? Consider their lifestyle and choose a gift that complements it.
• Know their Interests: Do they enjoy yoga, meditation, cooking, or reading? Choose a gift that aligns with their interests.
• Understand their Needs: Are they stressed, tired, or struggling with physical discomfort? Choose a gift that addresses their specific needs.
• Think about Longevity: Choose a gift that they can use over a long period of time. This not only ensures value for your money but also provides ongoing benefits to the recipient.

Popular Gift Ideas for Health and Wellness

When it comes to gift ideas for health and wellness, I have five primary categories that they fall under. These are fitness equipment and accessories; healthy eating and kitchen gadgets; organizational and coping resources; gifts to destress, unwind, and relax; and health and wellness experiential gifts. Here’s a list of the best suggestions for each of those. 

Fitness equipment and accessories 

1. Fitness trackers

Fitness trackers can track various activities like steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, and even sleep. This data can help the user understand their daily activity levels and make necessary adjustments to achieve fitness goals. Many fitness trackers also have built-in heart rate and blood pressure monitors. In addition, they often come with features where users can set goals and receive reminders to move if they have been inactive for a while. 

2. Resistance bands

Resistance bands can be used for a wide range of exercises and fitness levels. They make a great gift because they’re very portable, take up minimal space, and can be used to increase mobility, improve flexibility, and strengthen specific muscle groups without putting excessive strain on the body. 

3. Yoga Mats

If you know that the person you’re buying a gift for is ready to become more focused on exercise and health, a yoga mat is an essential piece of equipment to help get them started. Of course, they can be used for yoga and Pilates, but they’re also ideal for stretching, core workouts, and floor exercises. In addition, they can be rolled out anywhere and at any time for meditation and mindfulness sessions. 

4. Water bottle

Staying hydrated is crucial during workouts or any physical activity, and a high-quality water bottle can help in achieving this. Water bottles should be made of stainless steel or at the very least, BPA-free plastic and should have a flip-top lid or a built-in straw for easy drinking. They should also have a wide-mouth opening for easy filling and cleaning and a handle for carrying. I prefer a 40-ounce water bottle because I know that filling it up twice a day is getting me close to my water intake goals. 

5. Personal training sessions

A personal trainer can create personalized workouts based on the recipient’s specific goals and fitness level. This ensures that the exercises are tailored to their needs and maximize results. In addition, personal trainers can teach the correct form and technique for different exercises, reducing the risk of injuries and ensuring that the recipient gets the most out of their workouts.

Healthy eating and kitchen gadgets

1. Meal plan subscription

Busy individuals or those who struggle with meal planning and grocery shopping will appreciate the convenience of a meal plan subscription. It eliminates the need to research recipes or make grocery lists, making it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle. When choosing a meal plan subscription, consider the recipient’s dietary preferences, lifestyle, and cooking expertise.

2. Meal-prep kit subscription

A meal-prep kit subscription offers a convenient solution for those who want to eat healthier but don’t want to or don’t have time to put too much thought into cooking. These kits often focus on providing nutritious and balanced meals, making it easier for the recipient to maintain a healthy eating routine without having to spend time planning and grocery shopping. Most meal kit subscriptions offer a wide range of recipes to choose from, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary requirements. This allows the recipient to try out different meals and discover new flavors.

3. Blender

A blender is a versatile kitchen appliance that can be used for various tasks such as blending, pureeing, and mixing. Blenders are suitable for making smoothies, but they can also be used for soups, sauces, dips, and even crushing ice. While there are very high-end, heavy-duty options out there (hello, Vitamix!) that would make great gifts, I can also say from extensive experience that the less expensive versions also do the job nicely. 

4. Nutribullet

A Nutribullet is a high-powered blender specifically designed for making smoothies and extracting nutrients from fruits and vegetables. It comes with different-sized cups and blades, allowing the user to blend and drink directly from the same container. 

5. Rice Cooker

Rice cookers are designed to simplify and streamline the cooking process. With automation and programmable settings, they eliminate the need for constant monitoring or stirring. This convenience allows the recipient to prepare healthy meals quickly and efficiently, even on busy days. Rice cookers can also do more than just cook rice. Many modern rice cookers come with multiple functions, allowing you to steam vegetables, prepare soups and stews, and even make oatmeal or quinoa. 

6. Air fryer

Air fryers use hot air circulation to cook food, requiring little to no oil. As a result, it significantly reduces the overall fat content in the food, making it a healthier alternative to deep frying. They can also do more than just fry; they can grill, roast, and even bake. This versatility allows for a wide range of healthy cooking options, including vegetables, seafood, meats, and even desserts. As another bonus, air fryers cook food faster than traditional methods. With their rapid air circulation, they can reduce cooking time by up to 30%. This feature can be particularly attractive to someone who wants to enjoy healthy meals without spending too much time in the kitchen.

If you really want to dive deep into this category, I have an entire post dedicated to the 10 Best Kitchen Gifts for Healthy Cooking. Be sure to check it out!

Gifts to de-stress, unwind, and relax

1. essential oil

Essential oils are made from natural plant extracts and have been used for centuries to promote relaxation and overall well-being. They are often used in aromatherapy due to their ability to trigger certain responses in the brain. Different scents, such as lavender, chamomile, and bergamot, have calming properties that can help ease stress and anxiety. When giving essential oils as a gift, consider including a diffuser or a guidebook that explores different uses and blends. This will enhance the recipient’s experience and help them discover new ways to incorporate essential oils into their daily routine.

2. Soy candles

I am a huge advocate for using candles to combine beauty, scent, and ambiance to provide a multi-sensory experience that can help create a calming, soothing, and relaxing atmosphere. Soy candles are best because, unlike traditional paraffin candles, they produce less soot and pollutants, making them a healthier and greener alternative. In addition, soybean oil is a renewable resource and biodegradable. I love gift sets with a variety of scents so that the recipient can experiment and see which they love the most.

3. massage gun

Massage guns are portable devices designed to provide deep tissue massage and help alleviate muscle tension and soreness. They offer multiple massage heads and speed settings to cater to individual preferences. The percussive action of the massage gun helps improve blood flow, reduce muscle stiffness, and promote relaxation. The recipient can use it to target specific areas of tension or for a full-body massage. 

4. Bath bombs

Bath bombs have gained significant popularity over the years because of their ability to create a soothing and relaxing experience. They are infused with various essential oils that release calming fragrances when they come into contact with water. Many bath bombs contain nourishing ingredients such as shea butter and coconut oil, which can help hydrate and soften the skin. This can be especially beneficial for those dealing with dry or irritated skin. The key to giving bath bombs as a gift is to buy from reputable brands that only use natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals. Since even natural ingredients can cause some irritation, if you know the recipient has sensitive skin, you’ll want to skip the bath bombs and opt for another relaxing gift option. 

5. Shower steamers

Shower steamers create a spa-like atmosphere in the shower. As they dissolve in the hot water, they release aromatic and essential oils, filling the shower with a soothing, calming scent. The recipient simply places them in a corner or on the floor of the shower, and the hot water activates the fragrance. 

6. Luxury travel pillow

A luxury travel pillow is ideal for the person in your life who is constantly on the go. Specifically designed to provide comfort and support to the neck and head while traveling, they are typically compact and lightweight, making them easy to carry around. No more falling asleep in the wrong position and waking up with a sore or cramped neck and shoulders!

7. Weighted blanket

Weighted blankets use deep touch pressure to provide a soothing sensation that can help calm anxiety and reduce stress. The added weight simulates the feeling of being hugged or held, releasing happy hormones like serotonin and oxytocin. According to Penn Medicine, “The gentle pressure on your body provided by a weighted blanket can also help to calm you by activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers your heart rate when you’re stressed.” Remember, before purchasing a weighted blanket as a gift, it’s crucial to consider the recipient’s preferences and body weight. Selecting the right weight and size will ensure maximum comfort and effectiveness. 

8. Wellness journal

Research shows that journaling can help reduce stress levels. It allows people to unload their worries, anxieties, and frustrations onto paper, which can help them release negative emotions and find a sense of relief. In addition, wellness journals often include prompts or sections for gratitude, goal setting, and personal growth. Encouraging the recipient to focus on the positive aspects of their life, set intentions, or work toward self-improvement can enhance their overall well-being and promote a more relaxed state of mind.

9. Mindfulness cards

Mindfulness cards encourage the recipient to be fully present and aware of their thoughts, feelings, and sensations. They can help cultivate a sense of calm and tranquility by offering a variety of practices such as breathing exercises, meditation techniques, gratitude prompts, or simple mindfulness reminders. This variety allows the recipient to choose activities that resonate with them and align with their specific needs. I love mindfulness cards as a gift idea for health and wellness because they’re portable and easy to use anytime and anywhere. 

Organizational and coping resources 

1. Organizing session gift card

Giving a gift card for a session with a professional organizer can be a thoughtful way of helping a loved one overcome any feelings of being stuck or overwhelmed by their surroundings. Professional organizers have the knowledge and experience to declutter and organize spaces effectively and can provide personalized advice and strategies to suit the individual’s specific needs and lifestyle. The key to successfully giving this gift is that you only want to do it for someone who has specifically expressed an interest in getting help with organizing. In those cases, it could be one of the most appreciated gifts you ever give. On the other hand, if the person hasn’t said that they want to get more organized, this could be seen as a not-so-subtle passive-aggressive way of telling them you think they’re disorganized and messy. 

2. Printable packet or notebook

Putting together a packet or notebook of self-care or lifestyle hack printables makes a unique and thoughtful gift idea for health and wellness for daughters, daughters-in-law, or friends who still have younger children. If you need a good resource for these, I absolutely love the self-care printables for moms available over at Mostly Under Control. Melanie is a busy mom of four and definitely knows a thing or two about how to keep it “mostly under control.”

3. Goal tracker

Goal trackers can be an excellent gift idea for anyone who wants to improve their organization, daily coping skills, and overall productivity. As the name implies, these tools provide a structured way for the recipient to set and track their goals. It helps them break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks, which enhances motivation and a sense of accomplishment.

Health and wellness experiential gifts

1. Massage gift certificates

Massage therapy is well-known for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety and to promote relaxation. A massage session can help alleviate tension in muscles and release endorphins, promoting a sense of calm as well as helping to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall mood. Massage therapy also has various physical health benefits. It can help relieve pain, enhance circulation, improve flexibility and posture, and boost the immune system. Most massage therapists offer gift certificates for single sessions or deals on packages for multiple sessions, so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from for this health and wellness gift. 

2. Reiki gift card

Reiki is a Japanese energy healing technique that promotes relaxation, stress reduction, and overall well-being. It works by channeling life energy to the recipient, promoting the smooth flow of energy throughout their body. This energy balance can lead to improved physical and emotional well-being. Reiki can be a great wellness gift option for those interested in exploring holistic healing practices. 

3. Wellness retreat packages

A wellness retreat package offers the recipient the opportunity to escape their daily routine, relax, rejuvenate, and focus on their health and wellness. This type of retreat typically includes various activities such as yoga, meditation, spa treatments, fitness classes, healthy meals, and workshops on stress management, mindfulness, and nutrition. It provides a holistic approach to wellness, addressing both physical and mental health.

4. Yoga or pilates sessions

Yoga or pilates both offer various physical health benefits such as improved flexibility, strength, posture, and balance. Engaging in yoga or pilates also provides a great opportunity for relaxation and stress relief. The breathing exercises and mindful movements during these sessions can help the individual achieve a calm and centered state of mind. Yoga and pilates classes come in various styles, levels, and durations, making it easy to find the perfect fit for the recipient’s preferences and fitness level. I recommend getting them a general gift card that would cover any of the basic classes, and then they can choose which session(s) they would like to attend. 

5. Spa day

A spa day can provide numerous benefits and is a thoughtful present for someone in need of self-care. Treatments such as massages, acupressure, facials, and aromatherapy can help the recipient to reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, and simply get a much-needed pick-me-up. These activities allow them to disconnect from their daily routine and focus on their well-being.

In addition, many spas offer treatments that help eliminate toxins from the body, such as body wraps, saunas, and steam rooms. These can aid in cleansing the body and leaving the recipient feeling refreshed and revitalized. Hot stone massages and therapeutic massages can help alleviate muscle tension, pain, and reduce inflammation, and facials and other skin care treatments can help improve skin health and appearance. Overall, if you’re trying to find a great gift idea for health and wellness for a busy woman, you really can’t go wrong with pampering them with a spa gift. 

6. One-on-One or Group health coaching

For the women in your life who have expressed an interest in getting healthier or in achieving specific health and wellness goals, one-on-one or group coaching sessions are definitely something to consider. One-on-one health coaching provides support and guidance tailored to the individual’s unique needs and goals. The coach works closely with the recipient to develop a personalized plan, taking into consideration factors such as their current health, lifestyle, and preferences. Group coaching takes a more general approach but still offers plenty of education, support, and most of all, accountability in what is usually a more affordable way.

Health coaching focuses on a holistic approach to health and wellness, considering physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Whether they are one-on-one or in a virtual group setting, the sessions can cover a wide range of topics, including nutrition advice, stress reduction techniques, sleep optimization, and lifestyle modifications to support better overall health.

It’s important to keep in mind that giving a single one-on-one health coaching session won’t be worth your money or the recipient’s time. It takes at least three months of twice-monthly sessions to give any results a fair chance of becoming lasting and sustainable habits. If you’re interested in gifting one-on-one health coaching sessions for a loved one, I’d be happy to speak with you further to help make sure it sounds like a good fit. If you’d rather consider gifting a membership to my Empowered Health and Wellness for Women Over 40 Facebook group, be sure to check out all of the details, then let me know if you have any questions.

Bottom Line on Gift Ideas for Health and Wellness

The next time you are looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, consider these gift ideas for health and wellness. They’re not only a great way to show your love and care, but they’ll also contribute to improving the recipient’s overall well-being. Happy gifting!

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Why Fitting Exercise Into a Busy Schedule is Important

Fitting exercise into a busy schedule is essential because staying active is crucial for both physical and mental health. Exercise helps improve energy levels, reduce stress, and improve cognitive function, which is essential for productivity. Moreover, it helps to maintain a healthy weight and keep your body and its systems working properly, which is key for preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In a nutshell, instead of thinking, “I don’t have time to fit exercise into my busy schedule,” we should be thinking, “I don’t have time NOT to fit exercise into my schedule.”

Common Barriers to Exercise for Busy People

As busy people, we often neglect our physical health because we put other responsibilities first. In many cases, we assume that we’ll just fit exercise in, but then find that’s easier said than done. This perceived lack of time is one of the most common barriers to regular exercise.

Others include fatigue at the end of a busy day and often at the beginning of it. If we didn’t get enough sleep the night before, it can be extremely difficult to muster the energy needed to do a workout. Another barrier that I often hear about is a lack of motivation. It’s simply easier to put other things first if we don’t have goals or outcomes that we’re working toward, or if we don’t have someone holding us accountable.

Tips for Fitting Exercise Into a Busy Schedule

To help address these actual or perceived barriers to fitting exercise into a busy schedule, I’m bringing out 13 of my favorite tips for helping turn my clients’ health around. Feel free to file them away to pull out if one strategy isn’t working and you need something else.

Exercise first thing in the morning

You can start to work in some movement before you even get out of bed. Tightening and releasing your quads, flexing and pointing your feet, and doing a few circles with your ankles can help ease the stiffness that many of us feel as we take the first few steps of the day.

Once you are out of bed, I highly recommend getting your main exercise session in first thing. This makes sure that no matter what else happens with your day, you’ve already it’s already done. You can also work exercise into your routine for getting ready for the day. Some examples include dropping down and doing some push-ups or core exercises while you’re waiting for the shower to warm up as well as doing squats while you’re brushing your teeth.

Schedule exercise into your day

Put it into your calendar or planner and treat your time to exercise just like any other appointment that you wouldn’t miss.

Break up your workout

Splitting movement into 5-10-minute chunks throughout the day is a great way to get in exercise. To remind you, set an alarm on your phone, watch, or movement tracker for 10-minute breaks throughout the day. Then, this is key, don’t ignore it when it goes off!

Exercise during your lunch break

This can work very well for people who get a set amount of time for lunch. Just keep exercise clothes and shoes in your car or desk so you don’t have to worry about trying to remember them every day.

Move during your kids’ activities

Unless your child is actually playing in a game or otherwise performing, there are very few reasons why you need to sit and watch an entire practice. They need their space, and you need your time to take care of yourself.

Look for ways to work movement in at work

This can be taking the stairs instead of the elevator; if walking to work isn’t an option, park 10-15 minutes away and walk the rest of the way; exercise, stretch, or at least pace around your office during meetings or calls; and use a standing desk or treadmill desk. (Full disclosure: when I really have to concentrate, standing while working doesn’t click for me, but when I’m doing tasks that don’t take a lot of thought, it’s a welcome break from sitting.)

Dance while fixing dinner

That’s right – crank the music up and move while you’re chopping, stirring, or waiting for something in the oven!

Make exercise part of the time that you spend with your significant other or friends

This way you don’t have to make a choice between doing something healthy for yourself and being with those that you love.

Use a free online workout

These can be done at your own pace and split into smaller, separate sessions if needed.

Do workouts that combine cardio and strength training

If you can’t get in both a cardio session and strength training on a regular basis, having full-body workouts that include both is an effective option that makes efficient use of your time.

Exercise while watching TV in the evening

While I am a big advocate of allowing your body and brain time to wind down at the end of the day, before you totally veg out, get in some movement while getting caught up on your favorite show.

Wear a tracker

Let’s face it, most of us tend to overestimate the amount of movement that we get in throughout the day if we’re not doing a focused exercise session. Wearing a tracker gives you an accurate accounting and often motivates you to reach your exercise goals.

Play with your kids or Grandkids

While children do need to have time when they play by themselves or with other friends if they are at the stage where you need to be close by to keep an eye on them most of the time, working in a vigorous game of tag will create memories and help to keep you healthy.

Bottom Line on Fitting Exercise Into a Busy Schedule

As we’ve seen here, fitting exercise into a busy schedule is possible, it just has to be a priority. Once you’ve determined it is, you can use these strategies to find efficient ways to work movement into your daily routine.

If working regular exercise into your busy schedule is a challenge, I’d love to talk with you about how we can work together to do that. While the tips that I’ve given here are tried and true strategies, everyone’s situation is different, and you may need a more individualized approach. If this is something that you’re interested in exploring, feel free to reach out to me at info@peppermint-tea.com.

The post 13 Ways to Fit Exercise Into a Busy Schedule appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

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Types of Goals

Most of us have had the experience of setting goals only to abandon them three weeks or even three days later. That’s usually because we didn’t follow a fairly simple structure of goal-setting that includes three primary types of goals.

Vision or meta-goal

Your vision or meta-goal is your big picture of what you want to achieve¹. It ultimately helps to define the why behind your actions and should always be stated in positive or affirming language. An example could be, “I want to be comfortable and feel good as I live a long and active life.” Compare that to the “I want to lose weight” that many people start with, and it’s fairly easy to see the difference.

Sub-goals

Sub-goals are where many of us tend to start when setting goals, but, in fact, they are really mid-level. They’re more tangible and specific and help us to get more focused on how we’re actually going to achieve our overall vision or meta-goal. You’ll probably have at least several sub-goals. Examples could be, “to develop healthy eating habits and routines” and “to add more movement throughout the day.”

Micro-goals

These are the consistent habits or actions that will allow you to achieve your sub-goals. In other words, they answer the question of “how” you’re going to achieve your sub-goal. An example for our sub-goal of developing lifelong healthy eating habits could be to eat vegetables at every meal.

How to Determine Your Vision

To determine your vision or meta-goal, think about the why behind what you currently believe is your ultimate goal. Let’s face it, for most of us, saying, “I want to increase the amount of strength training that I do,” isn’t going to get us very far. Why not? Because very few people would actually get ^out of bed at 6am on a rainy Monday morning because they want to increase the amount of strength training that they do. It doesn’t give us a true reason or motivation for doing the hard stuff.

On the flip side, thinking about wanting to be comfortable and to feel good as you live a long and active life would probably help to get you out of bed to go do your strength-training. In other words, your vision helps to guide the daily decisions and choices that you make.

How to Set Sub-Goals

For some people, determining sub-goals is easy. For others, brainstorming is needed to come up with the goals that will lead to achieving the meta-goal. You can list these out and then prioritize them to decide which one you want to start with. Some goal-setting experts tend to skip over this level of goals, but I’ve found that this structure is easy to understand and seems to be the most straightforward.

How to Set Micro-Goals

When you’re determining micro-goals, you’re thinking about the actions that will help you achieve your sub-goals. Just like with sub-goals, you need to develop a list of these and then determine which you’re going to achieve first.

If you’re in education or in the business world, you may have heard of SMART goals. This means that goals have to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, and Time-based. The micro-goal level is where these come into play. If making sure that your goals fit into this framework makes sense to you, then this is what you should use.

Since I come from a journalism background, I tend to relate better to my adaptation of Bauer and Liou’s² simpler alternative of identifying “what, how, and when.”

What?

The what is your goal. It is what you are saying you want to do or achieve.

How?

My version of “How” has several components to consider.

1. Make your goal public. You can do this by announcing it to yourself and others. Many people use social media for this, while others simply announce it to their spouse or family.
2. Build in a reward system. This should be something that offers extrinsic motivation. An example could be buying a new yoga top after exercising for five days a week for a month.
3. Measurable. This means that you can measure your progress toward your micro-goals in a quantifiable way. Instead of just saying “I’m going to walk every day,” say “I’m going to walk for at least 30 minutes every day.” Another way that you can measure your progress is by using a goal tracker (paid link). They are available in a physical form and can be placed where you spend the most time or you can use an app.
4. Adjustable. What is the Plan B if something happens to alter Plan A? If you’re trying to walk for 30 minutes every morning before work and it’s pouring outside one morning, what will you do instead?
5. Realistic. You need to make sure that your goal actually makes sense and is achievable. It should also be something that is truly within your control.

When?

The last step for setting micro-goals is to think about by when are they going to be achieved. If your micro-goal is to exercise for 30 minutes every day and you currently aren’t exercising at all, you’ll need to allow time to gradually add it in. Your when could be that you have built up to exercising every day after a month.

Since our overarching goal with all of this is to create lasting, sustainable change, the hope is that your micro-goals will turn into habits that you will continue as part of your healthy lifestyle. As you achieve one, you can add in another until you feel like the sub-goals that you’ve been working toward aren’t goals anymore but are a regular part of your life.

Lean on Your Community

If you have questions about any of this or need support in achieving your healthy lifestyle goals, feel free to message me @peppermintteahealth on Instagram or through Facebook. You can also email me Robyn@peppermint-tea.com.

Sources

1. Goal-Focused Coaching: Theory and Practice. Yossi Ives and Elaine Cox. 2012.
2. Nutrition Counseling & Education Skill Development. Kathleen D. Bauer and Doreen Liou. 2012

The post How to Set Goals and Achieve Them appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

For most of us, the importance of stretching is a severely underappreciated concept. That is until the time when we get out of bed multiple days in a row and our joints are stiff and creaky. At that point, you may find yourself pledging that if you can only walk like a normal person that you’ll do yoga and stretch every day and that you’ll never, ever take your muscles and flexibility for granted again. 

The fact is though, that most of us do take our flexibility and range of motion for granted, but we shouldn’t. They are what help us to be safe when we’re moving, to move in the way that we want to and to feel good as we’re doing it. That’s why I went to Jennifer Bunn, PhD who is a Kinesiology Professor and Associate Dean for the College of Health Sciences at Sam Houston State University. In this Q&A, she explains why stretching is so important and should be a part of our daily routine. 

Peppermint Tea & Me: What is stretching? 

Jennifer Bunn: A lot of people think of stretching just with flexibility, but really, it’s taking a joint through its full range of motion. When you do that, you actually end up pulling and elongating on the muscles that are attached within that joint. And that’s where you feel that stretch. 

PTM: Why is stretching important?

JB: The importance of stretching can’t be underestimated. If you don’t move and take your joints through their full range of motion, then you will lose that range of motion. Especially as you get older, your muscles will tighten up a little bit more than when you were younger. As that happens, your joints actually reduce how much motion they can have if you don’t stretch those muscles regularly and allow movement through that full range.

It’s also important to talk about balance – both from right to left and making sure that the right side of your back has a similar range of motion as the left side of your back. There’s also balance from front to back or anterior to posterior. We don’t want to find ourselves hunching forward all the time and reducing the range of motion that we have on the front side of the muscles compared to the back. 

PTM: Who should stretch?

JB: That one’s easy. It’s everybody. Everybody needs to move their joints and take their joints through a variety of ranges of motion and preferably through the full range of motion. That’s especially true through COVID where we’ve found ourselves working from home and in front of computers more. People who sit a lot need to stretch. 

PTM: Is there anyone who shouldn’t have a regular stretching routine?

JB: Anyone with degenerative joint disease should consult a medical professional before incorporating stretching into their routine. 

PTM: How often should we stretch?

JB: Daily. Even a couple of times a day. Just to kind of move things around. Even going from sit to stand will actually stretch the front side of the muscles that are in your hip to lengthen them back out after they’ve been shortened for a long time. So, people are probably doing it more frequently than they’re giving themselves credit for. 

PTM: When are the best times to stretch?

JB: If you are doing purposeful stretching and trying to really increase range of motion, you want to try and make sure that your muscles are warm, and your joints have become a little bit looser. When there’s increased temperature in the muscles, they move better. To give an example of this, when people do hot yoga and are able to move in ways that they aren’t usually able to, it’s because really warm muscles can really move. They can go into positions that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to when they’re colder. 

PTM: How long does it take to warm the muscles up and is there anything specific that we should be doing to do that?

JB: Not long. It takes maybe 5 or 10 minutes. You can walk about. You can go on a little baby jog. Whatever it is. Hop on an elliptical. Any of those kinds of things would be good before you really stretch. You can also do a complete workout. Do your workout in full and then stretch at the end. Most of the time at least some of your workout will get you into that range of motion and then you could do your full stretching routine if you wanted to at the end to really kind of push your muscles a little bit further as far as flexibility goes. 

PTM: What are the different forms of stretches?

JB: There are two forms that we typically use with stretching. There’s dynamic and static stretching. Dynamic stretching is when you move the joint through its range of motion. Things I think of for dynamic stretching are when you do like monster kicks where you kick your leg out in front of you and try to touch your fingertips with your toes. Or where you do knee hug walks where you take a step, you bring your knee up to your chest, you hug it, take a step, do the next one, and come up and hug it. So that’s kind of dynamic flexibility. 

Static stretching is when you go into a stretch and you hold it for 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or whatever it is. The goal of that is to try and progress the range of motion even further. 

PTM: What do you consider to be the top areas that people should pay attention to when they stretch?

JB: The ones that I think of, especially now, as we find ourselves in Zoom Rooms constantly, or if your job usually requires a lot of sitting, you want to stretch your hips, your back and probably your neck. The reason I bring up the neck is that whenever we’re on a computer or even on our phones, we end up drawing our heads forward and that creates a misalignment of the spine. The same kind of thing goes if we’re seated a lot over a keyboard or something similar. Everything crunches forward, and we make kind of like this C shape with our head, our back and even our hips moving forward. So, stretching all of those back out is a good idea.

PTM: What should we not do when we’re stretching?

JB: Don’t take a joint or a muscle past a point it doesn’t want to go. Listen to your body. If you’ve got an area of your body that’s saying, “Yes please stretch me,” pay attention to where it says, “Stretch me only to this point.” Do your best to kind of relax as you move. Don’t stretch an area that’s really tightened and fussy with you. If your body starts to talk to you a little bit, or even yell at you, as you’re trying to stretch that area, don’t ignore that. The best thing is to just listen and draw back a little bit and put it back into a place where it’s not going to be so fussy. Then maybe the next time you can try to push it a little further. 

When you’re working on stretching and flexibility, you do want to be able to feel the muscles pull a little bit. It should be that “hurts so good” kind of idea and not an “Oh no, I’ve just pulled something and now I can’t move.” That’s where your body is telling you, stop, reverse, go back and start over. 

Stretching Resources

If you’re now convinced about the importance of stretching, Jennifer has some suggestions for incorporating it into your day in a manageable way. Among those is seated or desk yoga. Here are some sequences that she recommends.

• Yoga at Your Desk with Adriene ***Jennifer’s favorite
• Yoga at Your Desk – 10-Minute Office Yoga Stretches
• Office Break Yoga
• 5-Minute Desk Yoga for Neck & Shoulders
• 5-Minute Break – Office Yoga
• Yoga at Your Desk | Yoga with Tim

Jennifer also recommends stretches similar to the ones demonstrated at the following resources as being good for overall flexibility:

• Spinal Rotation Stretch
• Seated Twist
• Pigeon Pose

The post The Importance of Stretching appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

I am a firm believer in the power of a morning routine. How we start the day has a huge impact on how the rest of the day will go. If we keep hitting the snooze button, wake up at the last possible second, rush to get dressed and get the kids off to school, skip breakfast, gulp down a cup of coffee and barely get to work on time, the chances that we’re going to be our best for the day are slim. On the other hand, waking up early enough to start the day in an intentional way stands a much better chance of setting us up for success as well as boosting our overall health and wellness. In this article, I’m looking at what a morning routine is, why it’s important and some of my tried-and-true morning routine ideas for getting the day started off right. 

What is a Morning Routine?

By definition, a routine is regularly doing things in a fixed order, usually at a particular time. A morning routine is any type of routine that happens as you’re starting your day – whether that day begins at 8am or 11pm for shift workers. According to Northwestern Medicine, “routines offer a way to promote health and wellness through structure and organization.” While we don’t want to have every minute of our day scheduled, it is beneficial to have some structure, otherwise it’s easy to be unorganized, distracted and not accomplish the things that we want to. 

While there can be many different views on what a morning routine is, I look at it as what I do before my workday starts. It is what helps to get me in the right place physically and mentally for the day ahead. Depending on your stage in life and whether you work from home or have a commute, a morning routine can take 30 minutes or two hours. It’s whatever works best for you. Some days, you may have to adjust it a bit, but for the most part, your morning routine is how you regularly start the day. 

Morning Routine Ideas

If you listen to interviews with some of the world’s most successful people, you’ll find that most rely on a morning routine of some type. Even before I learned this, it was simply something that came naturally to me. I knew that I felt better when I started my day in a more structured way and that I felt worse when I didn’t. It wasn’t too hard to figure out which I preferred. Here are some morning routine ideas that I can highly recommend. 

Set your alarm

If you have to be somewhere at a set time, get kids off to school or have any other morning obligations, you’re probably going to need to set an alarm in order to get your morning routine in. This may mean moving your bedtime forward a bit so that you get the sleep you need, but I can promise that this habit will be worth it. After you’ve conditioned your body to your new routine, setting an alarm may not even be necessary. 

Write in a gratitude journal

This doesn’t have to take long. Just list 5-10 things, people or experiences that you’re grateful for. An article in Greater Good Magazine cites gratitude expert Robert Emmons as saying that gratitude affirms “that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.” This can be powerful if we’re struggling to see past our own problems or are feeling down or stressed. 

Write in a free writing journal or do a brain dump

A free writing journal gives us a chance to reflect on our experiences or anything that we’re feeling. A brain dump offers the opportunity to clear mental space by getting all the thoughts running through our mind onto a piece of paper. Both exercises help to acknowledge and process extraneous thoughts and feelings that may be causing us anxiety or taking up mental energy. 

Do some kind of exercise or movement

While at least 150 minutes a week is what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends, any amount is going to give you some health benefits. Even if you usually get your main exercise in during the afternoon, stretching or moving your body in some way in the morning will help to wake you up and get your body going after a night of sleeping. 

Read

If finding time to read is tough, carving out a few minutes in the morning can be a relaxing way to ease into the day. 

Get dressed for the day

While this may be a bit obvious, I include it as part of a morning routine because that makes it an intentional activity that I have to set aside time to do as part of my preparation for the day. If I don’t look at it in that way, I rush through the process, already feeling frazzled and as if I should be doing something else.

Fix breakfast

If you don’t take the time to fix breakfast for yourself because you simply don’t need it, then skip this. If you don’t fix breakfast for yourself because you don’t think you have time, then making it part of your morning routine will do wonders for your health and your pocketbook. Even if you don’t have time to eat it before you leave the house, take something with you to eat on the way or when you arrive at work.

Update your budget

What?? You might ask if you haven’t read my post on Creating a Budget for a Healthier You. As I mention there, taking 5 minutes to update your budget (what used to be known as balancing your checkbook) every day makes it so that it’s not an overwhelming task at one time. It also helps to guide your decisions throughout the day. 

Read or watch local news

Keeping on top of what’s happening in your local community is just as important as keeping up with national and international news. With all of the online resources available these days, it’s fairly easy to stay on top of national news. Local news, on the other hand, is easy to lose sight of. Setting aside a few minutes each morning to do this will keep you on top of what is happening in your own backyard.

Reattach to work

I love this one! If we’re successfully detaching from work at the end of the day, it only stands to reason that reattaching at the beginning of the day would make sense. Researchers found that reattaching, or rebuilding a mental connection to work, is important for staying engaged and focused during the day. 

This article in Greater Good Magazine suggests that in preparation for your workday, you ask yourself the following questions.

1. Why does the work I do matter to me? How does my work impact the lives of others?
2. Who are the people—both at work and in my personal life—who support me and my professional success?
3. What would I like to focus on today?

While you won’t be able to fit all of the above ideas into your morning routine, I recommend picking 2-4 that resonate with you and see how they work. 

The Morning Routine That Has Served Me Best

Depending on what phase of life you’re in, you’ll probably need to switch up your morning routine to accommodate your other obligations. You may also need to adjust the time that you wake up. When my boys were younger, having a little quiet time to myself was so important to me that I woke up at 5am just to fit it in. While that was definitely early, it would have been much harder on me not to fit it in at all. Now that I don’t have to do everything for my one son still at home, I get to sleep until 5:45am or 6am. 

Here’s a look at the most recent version of my morning routine that has served me best. 

5:45am = wake-up and get dressed in workout clothes

6 – 6:15am = meditation

6:15 – 6:30am = journaling

6:30 – 7:15am = exercise/stretching and listen to local and national news

7:15 – 7:45am = get dressed/fix breakfast

7:45 – 8am = eat breakfast, update budget, reattach for work

8am = start work

** This has been my best pandemic routine. In “normal” times, I would allow for the five-minute drive to and from the gym.

Clearly, life happens. If I need to go for a stretch of letting myself sleep a little later, I do. But if I let myself go for long periods of time without making room for my morning routine, I definitely start feeling off and know that I need to get back on track.

Bottom Line on Morning Routines

The point in all of this has been to give you plenty of morning routine ideas to choose from that might work for you. The key is being realistic about the kind of time that you have or are willing to make in the mornings to fit it in. Even if you can only sit quietly and then exercise for a few minutes, those are things that will help you start the day feeling better than if you had slept late and rushed out the door.

Do you have a morning routine? If so, let us know in the comments what it is so that we can all get ideas.

The post Morning Routine Ideas for Getting the Day Started Right appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

If you’re into high-intensity interval or intermittent training (HIIT), then you may be familiar with Tabata training. While originally developed (and still primarily intended) for elite athletes, this crazy intense type of workout has hit the mainstream fitness community. It’s being lumped in with the overall idea that you can get the same fitness results with faster workouts than you do with longer ones. Sounds good, right? In reality, it’s not quite that simple. It depends on what your starting fitness level is and what your fitness goals are.

Because there does seem to be so much conflicting information out there about what Tabata training is and who it’s for, I went straight to Tabata training founder and professor at Ritsumeikan University Graduate School of Sport and Health Science Dr. Izumi Tabata, PhD. He graciously answered my questions and helped to shed light on why Tabata training may or may not be right for recreational exercisers.

What is Tabata Training?

Before we go any further, let’s define what Tabata training is. In Dr. Tabata’s April 2019 article, Tabata Training: One of the Most Energetically Effective High-Intensity Intermittent Training Methods¹, Tabata training is described as 8 sets of 20 seconds of high-intensity exercise with 10 seconds of rest between the sets. Dr. Tabata specifies that it should exhaust subjects during the 7^th or 8^th set and that the “Exercise intensity is constant from the first to the last session of the exercise¹.”

That makes Tabata training a HIIT method. According to Walter Thompson, PhD, FACSM in his Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2018 ², “HIIT typically involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a short period of rest or recovery and typically takes less than 30 minutes to perform³.” What Tabata isn’t though is interval training. That’s where you exercise at low intensity between bouts of high-intensity exercise. Tabata is intermittent training, which, as Dr. Tabata says, is where “Exercisers completely stop the exercise and rest for a while¹.”

How Tabata Training is Done

Tabata training takes four minutes to complete and, like other high-intensity interval training, can achieve results when performed at least 2 days a week¹. That’s it. Eight sets of intense exercise for 20 seconds each with 10 seconds of rest between each set. This is something that Dr. Tabata was adamant about when I asked him about programs that tout eight-minute, 20-minute or 30-minute Tabata workouts. If it’s more than four minutes, it’s not truly Tabata training – at least as it was originally intended.

What Tabata Training is and Is Not Good For

Dr. Tabata says that Tabata is effective for athletes that need both an aerobic and anaerobic energy supply. Since aerobic means “with air” or oxygen³, aerobic exercises include walking, swimming, running or cycling and involve steady cardiovascular conditioning⁴. Anaerobic means without oxygen³ and includes activities such as sprinting, high-intensity training or weightlifting.

Some sports, like speed skating, combine both of these energy needs. That’s why Dr. Tabata developed his training – to help these types of elite athletes take their training to the next level and to increase their overall performance. While he fully admits that he does “not know why and how Tabata training attracted recreational users,” he does now believe that his training could be beneficial for a more “normal” exerciser as well as elite athletes. He says that’s because “maximal aerobic power is also a preventive factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and so on.”

One thing that seems fairly clear though is that Tabata is probably not suitable for beginning exercisers. And no matter what the exercise tolerance level, Dr. Tabata strongly encourages anyone over the age of 40 to undergo a medical check before beginning his training method.

Another group that Dr. Tabata does not believe will benefit from Tabata training includes those who are trying to lose weight. He says that none of his subjects lost weight and there have been no scientific articles that reported weight loss through Tabata. He attributes any weight loss that has supposedly been seen as a result of Tabata to the extensive warming up and cooling down exercises that are usually done before and after the training itself. In short, if you’re trying to lose weight, Dr. Tabata says that 60 minutes of running will be far better than his training.

Bottom line

If you’re already in moderately good shape and are used to exercising, Dr.Tabata believes that any type of high-intensity exercise could be used for his training. The key is that the exercise intensity has to be constant throughout the four minutes.

Resources

There are free Tabata timers available online and through apps. The one I like best is the Tabata Timer and HIIT Timer that is available through the App Store.

Sources

1. Tabata, I. Tabata training: one of the most energetically effective high-intensity intermittent training methods. J Physiol Sci 69, 559–572 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12576-019-00676-7https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12576-019-00676-7
2. Thompson, Walter. (2017). WORLDWIDE SURVEY OF FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2018 The CREP Edition Apply It. ACSM s Health & Fitness Journal. 21. 10-19. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322129087_WORLDWIDE_SURVEY_OF_FITNESS_TRENDS_FOR_2018_The_CREP_Edition_Apply_It
3. Andrew Hamilton. The Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Systems. https://www.peakendurancesport.com/endurance-training/base-endurance-training/aerobic-anaerobic-energy-systems/
4. 10 Aerobic Exercise Examples: How To, Benefits, and More. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/aerobic-exercise-examples

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Have you ever had periods of time where you simply feel right? We’re talking both mentally and physically. You feel in balance, you feel strong, you feel… well. That’s what I call Real Health.

If you have felt that or you still do, this website is geared toward helping you maintain that incredible state of being. If you haven’t felt that in a long time or maybe ever or when you did, it was fleeting, helping you achieve your version of Real Health is what Peppermint Tea & Me is all about. That’s why we need to define what Real Health is as well as lay out some actionable first steps that you can take to achieve it.

Please Note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through some of the links included on this page. 

What is Real Health?

As you’ll be reminded frequently if you hang out in this space regularly, I believe that Real Health is achieved by recognizing that every part of us – mind, body and nutrition – is connected. Monique Class, MS, APRN, BC agrees. She’s a board-certified family nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist in holistic health at The Institute for Functional Medicine.

In a conversation about holistic health, Monique told me that “the mind, body and spirit (if you want to use that word), are all connected and are a unified whole. There’s bi-directional communication, meaning what happens to the body influences the mind and the emotions and what happens in the mind influences the body.”

This is understanding that when it comes to our health and overall wellbeing, causes and effects are not simply either physical or “mental.” Most of the time, they’re both. Melissa Grabau, PhD reminds us in her book, The Yoga of Food: Wellness From the Inside Out (affiliate link) that “How we feel day to day, our general health and energy levels, and our overall sense of safety and peace in our own flesh have an enormous impact on how we feel about ourselves and our capacity to function effectively in the world.”

Role of Nutrition

So, what does all of this have to do with nutrition? Everything! Julie McGregor, MD works with the Integrative Medical Clinic of North Carolina and is a board-certified internist and nephrologist trained in integrative medicine. She told me that, “Nutrition is a part of building up our physical cells, but it’s also an emotional choice and has a lot of overtones. What we choose to eat has to do with where we are emotionally and also then leads to an emotional response in our body.”

This connection can lead to a healthy, well-oiled machine when it comes to our body and our mind. Failure to recognize this relationship though can lead to us living a life that is less than our best or even worse, spiraling through physical or mental issues that we have more control over than we may think.

Common Barriers to Real Health

According to our experts, the most common barriers that many women run into when it comes to achieving Real Health can really be narrowed down to two primary areas.

1. Unhealthy relationship with food.

Both Monique and Julie say this is one of the primary issues they see when women especially don’t recognize how connected everything really is. Some of the primary reasons for this unhealthy relationship can include emotions, social or community expectations, or programming.

Monique gives the example of coming home at 8:00 p.m., going straight to the freezer, pulling out the ice cream and eating it until the whole container is gone. If you do that every night, it becomes a pattern. “We know physiologically that every time you do that pattern, you create wiring in the brain. It’s called neuroplasticity. So, neurons that fire together wire together. Every time you do something over and over again or choose a particular food over and over again, you get hardwired into the brain where that choice becomes automatic and not conscious.”

The same concept is true of emotions. If you reach for chocolate or something sweet every time you feel anxious or stressed or alcohol every time you feel angry, you’re hardwiring your brain to react to those emotions with food.

2. Lack of self-care.

Julie says this is a huge issue for women because we put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect in every aspect of our lives. To have perfect careers, to keep a perfect home, to be a perfect mom, to be perfect daughters and to be perfect friends.

“There’s a lot of pressure that we put on ourselves, and the one who ends up coming last is ourselves. So many of my female patients who are in their 50s or 60s come to me fatigued, worn out, completely depleted, having not concentrated on wellness for themselves. They were out trying to achieve perfection in every component of their lives for, you know, 50 or 60 years. Then, they just can’t keep going because there isn’t that attention of self-care or focus on wellness for oneself.”

She’s found that this often leads to obesity, depression, thyroid disorders and general physical unwellness that plagues us around the time of menopause. “This, coincidentally, is a lot of times when we’re retiring or when we’re empty nesters, or during these transitions when the adrenaline stops and the body is just feeling the effects of decades of neglect.”

First Steps Toward Achieving Real Health

To shift away from these barriers, there are several first steps that you can take to achieve Real Health.

1. Love yourself and be happy with yourself just as you are.

There may be things that you want to change, but Monique says that accepting and loving where you are right now has to come first. Then you can identify and become aware of the areas that you want to change in a healthy, realistic way.

2. Carve out time for self-care.

We may not be able to exercise for an hour every day, get a massage once a week or meditate for 30 minutes every morning, but there are plenty of things that we can do. It’s all part of making sure that we’re the best versions of ourselves now and that we don’t end up tired and depleted when we finally do feel like we have the time.

3. Become aware of the choices that you’re making.

According to Monique, this is critical for making any kind of change in your life. She suggests that as you reach for that ice cream every night, that you notice the behavior and check in with yourself and think about what you’re feeling, what you’re eating for, or what you’re hungry for. More times than not, you’ll find that you’re not hungry for the food, you’re looking for something else.

The first step, she says, isn’t taking that food or behavior away. You have to first recognize the behavior and then begin to figure out what you’re really hungry for or what you really need in that moment. At that point, you can substitute the behaviors that truly address those needs for the ones that aren’t serving you well.

4. Drink more water

You may think that you don’t like water, but your body does. In fact, the U.S. Geological Survey says our bodies are made up of up to 60% water, so we have to have it to survive. Since we want to do more than just survive, we want to thrive, Julie puts this step toward the top of the list for achieving Real Health and adopting an attitude of overall wellness.

5. Get better sleep.

Julie says this has to be a priority. I’m the first to acknowledge that this isn’t always as easy to do as it sounds, but there are things you can do to not only make sure that you’re getting the amount of sleep you need but that it’s quality sleep as well.

6. Move as much as you can.

Here are some ways that you can work movement into your day, whether you have 30 minutes at a time or 5-10 minutes here and there.

Real Health on a Budget

“That all sounds great, but even if I can find the time to take care of myself and to eat more healthy, nutritious food, I can’t afford it.” If that’s what you’re thinking, I’m here to ask you to be willing to think differently. Gym memberships are not a requirement for achieving Real Health and neither is having someone else to watch your kids while you focus on yourself.

Yes, whole, nutritious food is going to be more expensive than a 99-cent fast food burger, but in the long run, it evens out. Without health issues that could have been prevented with different lifestyle choices, you’ll likely save money in a number of ways. These include doctor’s visits and prescriptions as well as not missing work or losing opportunities among many others.

Real Health on a budget isn’t about an attitude of lack, it’s about an attitude of abundance. It’s being grateful for what you have and recognizing that healthy can be affordable. It’s also allocating your dollars in a way that supports your priorities rather than automatically spending money in ways that don’t serve you well. 

Mind + Body + Nutrition + On a Budget = Real Health

Julie sums it all up in a beautiful way. “How we exercise and what we choose for our physical wellbeing as far as movement and environment and choices about stretching or meditation, and our choices with our nutrition all affect how we think and our emotions. In turn, all of our emotions affect how we move, where we put our bodies and the choices we make for our physicality and our diet.”

Because of how entwined these factors are, Real Health looks different for everyone. Yes, the general steps outlined here are good places to start in achieving it, but Real Health is very individual. What it looks like for me probably won’t be the same for you. The goal for all of us though is to live in that place of personal wellness as much as possible and to draw on the strength and power that brings to live our best life possible.

The post What is Real Health? appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

Getting back on track with our health is different than when we’re just starting out. We know we can do it. We know what the benefits are and have experienced them before. And we know generally what we need to do to get back to feeling the way we want to.

Life simply happens sometimes. Instead of beating ourselves up about it, we just need to guide ourselves back to where we want to be. That’s where I am at this point. Life not only happened recently; it body slammed me. While my health and wellness habits are part of what helped get me through, they also took a beating. That’s why I need a tune-up. While everybody’s version of getting back on track is and should be different, I wanted to share what I’ll be doing over the next 21 days to get myself back to where I want to be.

Drink 96 Ounces of Water a Day

This is the amount that Brooke Goldner, M.D.  recommends so that we can survive and thrive. Dr. Goldner is the founder of VeganMedicalDoctor.com, GoodbyeLupus.com and creator of the Hyper-Nourishing Nutrition Protocol for Lupus Recovery.

I can vouch for the fact that when I drink this much each day, I simply feel better. It also makes me feel full so that I’m not snacking throughout the day. I know that the key for me is to finish my 40-ounce water bottle by the time I’m done with my morning workout. Since I’ve already had 8 ounces with my tea and 8 ounces in my smoothie, all I need is another 40 ounces throughout the day.

Cut Out Wine

This is my version of Dry January. I don’t feel like I need to cut wine out of my life completely, but after extremely stressful times, I think it is helpful to take a break and get back on track. If I drink a glass here or there, I want it to be out of enjoyment, not because I rely on it as a coping mechanism.

Move More

When I don’t make getting enough movement into my day a priority, things go south pretty quickly. I need it to feel better physically and mentally. Five days a week at the gym for an hour each day is my goal. I’ll also be working in some type of movement on the other two days. I’ve found that I need a combination of cardio to de-stress and to just get my energy going, strength training to keep my muscles strong and stretching to keep my body flexible. Since I sit at a desk all day, I’ll also be working in hourly breaks to just get up and move for a couple of minutes.

Eat a BIG Salad Every Day

This is another Dr. Goldner recommendation that goes with her suggestion of eating eight cups of raw vegetables every day. While I don’t need to get all of that through my salad, a big serving bowl full is about 5 cups – just the right amount.

Dramatically Reduce Refined, Added Sugar

When I feel my best, I’m eating virtually no refined, added sugar. The problem though is that I am without a doubt a stress eater, and when I stress, I often want chocolate (or popcorn). There are plenty of times when I have a great deal of self-control, but when I’m stressed is not usually one of them. If I know it’s going to be a stressful time or now, as I’m trying to wean myself off of too much sugar, I’ll try to keep 85 percent chocolate around or bite-sized servings of something that’s naturally sweetened. I still have to limit myself to small portions of those though because even natural sweeteners can spike blood sugar.

Write in My Gratitude Journal

Writing in my gratitude journal forces me to take a few minutes every day and appreciate my life. It’s hard to get too down or stressed when I can recognize everything that I have and the lessons that I’ve learned. I will spend a few minutes first thing each morning writing down at least five things that I’m grateful for. This will help add perspective as I start the day.

Meditate Every Morning

Since my head tends to flood with thoughts, worries and to dos the second I wake up, meditating helps to counter the “noise” with some balance. As a naturally fairly intense person, it helps me to step back and be more thoughtful for myself and others. If I’m feeling overwhelmed, it’s safe to assume that it’s been a while since I’ve meditated. When I meditate regularly, I simply don’t get like that. That’s why strengthening my meditation practice will be a big part of my getting back on track over the next 21 days.

Connect More with Others

Working from home is a good fit for me because I need quiet when I’m truly thinking, and I think more creatively when I’m by myself. I honestly believe that’s my brain’s retaliation for the years of sensory overload from working in a noisy and hyper-vigilant newsroom. The challenge though is making sure that I’m not too isolated and that I make an effort to connect with others.

That’s why I’ll be pushing myself over the next three weeks to find new communities that fit my interests and to take more initiative in getting together with friends. I certainly don’t feel the need to fill up all of my spare time just being “busy,” but I know that I need more meaningful connections and the only way that’s going to happen is by putting myself “out there.”

Eat 100 Percent Plant-Based

Let me be clear. This is a personal goal for me. I do not believe that a purely plant-based diet is best for everyone. It can be a healthy choice for some, as much as I know that eating meat as a source of protein is better for others. I have eaten what I call a 98 percent plant-based diet for several years now, and I know that I simply feel better eating that way.

My two percent not counted in there is the fact that I love cheese. While I don’t eat it most of the time at home, if you put a platter of cheese and crackers or a pizza in front of me, I’m going to have trouble saying no. It’s also a way of participating in social situations without eating meat. This wouldn’t be such a big deal except that as I’ve gotten older, I simply don’t feel as good after I’ve eaten cheese. Since real health is about finding what makes us feel the best individually, I think cheese is going to have to go.

Ethical Considerations

The other major factor in my decision years ago to start eating this way is that even though I’ve eaten meat for all of my life and grew up on a farm, I realized that I truly don’t want to do harm – either directly or indirectly – to another animal. That is my personal choice and viewpoint, but I do not judge those who do eat meat. My sons and husband certainly still eat meat, and I respect their decision as much as I expect them to respect mine. When I buy meat for my family however, I do try to buy it from farmers that I know at the farmer’s market so that I know that it was raised in the most humane way possible.

Have More Fun

There’s no doubt about it. As I’m getting back on track, I need to get more genuine fun into my life. I love to work and that’s an integral part of who I am, but it certainly can’t be everything. I’m also very good at handling crisis situations – whether they’re my own, my family’s or someone else’s – but when they’re done, it’s hard for me to remember what I’m supposed to do during regular times. Having fun should be a consistent part of the regular times.

These are the 10 things that I’m tackling for myself over the next 21 days. If you decide that you need a reset as well, feel free to use my challenge to begin thinking about how you feel and what you need to get yourself back on track. If you develop your own list, feel free to share it in the comments below or through social media.

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Since I have a weightlifting son who puts a lot of effort into timing his eating around his workouts, I started wondering whether I should be paying more attention to what I eat and when I eat it in conjunction with my workouts. Afterall, I, like most people, want to make sure that if I’m putting in that much effort, I’m getting the most out of it. To get the answers I was looking for, I turned to Dani Singer, CEO and Director of Fit2Go Personal Training in Baltimore, Maryland. In this Q&A, Dani fills us in on all of the do’s and some of the don’ts of eating for exercise and what we should be eating before and after working out.

Peppermint Tea & Me: We know that elite athletes and weightlifters are cognizant of what they eat when in order to optimize their workouts or training, but do regular people need to do the same when we’re exercising if the goal is not necessarily weight loss but to become or stay healthy?

Dani Singer: A big part of that comes down to the individual. If you’re running, it’s going to come down to how well you can perform during the run, how well you can improve your cardiovascular efficiency and what makes you feel good after. Whatever exercise you’re doing, it’s about how you can perfect your personal performance. If eating a certain way before a run or workout makes you perform worse, then don’t do it. If it makes you feel better, do it.

PT&M: Is there a certain timeframe in which we should eat before we exercise?

DS: What, for most people, works really well is to eat at least 30 minutes if not 60 minutes before their run or when they exercise. That’s where to start. Some people will be great 30 minutes before, and some people will eat 30 minutes before and they’ll be like, ‘Oh my God no, I get so nauseous, I have to do 60 minutes before.’ So, start with that kind of recommendation of you want to do it 30 to 60 minutes before and see what works for you.

PT&M: What should be eaten before we exercise?

DS: What you want usually is some kind of quick digesting carb around your workouts, which is different than what you usually want to have. Most of the time you want to have slow digesting carbs. You want to have something like whole wheat, brown rice, and something with whole grain, whole fiber. But when you’re doing your workout, that’s when you want the simple, quickly digesting carbs because you want them to be easily converted into fuel, as you’re running, weightlifting, or whatever you’re doing.

You don’t want to have a huge meal, because you just don’t want to have so much that you feel too full and it’s slowing you down, and you don’t want to have too little that you’re feeling hungry and that you are not able to perform as well. Generally, we recommend for clients to do something like a smoothie. Where it will be a fruit smoothie, so the fruit is simple, there’s simple, quick digesting carbs, and we’ll have some Greek yogurt or some protein powder or something in there. If you have both the protein and the quick digesting carbs, that’s really what you need for your workout. One serving of simple carbs, one serving of protein, and then for most people, they’re good to go.

PT&M: How does our nutrition impact what we get out of our exercise?

DS: Everything comes down to conversion of energy. You’re constantly expending energy by breathing, by just being alive. And then when you are exercising, you’re intentionally expending more energy. So, the energy has to come from somewhere. The primary sources of energy our body uses are glucose or fat. Glucose is sugar. All carbs are composed of sugar, and glucose is your body’s preferred source of energy. It’s the best. It can be converted to energy the most readily and the most effectively for your body. Whether it’s an apple, whether it’s brown rice, or whether it’s white rice, all carbs are just chains of simple sugars. So, it’s a question of how long those chains are. Whole grains will be longer chains. Fruit will be smaller chains. The idea is that the smaller chains are more easily broken down. So, if you’re having fruit, it can be quickly broken down and then your body can use it. If you’re having something with whole grain, your body is going to take a long time to break that down before it can actually utilize it. That’s why generally if you’re eating those quick digesting carbs, it’s just spiking your insulin. You usually don’t want that, but you do want that readily available around your workout.

PT&M: What should we eat after we exercise?

DS: If you’re just having a banana and a Greek yogurt before your workout, you’re probably still going to be hungry afterward. Then it might be a good time to have breakfast. You might have some eggs and some oatmeal or something like that, but I wouldn’t say that you necessarily need to have a meal at a certain time after.

PT&M: I think most people have heard the saying “You have 30 minutes to recover” after you exercise, but what does that really mean?

DS:  There’s the idea of the anabolic window, which is somewhere between 30 to 90 minutes post workout. Anabolic means just building up. In fitness, we’re talking about building up muscle. When you’re doing your workout, you’re breaking down your muscle fibers and then you have that window where it can most readily utilize nutrition to repair and to build back stronger muscles. The initial research on the anabolic window was done probably 10 years ago at least. Since then, more research has shown that it’s really like 24 hours after your workout that you have that anabolic window. There may be some extra benefit to doing it within 30 to 90 minutes, but the only ones really pushing that strongly are the protein powder companies.

PT&M: If someone is trying to lose weight, eating just after exercising may seem counterintuitive. Do the same rules apply in those cases?

DS: One thing I would caution against is when people are thinking about losing weight, is not to think, ‘Okay I just burned all these calories, so let me not eat now, or I’m going to eat later.’ Because if you’re holding back from eating, specifically if you are hungry and you’re holding back, not only is it not healthy, but you’re going to end up, for most people, they’ll end up just eating even more later. What matters with weight loss is the total calories throughout the day. So, don’t stress about having to put them around your workout, other than how it affects your workout and your performance.

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What is Strength Training and Why is it Important?

Karen says that when women talk about “toning” and wanting to look “toned,” what they’re really talking about is building muscle and decreasing body fat. “Muscle is more dense than fat, so that’s going to give you that toned appearance that people are looking for.” Strength training uses resistance to cause the muscle contractions that build strength and endurance.

This is important because according to the Mayo Clinic, as we age, lean muscle mass naturally diminishes. “You’ll increase the percentage of fat in your body if you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time.” Karen warns that makes us more susceptible to falls because it puts our joint stability and balance at risk. “The more you can move your body with load, the safer you’re going to be as you age.” So, while strength training may help us achieve that “toned” look we want, it’s also about how we feel, how we move and about longevity.

Gaining Weight with More Muscle

In addition to getting “bulky,” another common fear that women have about strength training is whether it will make them gain weight. The answer to this is “maybe,” but it all really depends on how you eat. Karen reminds us that five pounds of muscle and five pounds of fat is still five pounds. So, it’s actually hard to tell by the scale. What you need to focus on is body fat. This includes both your essential body fat and body fat that you just store. As you can tell by the name, we have to have essential body fat, but body fat that is just stored and doesn’t serve a purpose should be reduced. Karen says that if you have your nutrition in check and you’re decreasing in body fat while increasing muscle, your weight isn’t going to go up because of the increased muscle. If you have unhealthy eating habits and you continue to eat like that while you’re increasing muscle, you may gain weight, but that has to do with the fact that you’re not decreasing body fat because of what you’re eating.

Another reason why the scale may not always be telling the entire story is that the number you see doesn’t say whether you’re healthy or not – it doesn’t indicate whether you’re “toned” or strong. That’s why, in her training, Karen tries to get people off the scale. She says that many people decrease their fat calories to almost nothing, and they lose weight according to the scale, but they also lose muscle as well. “Even though they’re lighter, they might feel flabbier because they lost muscle in the process. They’ve lost all this weight and may feel like ‘My number on the scale is right, and my size is where I want to be, but I’m too soft.’ It’s because they lost muscle and didn’t lose the fat.” That’s why Karen believes that it’s much better to lose fat and build muscle at the same time while also trying to make sure that your nutrition is as healthy as possible.

How Strength Training is Done

Since strength training is all about using resistance to build muscle, it can be done pretty much anywhere. It can be done in the gym, at home, with weights, with bands, with kettlebells, with barbells, or simply with your body weight. Karen says that when it comes to building strength with your own body weight, “You’re thinking about progressions and leverages. How are you taking your body, building tension, and using different progressions to change the intensity, the density and the volume? By changing those parameters, you’re making something harder or easier with your own body weight and are able to build strength and muscle that way.”

According to Karen, the type of strength training you do depends on what your goal is. Pure strength training is lower in volume but higher in intensity. You pick a progression and elevation or a weight to make it harder on you and then you only do so many repetitions. Strength endurance will be a little bit easier, but you’re going to go longer or harder. The intensity might be less, but the density would be more.

Getting Started with Strength Training

Before you start any type of strength training program, Karen suggests the following steps:

Have Functional Movement Screen Done

A Functional Movement Screen should be done by an FMS expert. It’s a screening tool that makes sure you’re moving well so that you’re not starting with some type of dysfunction. If you do have something like that, you address it first and then build your strength.

Determine Movements That You Enjoy

The next step is figuring out what type of movements you enjoy doing. As Karen says, “If you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to stick with it.”

Find a Trainer

Then, Karen recommends finding a trainer. She says that starting with a trainer allows them to assess what your goals are and what you’re starting point is in order to determine the most effective programming for you. It will also make sure that you’re learning the correct ways to do the movements. That doesn’t mean that you have to stay with a trainer forever, but Karen says, “Understanding proper movement is going to fast-track your strength gains and keep you safe as opposed to jumping into something where you’re not really understanding how your body should be moving.”

If you do decide to start with a trainer, Karen advises checking into their areas of certification. If you want to learn kettlebells, then you need to look for a kettlebell instructor or someone who is kettlebell certified. The same thing is true if you know that you want to focus on barbell or body weight strength. If you want variety in your training, any certified personal trainer should be able to help you.

How Long To See Results

Of course, one of the main things that most people want to know as they begin strength training is how long it’s going to take to see results. Karen says that if you have your nutrition in check, you can see results in a couple of weeks. If you don’t have a good nutrition plan in place, it may take a while. “You may start to feel stronger, but you may not necessarily get that look that you’re looking for without changing your diet as well.” She normally has her students commit to four weeks and says that you can definitely see changes in that amount of time.

Resources

As a master instructor for StrongFirst, Karen focuses on kettlebells and body weight training as far as the workshops, courses and certifications that she teaches. She also provides distance coaching and program design as well as private training sessions for anyone living in the Dallas, Texas area. You can also check out her website, for ebooks and programs that are sold online.

If you’re interested in learning more about how strength training could fit into an overall healthy lifestyle for yourself, I’d love to talk with you about how my coaching program can help you do that. Simply watch my short program video and complete my brief questionnaire, and let’s see if we’re a good fit!

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