By Kim Wilson Pollock
Close your eyes and picture this: Your alarm clock goes off. You jump out of bed bursting with energy. You put on your super cute yoga pants and run out the door with vim and vigor for a 6 am workout. You are ready to OWN your day.
What? This doesn’t sound anything like your typical morning? Well, listen up! Kim here, and it’s time for a little “Morning Bootcamp,” health coach style!
The first thing you need to know about your energy levels in the morning is that they are directly related to your “night before” activities. Did you have a heavy meal right before you went to bed? Did you eat a sugary or salty midnight snack? Did you go to bed after 11 pm? All of these things will affect whether your morning is fabulous…or not.
EARLY TO BED…
For a incredible night of sleep and a morning full of pep, it’s best to eat your dinner at least 3 hours before you go to bed. If you hit the sack at 10:30 pm, you should be starting your dinner no later than 7 pm (because it is going to take you 30 minutes to eat). When you go to bed with lots of food in your belly, your body will have to spend a lot of time and energy digesting instead of healing while you sleep. So many important things happen when you are sleeping such as major restorative functions in the body like muscle growth, tissue repair, protein synthesis, and growth hormone release. Turn the TV off at least 30 minutes before slumber and get to bed before 11 pm.
DRINK WATER FIRST
When you wake up, your body NEEDS water (please step away from that morning cup of joe). Drink 1-2 glasses of water with lemon BEFORE you do anything. This will energize your body, help your liver to detoxify and get your bowels moving. If you have to have coffee, drink water FIRST and then drink your coffee WITH food (otherwise it could spike your blood sugar and send you on a roller coaster ride of craving food all day long). Hydrating should be your #1 priority after rising. Tip: Prepare your water with lemon the night before so all you have to do it wake up and grab it in the AM.
GO GREEN
Get some greens in (AKA nutrients). What you eat in the morning has an impact on the rest of your day. If you want to avoid the 3 pm crash, make sure you get optimal nutrients in the morning. My favorite way to jump start my day is with green juice or a green smoothie in the morning. It’s an easy way to “sneak in” those dark leafy greens and your cells will be doing a happy dance when they are flooded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
STAY UNPLUGGED
When you first wake up, please refrain from immediately using your electronic devices. Turn your cell phone off at night (GASP!) and do not turn it on until you have completed your morning regime (hydrate, move your body, get in your greens). Email, texts, and Facebook/Instagram are distracting. And the reason why you are always running behind in the morning is because you are not focused. Social media and emails can wait until you get to the office.
GIVE YOURSELF MORE TIME
Yes you heard me, give yourself more time. If you are leaving yourself 15 minutes to get ready before work, you are beginning your day in a stressed-out state and your cortisol will elevate. Cortisol is our flight or fight hormone. When it is chronically elevated our body hangs on to our fat and it becomes difficult to lose weight and sleep soundly. And that will lead to fatigue and irritability (and that cascades to a host of other issues like fighting with your spouse or yelling at your dog). Try waking up 30 minutes before you usually do and spend the extra time just chilling. We race around all day long which stressed out our body. A stressed out body leads to inflammation, cravings for crappy food and ultimately a non-fabulous morning.
I know. You aren’t a “morning” person. I get it. But you can become one! I promise your day will become brighter and your steps will become lighter if you start incorporating these tips into your morning. What I want you to do is SLOWLY start incorporating these changes into your routine. Don’t do everything all at once. Pick one thing to work on this week and once you have mastered it, move on to the next tip. Slow, consistent effort will lead to fabulous mornings (which lead to fabulous days and fabulous nights and fabulous weeks and fabulous months and…well, you get the point).
I want to hear from you! What is your biggest challenge when it comes to your morning routine? How can I help you incorporate one of these tips into your morning routine?
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Kim Wilson Pollock is a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach on a mission to make a jaw-dropping difference in people’s lives. She helps her clients live a more rewarding and happy life by teaching them what to eat, how to eat and why to eat it. Kim’s personal philosophy is that food is medicine. Kim’s mom inspired her to change her lifestyle and now she does the same for her clients!
Get connected on her website, Twitter , Facebook and Instagram!
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