TheRootedMomEdit

I love health & wellness, but I am also aware of the ways that even the word wellness, can cause overwhelm. I’ve been there myself; deep in the trenches of postpartum or motherhood and someone mentions wellness habits and I’ve wanted to run the other way. It can feel like one more thing I’m failing in or one more thing I feel like I absolutely have to “add” into my already busy schedule. So hear me when I say this: I understand the feeling! This is why I have decreased my “wellness habits”; to not only feel better, but to also lighten my mental load.

As noted by the Cleveland Clinic, “When mothers are physically and mentally depleted, adding one more wellness expectation can feel like it will break them.”

Simple wellness habits I incorporate into my daily rhythm & why they are beneficial:

1.) Drink water first thing in the morning! Yea I know, it’s boring, but it’s extremely beneficial (& easy to add to your routine). Drinking water first thing in the morning rehydrates your body after a night of rest without fluids. It also wakes up your digestive system, combats morning grogginess, & sets the tone for the rest of the day to stay hydrated. For me personally, I will either do plain water or my DIY green juice (with celery, cucumber, spinach, ginger, apple, & water). Sometimes I crave flavor so I will reach for this instead of plain water! But either way, drinking fluids to rehydrate is the first thing I do when I step into the kitchen in the morning.

See my DIY Green Juice recipe if you’re interested! It is so easy & I’m still obsessed with it! Glow from Within: How to Make the Ultimate DIY Green Juice for Clear Skin

2.) Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up. Eating breakfast soon after waking up helps to lower cortisol, prevent muscle breakdown, regulate hunger hormones, and stabilize energy. This is also the best time to prioritize a protein rich meal so that you actually stay full until lunchtime. I have struggled with this one off and on for several years until I focused on finding simple ways to incorporate this goal. For me, meal prepping ever so slightly helps a TON. I don’t have time to meal prep several things at a time, but I can prep stuff that can easily be thrown in a pan to sauté or cook while I’m getting my boys’ lunches ready for school and/or getting their breakfast started.

Simple Breakfast Ideas:

• Breakfast Hash: zucchini, bell pepper, onion, spinach, & sometimes sweet potato. I chop up all the veggies ahead of time (my meal prepping) so that each morning I can just scoop some out into a pan with olive oil & let it sauté. I typically buy turkey sausage or chicken breakfast sausage & toss that in the pan at the same time.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs: eggs don’t have much protein (just about 6g per egg), but I will sometimes eat one with the breakfast hash above to add a little bit more protein if needed. These are great to have on hand for a quick snack, or as I mentioned, an add-on to your current breakfast.
• Greek Yogurt Bowls: My favorite greek yogurt is the Fage 5% Plain Greek Yogurt. I prefer full fat because it keeps you satiated longer & typically avoids extra sugars that are often added to low-fat options. I sweeten mine with either honey or maple syrup. I also add chia seeds or ground flax, slivered almonds or chopped walnuts & a small spoonful of almond butter. Every now and then I will chop some apples into it. You can literally do whatever here, I just love that the 3/4 cup of yogurt itself has 15g of protein. For my “first breakfast”, it’s a great start. (I say “first breakfast” because I always eat something before I have my coffee, which is my next wellness point, and then will eat a little something mid-morning such as the hard-boiled egg or anything else I have on hand to add extra protein)
• Chobani 20% Protein Greek Yogurt (with no added sugar). I love to have these on hand for busy mornings. I gravitate towards these when I know I won’t have time to actually make anything. One cup has 20g of protein; it’s so easy. I typically add chia seeds or ground flax for some fiber, but otherwise, it’s grab and go.

Obviously you can do whatever you have time for! I sometimes scramble eggs and add veggies into it that way, air fry turkey bacon to have on hand, or sometimes just do turkey/chicken breakfast sausage & a hard-boiled egg and then mid-morning have some yogurt. The main goal is to at least get 20-30g of protein TOTAL for the morning; even if it is split between two “meals”.

3.) Never drink coffee on an empty stomach! Especially for women, as this can wreak havoc on our hormones. Cortisol naturally peaks when we wake up, so throwing caffeine into the fire first thing can lead to jitters and increased anxiety, while placing extra stress on our hormones. Waiting 60-90 minutes to have your coffee gives your body time to naturally lower its initial cortisol peak. If you do have to have your coffee sooner than later in the AM, this is where eating shortly after waking up comes into play. Eating food beforehand can slow down the caffeine absorption.

As a little wellness addition to my coffee, I like to add a scoop of collagen & a scoop of creatine. These two things are entirely optional, but once I went into all the research behind the benefits of creatine for women, I decided to add it into my routine. I have been doing this consistently for a while now & the most beneficial thing I have experienced has to do with my menstrual cycle! I have had less and less painful ovulation, lighter periods & very minimal PMS symptoms. I won’t go into all the research in this post, but if you are interested, definitely dive into it! As far as collagen goes, I can’t say I for sure notice a difference, but anytime I have stopped adding it to my coffee, I always find myself adding it back. So I guess I like it for something! These are the only two “supplements” I incorporate. Less has felt like more in this area (for me personally).

4.) Movement! I prefer morning workouts/walks, but if I can’t do it in the morning, I will find a time to fit it in. I don’t workout everyday because that is unrealistic in this season of life, but I do try to stay active. For me, less is more when it comes to actual workout days. I have found that prioritizing just 3 strength training workouts each week is the sweet spot for me. I do a full body, upper body, and lower body workout each week and walk whenever I can. Movement is so good for my mental health; it lowers my cortisol, helps me sleep better at night, & helps regulate my hormones. I also look at movement as skincare! Sweating out toxins is great for your skin, as well as encouraging some good ole circulation/blood flow.

5.) Sticking to a nighttime wind-down routine. This can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Mine is obviously simple because of the season of life I am in. With two young kids, I am exhausted by the end of the day, but still carve out this time to wind-down before bed. I have been trying to cut out sugary sweets at this time (8pm-ish) and opt for a healthier alternative. I LOVE dessert and I LOVE having something sweet after the kids go to bed. I have always been a show girly, so part of my routine is watching a show with a little dessert. Lately I have been having an “energy ball” (I’ll share my recipes below) and/or cardamom milk. Once I get in bed, I spray Cymbiotika Magnesium Oil Spray on the soles of my feet, my legs and sometimes my arms. I swear by this stuff! I got my husband hooked on it too. It relaxes me almost immediately & I swear it helps me fall asleep faster and actually stay asleep. I just order it on Amazon.

Energy Ball Recipe: 1 cup oats, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup chia seeds, hemp hearts, or ground flax, & a generous helping of dark chocolate chips. Mix it all together & place in the fridge for about 30 minutes, then roll into whatever size balls you prefer. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cardamom Milk: Not really a recipe, but it is about one cup of whole milk, dash of ground cardamom & about a teaspoon of maple syrup. I heat this up until it is pretty hot & then use my handheld frother to make it frothy/creamy. Sometimes I will add a scoop of collagen if I’m feeling froggy. It is said that warm milk with cardamom helps promote relaxation & improved sleep quality. Who knows for certain, but I do knock out like a baby these days! & it’s delicious.

Who says wellness has to be complicated?!

I love these simple wellness habits because they are exactly that. Simple & easy to incorporate consistently into my routine. Consistency is key with anything! When my routine used to be more complex, I could not keep up with it & nothing I was doing became routine. These simple habits I’ve been consistently prioritizing have promoted better sleep, supported my hormones, & have helped me feel my best.

Let me know if you have a wellness habit you do on the regular that I am missing out on! I would love to know 🙂