Part of being your best, most beautiful self is incorporating holistic wellness into your daily life. Many wellness practices come from ancient wisdom. Others have been developed and proven with the use of modern science. From these ample options you can curate a program that nurtures your body, prevents disease, slows aging, and supports healthy weight, energy, focus, and glow. In the process of creating a wellness routine, whether you are new to holistic practices or are already on the journey, begin with your focus on the following five things.
1. Move mindfully every day.
Movement impels lymph and blood to nurture your cells and joints, keeping your skin and body younger inside and out. It also improves your brain chemistry, keeping you happier and preventing memory loss.
Choose Pilates, yoga, and walking. Gentle, mindful methods like these have been proven to be the most effective at retaining mobility, strength, and flexibility while preventing wear-and-tear and injury.
2. Breathe.
Breath-work improves your body’s response to stress. This change improves immunity, digestion, and hormonal balance.
Choose a pranayama or breath-work practice with your Pilates, yoga, or meditation teacher. Or do a home breath practice. Simply inhale deeply and slowly into your lungs, expanding your belly and ribcage. Retain the breath for a moment. Exhale slowly and evenly through your nose, allowing your belly to deepen as you empty the air.
3. Consider your biome.
The bacterial balance in your gut is integral to your health. It affects your digestion, your immunity, hormones, brain chemistry, even your weight set point. Feed the good bacteria with healthy foods, restore it with probiotics and fermented foods, and starve the bad bacteria by avoiding sugar, alcohol, and white flours.
Choose Sakara daily probiotic blend; eat salads of raw dandelion greens, asparagus, radishes, and leeks; drink kombucha by Monbrewcha or eat kimchi.
4. Hydrate.
Every cell in your body needs water — from your brain to your heart to your muscles. Proper hydration is essential to having energy, beautiful skin, and overall good health. Your body needs fluids to transport nutrients, eliminate waste, maintain temperature, and circulate healing white blood cells.
Try starting your day with warm lemon water to begin hydrating and get digestion going. Keep a Soma glass carafe with filter full to always have clean water on hand. You can also make infused waters to tempt yourself to drink more. Steep fresh organic ginger, mint, and lemon or any combination of herbs and fruit in a pitcher of water.
5. Sleep.
Sleep is when healing happens. You need enough sleep and good quality sleep to lower inflammation, improve memory, prevent weight gain, brighten your mood, and have beautiful skin.
Choose rituals and an environment to support sleep. Download a program to eliminate blue light from your devices and use black-out blinds to prevent disruption of your circadian rhythm. Practice gentle stretching, drink a calming tea, and breathe in lavender organic essential oils before bed.
As you begin to explore what works for you, stay in tune with how you feel and what you need to get to your best place. Each person is unique. You require your own specific regimen to keep your systems in harmony. Stay committed to incorporating wellness practices into each day. Nurture your body to maintain balance for good health, energy, focus, and glow.
Erika Bloom
