Hey!
Abby and I want to help you to feel your best, every day. It’s no secret that the majority of sickness and disease can be prevented with simple lifestyle changes. The problem? Simple isn’t always easy. It’s difficult to stay consistent. We might know what we should do, but have a hard time doing it in the real world.
But don’t worry, it’s OK to ask for help. It’s also OK to scale things back to the basics. It’s more powerful to take small, consistent steps every day, than one giant leap every few weeks. We like to think of it as just going from zero to one, in the same direction, every day, rather than trying to go from zero to ten all at once.
This is what we work on with our clients everyday: small behavior changes that add up to impressive transformations in the long run.
We want help you along the same journey. Rather than simply blasting you each month with news about our business or trying to sell you stuff, we want to help you take small steps forward in your health. So, each month, we’re going to share two habits. They’ll usually seem small, perhaps too small. “Really, that’s it? Shouldn’t I be doing more?” Usually, the answer is no. The magic is in consistency. Each habit will build on the one before. From time to time we’ll revisit important behaviors. Our goal is to help you get from zero to one, from zero to one, from zero to one, from zero to one, consistently, over the long haul. This is what really works: not juice cleanses, or detoxes, or fad diets, or New Year’s resolutions, or dramatic proclamations about willpower, but small steps, consistently, over time.
So, two habits per month. That’s it. And because consistency is key, we’ll send a quick check-in message in about two weeks. Without further ado, let’s get started:
Nutrition Habit #1: Eat Slowly
- The holidays are coming up, which means an onslaught of delicious food. We’re not going to tell you to avoid it all. Food is part of our families, our traditions, our culture. There’s more to food, and to life, than carbs, fat, and protein. Food has meaning.
- So, rather than avoid it all together, your habit this month is to eat slowly. Try to double the time that it takes you to finish your plate.
- Eating slowly does a lot for us:
- It helps our body recognize how much we’re eating, and is an easy way to avoid eating too much.
- Digestion begins in our mouth. Chewing your food well promotes saliva which aids the digestion process. This one change can help reduce symptoms of acid reflux.
- It allows us to truly taste, smell, and feel our food. These are all the things that help us appreciate food. It is what makes the holiday indulgences worth it!
- Some strategies for success:
- Put your fork or spoon down before every bite and take a breath.
- Chew each bite 5-10 times at a minimum.
- Have a conversation with your friends and family while eating.
- If you’re thinking about going for seconds, wait 5 minutes.
- Drink a few sips of water in between bites.
- Are you competitive? Start a silent competition to be the last person finished eating (or at least never the first person done).
Physical Habit #1: Balance on one leg when you brush your teeth. Bonus: Close your eyes
- Balance is an under-appreciated but crucial element of your physical well being. Consider the following:
- Balance is a predictor of lower extremity injury risk in athletes.
- Poor balance is linked to chronic ankle sprains.
- A decline in balance is associated with increased all-cause mortality (death by any cause).
- Your habit: While brushing your teeth, balance on one leg. You want to get both sides, so either divide your teeth-brushing time in half, or do the right side in the morning, and left in the evening.
- The act of doing something with your hands is going to make balancing more difficult. But this more closely mirrors real life: we rarely just stand still on one leg.
- Bonus: Do this with your eyes closed. This places more focus on feedback mechanisms from your muscles and joints, rather than your vision. If you feel like you’re going to tip over, simply put a foot down, rather than opening your eyes. This allows your brain to learn and begin to autocorrect. Just like an iPhone, we need to teach it to autocorrect properly!
These habits might seem too easy, and that’s the point. “Shouldn’t I give up sugar? Run every day and make it to 3 yoga classes? Prep all my meals for the week on Sunday?” No. Start small, lay the foundation, and be consistent. We’ll see you in a a few weeks!
Brian and Abby
PS – Did you see our article on plantar heel pain (AKA “plantar fasciitis”)? If not, check it out here!