New Year, New Routine

(This post in sponsored by Smoothie King, but my content and love for their Meal Replacement Smoothie is all my own! Take the challenge as part of a low-calorie diet and daily exercise program. Weight loss depends on individual needs.)

Hello new year. Hello. Hola. Bonjour. 

Actually eating breakfast was one of the healthy habits I wanted to integrate into my 2017 routine among a few other things I will share with you in a bit. 

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why oh why are the mornings so difficult to get moving?! And especially the mornings after the long Christmas holiday?? It's been a week and the struggle is so real for me right now.  I wanted to start the new year too with some good healthy habits and one of those included preparing a well balanced breakfast for Lin and I. Lately I have not been waking before my alarm clock (very strange and so not the norm for me) and I am so embarrassed to tell you how many times I actually hit snooze before I finally get vertical. How can I make it to cycle class, shower, read the news, (oh gosh the news is probably a very unhealthy daily routine) take my supplements, catch up on my emails, walk the pups, perform my beauty regimes, and make a well balanced breakfast all before the work day starts?! I am like breaking out in a sweat just thinking about all of this. 

In an ideal world, I would be Ms. Paltrow and I would be making my own granola from scratch and perfectly poaching some farm-raised eggs from my own chickens, but that's just not reality. I mean is it reality for anyone? I mean the last time I tried to make a recipe from It's All Good..well, it was delicious but looked nothing like the photograph in the book. I have decided to be okay with the morning chaos and realize this is temporary and with the ebb and flow of the seasons, things will get back on track. And replacing a meal with a smoothie or even two is going to be a great healthy habit to integrate into the new year saving me time and more time is such an added bonus to the day. 

So these are my healthy habits that I am integrating into my new year routine for maximum health and happiness.  These will all make my day-in-the-life better-for-me habits and I am excited to share them with you.Habits get a bad rap--we often think of the bad ones out there. But the truth is, habits form the backbone of 95% of what we do every single day--the good and the bad. and that's why it is important to fill your life with as many good habits as you possibly can. I think you will want to embrace them too. We deserve it too! Say it with me. I deserve to live the life I envision for myself. 

HEALTHY HABITS

  •  BE ACTIVE: Exercise is great for you, we all know that. It helps the body grow stronger, work better, and burn up toxins. But too many people think of exercise as a specific block of time—going to the gym once or twice a week and sweating like there’s no tomorrow. There’s no doubt that’s great for you. But it also isn’t for everyone—and it’s not something most people can do every day. So, instead, focus on a daily way to get your body moving, and get more active...even if it's a nice walk with your dogs or the one you love. Maybe it's a bike ride catch up session with your best girlfriend, maybe it's just a thirty minute morning stretch in your living room. Just get moving. Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Park at the far end of the lot at Whole Foods. Do squats every time a commercial comes on during The Bachelor  or see if you can hold your plank that long. Make it fun.

 

  • MANAGE YOUR STRESS: Stress is unavoidable. No one is going to have a completely smooth life without challenges and if you do please come visit me and share your secret. But what you do with that stress is up to you. You can let it linger and fester, elevating your blood pressure, heart rate, and weakening your immune system. Or you can counteract the stress. My favorite way to combat stress is with breathing exercises. Let go of what’s going on in the world around you, and spend ten minutes a day sitting still, just observing the sounds and sensations of your breath. It’s amazing what a concentrated time-out like this can do for your health. Worrying about things you cannot control adds so much stress to our lives so I am really going to work hard at this one this year. 

  • MORE BEAUTY SLEEP: Your body performs most of its repair and recharge work during sleep. Likewise, cleanup happens during sleep—including the collection and removal of waste and toxins. So making sure you get a good night’s sleep, every night, is essential. It helps if you can keep to a fairly regular schedule. Your body loves a schedule, so if you force yourself to go to bed the same time every night, soon your body will automatically fall asleep at that time. The same is true for waking up. Also, maintain good sleep hygiene. That means keeping your bedroom reserved for sleep, instead of work or watching TV. And make sure your bedroom is dark throughout the night, with minimal noise. If your partner makes that last part impossible, get yourself a sleep mask and ear plugs. And disconnect from those phones and social media loves. I am guilty of this too. But am making this the year of putting my phone on the charger at 9 p.m.

  • MORE H2O: Your body needs water to survive. More specifically, you need water to let all your organs function properly. Water is, literally, the lubricant for your body. And a dehydrated body is like an engine low on oil—grinding away and in danger of breaking down. So you should drink as much water as possible. A good rule of thumb—take your weight in pounds, divide it in two, and convert that to ounces. That’s how much water you need to drink every day. So a 200 pound man should drink 100 ounces of water daily. Getting your hydration from other sources isn’t the same. Juices and sodas are full of sugar, while teas and coffees are full of caffeine.

  • DETOX: You’re surrounded every day by toxins. In your air, your water, and your food, harmful chemicals are constantly bombarding you.The best way to eliminate them is to avoid them as much as possible. That starts with eating unprocessed, organic foods whenever you can. Skip anything that comes in a box, and stick with foods that are recognizable. Load up on the veggies, as they should be free of toxins, and contain lots of vitamins and minerals that help your body cleanse itself. And make sure you do something that makes you sweat a few times a week. Sweat is one of your body’s best ways to eliminate toxins, and the more often you do it, the cleaner you’ll be. Epson salt baths are amazing too. Add them to your routine on the regular. They are my favorite way to relax and feel good. Also do a digital detox. Get rid of the people on social media that make you feel bad. Get rid of the people that are not adding value to your life. If you are not real friends in real life, then why be friends on face-book? The friend that decides to be friends with a terrible person even though they talk negatively about that person...yeah...#byeboybye. We are too old for all of that. I want loyalty in my circle. Detox the clutter too. Clean out the pantries, the cosmetic bags, the linen closets, etc. Get rid of anything that is not serving a purpose. Literally DETOX it all loves.

  • NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST: I talk about this one a lot but it's critical. I lack time in the mornings. You read all abut that at the beginning of this post. But don't compromise breakfast. Follow my lead and let Smoothie King be your knight in shining armor. I have decided to take The Change a Meal Smoothie King challenge for three months to help jumpstart my 2017. This will allow more time in my demanding schedule and I can also sip my way my to my goal weight too. All about multi tasking and getting things accomplished. So give me all the smoothies.

The Change A Meal Challenge  contains over 20 Meal Replacement Smoothies, all under 400 calories and with at least 10 grams of protein and these are all of the delicious flavors you can choose from. I personally love The Shredder and the chocolate one is my absolute fave. I feel like I am indulging on desert.
•    Greek Yogurt – Pineapple Mango, Strawberry Blueberry, Peach Papaya
•    The Shredder™ – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla
•    Lean1™ – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Pineapple Mango
•    Original High Protein – Banana, Lemon, Pineapple
•    Coffee High Protein – Vanilla
•    The Activator® – Chocolate, Vanilla
•    Gladiator® – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla
•    Vegan – Dark Chocolate Banana, Nutty Super Grain, Mango Kale

Retail Price: Varies, $4-6 depending on blend

What do you have to lose? Take the challenge with me!  All you have to do is set your goal and go for it! Starting now until March 26th replace one meal a day with a Meal Replacement Smoothie. Make sensible choices for your other meals. Add thirty minutes of exercise a day and my girl Tawni has this killer 30 minute workout that you can find here.   And then just stick with it !!! We got this! 

Their chocolate shredder is soooo good and keeps me full for hours. 

Plus, every time you change a meal  is a chance to win up to $500 in Smoothie King gift cards, a Fitbit, or a brand new bike. To enter, post your challenge photos using #changeameal. The more you post, the more you could win. Enter through March 26th 2017. No purchase necessary. Learn more about the challenge and sweepstakes here. 

Cheers to us! Cheers to more time, less stress, and integrating new routines in the new year! Cheers to new fancy dresses too in smaller sizes!! What are you focusing on in 2017??

 

XO
SAM