Back to Basics for Lasting Wellness

Happy weekend, everyone! This Memorial weekend, as we remember our heroes, I've found myself in a reflective mode, and I wanted to share something truly crucial with you all.

We often get caught up in the latest shiny object—the new diet, the new workout trend, a friend's recommendation, or the latest ad. Low carb, keto, intermittent fasting... I'm not saying these are bad, but the starting point for lasting change isn't found there. It's about getting back to basics, building a strong foundation, just like building a house.

As I often say, "How we do one thing is how we do everything."

A true, strong foundation in health, finances, or relationships starts with the basics.

My core Life Principle is:

Transformation isn't about a change; it's about a choice, one step at a time.

That means one breath, one bite, one thought, one movement—moment by moment. That's where we have the opportunity to shift.

Nutrition: The Path to Food Freedom

For healthy weight, instead of the "deprivation diet mentality" that focuses on what we can't eat, let's shift to abundance – focusing on what we GET to eat! We have so many great choices now.

Here's our sequence for cultivating food freedom:

Step 1: Cultivating Curiosity

This is a non-negotiable habit. Be curious about everything: your cravings, what you choose to eat, your water intake, your emotions and thoughts around food, and even when you last moved your body. Curiosity is the strong foundation for making healthy choices.

Step 2: Embracing Fooditation and Sensual Eating

This practice is all about focusing on all your senses while eating. It encourages you to slow down, enjoy food more deeply with less, and find a new way of discovery and appreciation.

• Take a moment to breathe before eating, even just ten deep breaths. This helps shift your nervous system into a "rest and digest" mode, optimizing digestion.
• Honor your hunger and fullness cues using a scale. Learn to eat when genuinely hungry and stop when comfortably satisfied, not overly full.
• Don't multitask! Be present with your meal!

Step 3: Strategic Hydration, The 80/20 Rule & Prioritizing Nutrients

• Drink water strategically, especially upon waking and before meals. Be mindful about putting your fork down between bites to aid digestion. Ultimately, the quality of the calories we consume is paramount. Embrace the 80/20 rule: focus on nutrient-dense, whole foods about 80% of the time, allowing for freedom and enjoyment with your favorite treats for the remaining.

• To guide your choices for these nutrient-dense meals, always remember the hierarchy of priorities:

  • Protein: The building block for your body and key to satiety.
  • Fiber: Crucial for fullness and overall gut health.
  • Healthy Fats: Essential for many bodily functions, focusing on healthy sources while limiting trans and saturated fats.
  • Complex Carbohydrates: Your body's primary energy source, opting for whole-food options over refined sugars. Aim for a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables daily—around two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables, with an emphasis on dark leafy greens.

Step 4: Personalizing Your Approach

Now that you have the foundational awareness and practices, along with a solid understanding of nutrient priorities, you can further refine your approach.

This includes customizing aspects like:

• • Supplements: Considering specific supplements that might support your body's unique needs.
  • Timing: Optimizing when you eat to best suit your energy levels and lifestyle.
  • Nutrient Combinations: Learning how different nutrients work together for optimal absorption and benefits.

Step 5: Nourishing for Holistic Well-being & True Comfort

This journey culminates in nourishing yourself with foods that genuinely make you feel good—emotionally, physically, and mentally. You choose high-energy whole foods because you get to feel high energy and whole. "Comfort foods" in this stage aren't about avoiding discomfort or filling a void; they become a conscious way of feeling well, where the very act of choosing and consuming them brings genuine comfort. Eat how you want to feel.

That's, my friends, a true food freedom! You are in the Wellness Vortex!

Fitness: Move to Feel Good

Movement is similar: it’s not about punishment, but about feeling good.

• Curiosity & Move More: Be curious about your body's movement. Simply move more throughout your day.
• Postural Alignment: Pay attention to your posture. Proper alignment can transform how you feel and move. I could talk hours about proper posture!
• Functional Movement: Learn functional movements that allow you to move properly and safely, integrating into daily routine, exercises, or sports. This is crucial for everyone, from an 8-year-old to an 81-year-old.
• Personalize & Have Fun for Life: Personalize your fitness so you genuinely enjoy your movement for life.

Mindset: Your Foundation for Happiness

This is where it all begins, as your mindset impacts everything.

• Life Principle: Want it? Generate it! This is your daily mantra. Whatever you want to feel, whatever you want to achieve, you have the power to generate it.
• Curiosity & Positive Mindset: Bring curiosity to your thoughts. Physiologically, we tend to have more negative thoughts, so it's our responsibility to train our brains to choose more positive ones.
• Your 'Why': Your strong 'Why,' based on curiosity, is the powerful motivation that wakes you up.
• Next Non-Negotiables:
  • Quality sleep is paramount.
  • Being outside for 10-20 minutes a day is simple self-care that recharges you and helps raise your vibration.
• Morning Routine: How you wake up sets the tone for your day, and ultimately, your life. Start your morning with yourself, raising your vibration. Try standing, looking up, raising your arms, and declaring, "Today is going to be a great day!" As Tony Robbins says, "Want to change your emotion? Change your motion." Consider reading "The Miracle Morning," "Start with Why," "Atomic Habits," or "Essentialism" for more on this!
• Gratitude & Journaling: Journaling by hand is incredibly powerful for "dumping" thoughts onto paper and cultivating gratitude. It's amazing how much simply writing can clear your brain.
• Moments of Silence throughout a day: Crucial for reflection on what's most important, what's needed now, and staying aligned with your "why" in the Wellness Vortex.

Your Daily Choices for a Powerful Life

This approach keeps you aligned with who you are and your foundational 'why'. By focusing on these mindful practices, prioritizing nutrient-rich whole foods, embracing functional movement, and cultivating a positive mindset, you can create sustainable and effective strategies for achieving healthy weight and overall well-being.

It’s about choosing to feel good, moment by moment.