It’s here! Day 31 of “31 Days to Being Healthy and Happy.” Thanks for sticking with me and reading my daily posts!
I thought I would take this last blog to tell you about some of my favorite things. My favorite things to eat, my favorite things to do for exercise, my favorite things that I do for my mind… just to give you an idea of what my happy and healthy life sort of looks like. I’ll run through the 5 Step process of HAPPY!
H = Healthy Food
I will tell you about some of my favorite healthy foods and also share with you a few of my little indulgences that I allow myself.
Breakfast – By far my favorite food for breakfast is a Protein Drink. They are fast and easy, they taste good and it’s the easiest way that I found to get a good amount of protein into my body first thing in the morning.
I use the JuicePlus+ Complete shake; it is vegan and gluten free, which is my preference for everyone because it’s a very highly digestible way to give your body protein.
I add a few things to my shake – a healthy fat which is usually Almond butter or Sunflower Nut butter. I will also add a scoop of powdered greens to get some extra veggies. To cover up the taste a little bit I’ll add a tablespoon of cacao powder. On the days that I don’t do the greens I maybe will add a little bit of cinnamon.
I don’t put any fruit in my shake because I try to minimize the total amount of sugar that I eat during the day. I also take JuicePlus+ capsules – they are awesome, dehydrated fresh fruits and vegetables, WHOLE FOOD nutrition! This is how I get my fruit servings without the added sugar! (they come in gummies too)
Another favorite that I’ll eat for breakfast is a couple of eggs and one or two slices of gluten-free toast. Every now and then I might have some high protein granola with almond milk, but that is usually reserved as a snack before I’m going to go exercise.
When I go out to eat my favorite thing to get for breakfast is an egg white omelet with vegetables and avocado for a fat instead of having the egg yolk. There is nothing wrong with eating the whole egg that’s just how I do it on the weekend breakfast out.
Lunch & Dinner
Lunch and dinner foods are essentially the same thing to me. One of my favorite lunch or dinner foods is quinoa which is a high-protein high-fiber grain. It is super versatile – you can eat it hot or cold by using it in salads.
I have a game that I like to play for a icebreaker and I’ll ask the question: What’s the name of a food that you like that starts with the same letter as your first name?
For me there are three super healthy foods that are my favorites that start with S! – Spinach, Sweet potatoes and Sushi – I love all of them!
Of the three I eat spinach the most often, probably two or three times a week. It’s really easy to just throw a handful in a bowl and put in the microwave and drizzle with a little olive oil – it’s an easy way to have an additional vegetable.
I will make a sweet potato instead of a a baked potato because it has a lot more nutrients than a regular potato.
In regards to Sushi – it’s a treat that I to get maybe once a month; I don’t order anything fried or with a sticky sweet sauce. Basic Sushi or Sashimi is best! I also love COOKED fish and include it regularly in my diet plan!
The last food that I’d like to talk about is a combination and it’s roasted vegetables. I’m telling you this is the easiest and most delicious ways to prepare veggies. You can combine anything! Toss with olive oil, a little salt and pepper and thyme, throw them on a pan and roast at 400 for about 25 minutes! The vegetables will get a little bit of a sweet taste that’s delicious. I’ll do a big pan of roasted veggies several times a month.
A = Activity
Activity is something that is really easy for me to work into my daily routine. I’m constantly looking for ways that I can be standing or moving – anything besides sitting! I have a standing work station and do the majority of my computer work standing up; I take my phone calls standing up, I move a lot!
For exercise I have a exerciseclass that I go to that I really like – it’s sort of like a Boot Camp and the trainer has us doing all kinds of stuff and focuses on a lot of strength training so I really like that. I’m also a runner – I’m not a very fast runner but I do run and it’s my main form of exercise most weeks and is my favorite.
I also do a lot of walking some course are hilly some are flat. I use walking as away to connect with my friends and meet with business associates so that were not just sitting at a coffee shop. (the photo was taken on top of Mt. Wanda, a local trail and a group of networking friends met to walk!)
I practice yoga using on-demand on cable videos; I’m not going to a formal class but I’ve done that before as well.
P = Planning & Preparation
How do I plan? I’m sure that you noticed the theme of using your schedule and your calendar throughout this 31 day blog. I do have my exercise on my calendar whether it’s a walk or going to exercise class. Sometimes it might only be a 15 minute walk but I plug it in to my schedule.
I am forward thinking for the week to determine what meals I’m going to prepare, what do I need to buy the grocery store, how long will it take to make it, what can I re-work into a new meal etc… My planning process comes from years of practice and training. It’s something that I teach and train my clients to do and it’s a lot more involved than we can get in a blog without you reading it until sometime next week.
P = Positive Mindset
I do SO many things to keep myself positive! But it a way, I can’t help it – I love life, I love people, I am truly a very very happy person. My favorite positive action that I do is to SMILE. I smile at others constantly but I also smile at myself in the mirror. Try it!!
A relatively new favorite for me is Meditation. I meditate in the morning. Also, I don’t get on my email until I’ve had some personal time in the morning to reflect on what I’m going to do for the day.
I take time to breathe. I will pause several times during the day to take a few deep breaths to do a little bit of stretching.
I surround myself with positive people. The people that I do business with, the people that I network with, the people that I’m friends with – they are all like-minded very positive, encouraging and uplifting.
I watch a very very little news because it is all negative and depressing. It’s not that I don’t want to be informed but I don’t need to hear the droning on of a lot of very sad tales.
I read professional development and personal development books and listen to blogs and read articles to keep my mind fresh and active.
Finally, my most favorite is listening to music. Everything but rap and I don’t listen to much country. From Classical to Classic Rock – crank up the TUNES!
Y = YOU are AMAZING
I really do feel amazing every day – because I make it a point to nourish my body well, to move and stay active, to plan my days, to be positive and nourish my mind.
The final favorite thing that I do is to get enough sleep. I’m not talking about where you’re sleeping all day to catch up on sleep or acting like a teenager and sleeping until noon. I get between seven and eight hours of sleep every night, and in the morning I get up when I wake up.
I rarely use an alarm because I just want to be able to awaken to the day rather than be “woken up” by a noisy alarm. On days that I do need to set an alarm I have the pretty harps sound setting on my phone instead of an ‘ank ank ank’ alarm!
I have one more comment and it’s that I’m thankful. I am blessed to own my own business, I cherish the people in my life and I’m grateful for every single thing and every one of you.
I would love to hear from you and let me know your favorite tip over the past 31 days. Wow, time really flew!
Or – Tell me the name of a favorite food that starts with the same letter as your first name!
Email me! Susie@TheSusieGarcia.com
Or post on social media!
Health & Bliss to You,
Susie