Wellness can be overwhelming. Are you going vegan or going keto? Learning to carb cycle or intermittent fast? Before you dabble in the trends, it’s helpful to optimize get some basic understanding about your own physical, mental and emotional health. Here are a few places to start…

Operate in self-acceptance, not in punishment mode. Over many generations and through a million culture influences we have learned to achieve self-acceptance only through strict self-discipline and adherence to a standard of beauty that has little to do with us. In a culture where self-harm and eating disorders are still very prevalent we’re here to encourage women on a path toward self-acceptance. Desire to be your best, but learn what that looks like for you personally. Pursue your best with a wild dose of grace and self-acceptance. Life is so much more enjoyable this way. 

Become an intuitive eater. We interview a multitude of doctors, nutritionists and scientists for a reason, but little can compete with your internal guide. Learn to listen to your gut. Pay attention to the way you feel after eating different meals and in different ways. Notice when you feel great; notice when you don’t. Learn what works for you. Read more

Explore the basics of preventative health. Whether it’s herbalism, functional medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurveda that appeal to you, invest some time or buy some books that will teach you the basic premises of these healthy philosophies. You’ll be surprised the way they begin to effect your day to day life in simple ways. 

Manage your energy. …throughout the day — and the month.  Understand which daily habits lift your energy up and bring your energy down. Again, simply paying attention will help you make better and better decisions everyday. Pay attention to your mood throughout the day. When does your blood sugar drop? Support yourself with fat and protein-rich snacks. Which habits bring you down? How can you adjust? 

Learn a fitness routine you can do anywhere. Whether you’ve never worked out a day in your life or are a huge fan of pilates, spin or running, learn a simple routine you can do anywhere. There are so many incredible classes available these days, but nothing compares to a simple routine of push-ups, crunches and the like to keep our body’s strong. 

Learn about your family health history. Start with a conversation with your parents, if you’re able. Knowing the areas of your health you may need to pay extra care to is important. We are also paying a lot of attention to the study of epigenetics which shows that lifestyle behaviors and attitudes can be even more important than genetics when it comes to disease expression.

Drink water every morning. Before coffee, matcha or anything else, flood your body with a dose of hydration. No daily habit is more important to cleanse the digestive tract and dose your tissues head to toe with hydration. Added lemon is a bonus.

Find one healthy snack you love. Just one. Over time, you may build a whole pantry of healthy options, but if you need a place to start, choose just one option that will break your addiction to processed foods like chemical-laden chips and candy. A few suggestions: hummus and cucumber chips, air-popped popcorn, homemade smoothies, natural beef jerky, a bar made with whole food ingredients. 

Eat your greens. Not a fane of kale? We get it. Try it in a variety of styles — wilted, cooked, blended — and if you’re still not feeling it, find a green you do love. Romaine, spinach, arugula, or a wide variety of lettuces will get you a daily dose of water-based vitamins and minerals your body can absorb and help you to balance your daily diet with ease. Greens are so helpful for great circulation, good digestion, and glowing skin. Find greens you love whether romaine or spinach. Best of all, find a salad dressing you absolutely love. 

Take Vitamin C. Little health advice is as non-controversial as taking Vitamin C. Take it daily to support your health on multiple levels. 

Take Vitamin D. Vitamin D has also been called a hormone. ‘Vitamin sunlight’ is  Even better ‘get’ vitamin D by absorbing healthy amounts of sunlight. 

Eat probiotic-rich foods. Take a daily probiotic to keep your gut biome diverse and strong. Even better, consume traditional, fermented foods at every meal. Foods and drinks like kim chi, sauerkraut, miso, pickles, apple cider vinegar, kombucha or fermented hot sauce help to keep your gut strong. Find whatever suits your diet.

Don’t drink conventional soda. There is absolutely zero redeeming value to most chemical and sugar laden sodas. Some studies even equate the habit of drinking soda as worse than smoking. Over time, the constant intake of sugary drinks have been connected with blood sugar issues and can have a negative effect on the body’s ability to build collagen. Find an alternate drink you love like sparkling mineral water, iced tea or many of the cleaner sparkling drinks available now .  

Learn to cook 3 healthy dinners you like. Yes, delivery pizza is a gift from heaven. And cooking a Martha Stewart-level dinner can be seriously intimidating. But there are so many simple, whole foods based dinner recipes out there on social media alone, that the barrier to cooking well have become wildly low. Don’t try to conquer the world: commit to trying one new dinner recipe a month that’s packed with veggies and clean protein and see what you learn after a year. 

Learn to think nutrient dense, not low calorie. Food is meant to be nourishing. The goal is not for us to eat as sparsely as possible, but to eat foods that are as deeply nourishing and functional for our health as possible. Even if you’re intermittent fasting, the foods you do eat should be as dense in vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and proteins as possible. 

Manage your period. Until recently, this didn’t even seem like an option, but more and more the wellness industry is opening up to provide solutions that help us to manage our hormonal cycles in health. Here are our favorite tools. 

Discover superfoods…. that make sense for you. While our grocery aisles are overcome with exotic new ingredients (most of which, we’re very excited about), superfoods are not an all-size-fits-one situation. They can also be expensive. That said, start by learning about and trying just one ingredient at a time that might serve your needs. If you’re looking for detox and energy, try Wheatgrass; hormone balance, try Maca; overall immunity and brain support, try Reishi.

Learn to Overcome the 3pm slump. The times they are a changin’: eight hour workdays can take a toll on the best of us. Learn to to take breaks from your workday — even if your workday ‘just’ involves rearing children. Nourish yourself with enough protein throughout the day, but keep that mid-day meal easy to digest so you don’t feel zonk’ed by mid-afternoon. Get fresh air. Don’t overly rely on caffeine and sugar to get through the morning. Find simple protein and fat-rich snacks to keep your energy levels high til dinner. 

Create an evening routine that includes reflection. As all the spiritual and wellness gurus we’ve interviewed have repeated, learn to reflect at the end of the day. If you pay attention, you’ll enjoy life more, make more rapid adjustment to things that matter to you and you will learn something daily. 

Love. Your. Body. This is a point worth hitting twice. Learn to enjoy exercise, healthful eating and meditation as acts that nourish and strengthen yourself. The world needs you at your best. 

Learn to calm down when you’re upset. The journey of self-discovery is a long one. The more we understand ousselves and deal with our own trauma and triggers the more able we are to show up for others and the work we’re here to do. Our favorite tools are so simple they are easy to overlook; they are breathwork, rest and meditation.