Melissa Sutton

Your immune system is so important in keeping you healthy. It is in charge of fighting off viruses and other pathogens to ensure that your body stays optimal. There are many things you can do to keep your immune system functioning well.

Daily sunlight - sunlight helps to increase your Vitamin D levels which are immunoregulatory hormones strengthening your immune response

Eat real food - Eating real food can help your digestive system run smoothly and aid in keeping the gut healthy. It is estimated 60-70% of our immunity comes from our gut

Quality sleep - Not getting enough sleep can negatively impact your immune response. Getting good quality sleep can improve the functioning of our T-cells which are responsible for fighting off viruses, bacteria, and other potentially harmful pathogens

Positive mindset - Our state of mind can impact our stress and inflammatory levels.

Probiotics - add good microbes to your gut which strengthens its immune response

How do you support your immune system?

I am a big fan of making small changes to your diet and lifestyle that over time result in massive change. It takes 21 days to form a habit, and the easiest way to shift those habits is to add the new habit on to an existing habit. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Trying to remember to take your supplements in the morning? Try putting them next to the coffee machine or the kettle if you use that each day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Trying to add in some stretching into your bedtime routine? Do it right after you brush your teeth so the teeth brushing signals to you that the stretching is the next step in the routine.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Want to start tracking your exercise? Put a calendar up on the wall to write on next to where you keep your running shoes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What habit are you trying to add in to your life right now?

I was working with a client today where sugar intake was significantly higher than what would be optimal. It got me thinking about all of the hidden sugars in our foods and how hard it can be to avoid them unless we are making our own variations. Fortunately, creating a lot of these healthy variations is possible, the unfortunate part though is the amount of time it can take that many people just do not have. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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〰️ Too much sugar can create imbalances in your gut microbiome which can result in leaky gut. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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〰️ Excess sugar can deplete your energy as it makes your blood sugar levels unstable.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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〰️ It can increase your risk of depression by contributing to mood swings.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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〰️ It can also contribute to cellular aging which can give your wrinkles! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So next time you want to reach for that energy drink, specialty latte, or cupcake, try to think of something you could eat or drink instead that might have less sugar in it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What is your favorite food that you know is loaded with sugar?

Anyone else out there a house plant collector? 🙋‍♀️ At least now you can justify your plant purchases with the sound reasoning that you are doing it for your health. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I moved recently and a number of my plants were damaged. Some just needed haircuts and will come back with time, while others ended up in the propagation station where they will get to come back as new plants once they root. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How many plants do you have in your house?

Juicing is a great way to add in some extra nutrients into your diet. It can be hard to meet all of our micronutrient needs in our diet through food alone. The poor soil quality that results from factory farming and monocrops results in decreased nutritional value in the foods that we get from that soil. This means that the amount of micronutrients that our ancestors use to get from their foods is much higher than what we are getting from those same fruits or vegetables. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Juicing can help to add in extra micronutrients without adding in tons of extra calories. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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One green juice recipe that I like is to add⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥬 Kale (roll it up before you push it through the juicer)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍎 Apple⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥒 Cucumber ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✔️Celery⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✔️ Ginger⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✔️ Lemon (either juice the peeled lemon or just stir in lemon juice to the green juice)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you don't have time to juice or don't have a juicer, store-bought pressed juices are great. Just make sure to get one in a glass container as the acidity in the juice can leach toxins from the plastic into the juice which isn't ideal. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Are you a fan of doing the juicing yourself or buying the juice premade?

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, yet some people seem as if they have way more for all they accomplish. The difference between them and the normal people is how they use their time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I have been keeping a diary of all the little things I do in a day and how long each of those things takes. It is pretty interesting to see what is taking up more time than I realized. It is easy to feel like we just don't have time to add in all the things we need to be doing, but when we take an assessment of how we are spending our time, it is interesting to see what activities we can take some of that time from by making those things more efficient. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I challenge you to keep track of how you spend your time for a few days, or a week if you can stick with it. It might be interesting to see where you can focus less of your time on which could free up more time to work towards your goals.

We are finally getting some warmer weather after several weeks of arctic temperatures. My pups do not tolerate the cold very well so it is nice to be able to walk for longer periods of time without having to tuck one of them into my parka. On the bright side, spring is just on the horizon. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Are you enjoying any outdoor activities this February? What is the weather like where you live?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📷: .studio

I feel like I need this reminder popping up on my phone hourly. Anyone else??

I have been really working on keeping my grocery bills reasonable lately, as well as not having any food go to waste. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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One way I do that is to deal with my groceries the day I get them so that they are ready for me to eat throughout the week. I freeze anything that I know I won't get to in the next few days, and chop up ingredients to any simple meals I might be making throughout the week and store them in glass containers in the fridge. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Do you prep your veggies right away or toss the produce in the fridge and go?

This is more of a reminder to myself more than anything today. I have been super busy working on a number of projects these past few weeks and my personal yoga practice has suffered. I really do miss practicing in a studio but for now, we are all in this together. I am vowing to make it to my mat tonight even if it's just for some gentle movement. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How is your yoga/fitness routine doing right now?

It takes time to achieve anything great. All those small steps you take in the direction of your goals add up over time to create massive changes. While accomplishing those steps though, you can feel like nothing is changing despite all the work you are doing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When setting goals make sure that you set checkpoints for yourself or smaller goals that you can accomplish along the way so that you can feel like you are on track.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Also, don't forget to take a pause every now and again to see how far you have come.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I find journalling really helpful for this as it can be easy to forget what our situation was like 6 months ago and to see all that we have done since then to improve our situation.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What big goals are you working on right now?

In the month of love don't forget to love yourself as well. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Love who you are. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Who you have become. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What you have overcome. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And what you have yet to do. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The most important relationship you have in your life is the one you have with yourself. It affects the way you think about yourself and your level of confidence.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Love yourself and you can be unstoppable. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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xoxo

Happy Valentines Day ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Depending on where you live and the restrictions in place right now Valentine's day might look a little different for you this year, I know that it will for me. But, different does not always mean bad. Some great things we can do today to make it special: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌈 Have a mini at-home spa day - light the candles, run that hot bath, and drop in those bath bombs⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌈 Get dressed up and have a fancy dinner in (via ubereats, skip the dishes, or your own creation made with love)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌈 Pick up a nice treat from the bakery⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌈 Reach out to loved ones whom you haven't talked to in a little while, let them know you care ❤️ spread the love today ❤️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I hope you have a fabulous day today.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
xoxoxo⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📷:

It can be easy to feel like we aren't doing enough or doing what we are doing well enough, this feeling can be made worse when it looks like everyone else around us is farther ahead than us or doing it better. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I will let you in on a little secret - nobody is doing it perfectly. Everyone has flaws and bad days and days where they feel like they are a total failure at what they are trying to accomplish.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Don't get too caught up in everyone else's highlight reels. Focus on you and being the best self you can be. Release the idea of doing it perfectly and just take action. Start that workout plan, begin eating healthier, get to bed earlier, start that business, or make a connection with someone you love. Only you know what is best for you. ❤️

One of the keys to good health is good digestion. One of the keys to good digestion is ⭐️ FIBER ⭐️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Fiber is an all-star as it helps to give our stool bulk, decreases the time it takes to for food to fully transport through the intestines, and the part that excites me the most is it helps to encourage a healthy gut microbiome. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Many people do not eat enough fiber in their diets as it is missing from so many processed foods that are so popular today. Some good sources of fiber are:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Carrots - 2.8 grams per 100 grams⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Chickpeas - 7.6 per 100 grams⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Avocados - 6.7 grams per 100 grams⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Strawberries - 2 grams per 100 grams⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Pears - 3.1 grams per 100 grams⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Of course, there are many other excellent sources of fiber out there, but those are some good nutrient-dense ones that I love to eat. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There are many supplemental sources of fiber on the market which can be great if you are having issues with constipation, however, ideally, you want to try to get fiber from your food whenever possible. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It is also important to note that it is very important to stay hydrated when consuming a lot of fiber, as fiber without water does not move along very smoothly. 🥀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What is your favorite source of fiber in your diet?

February is the month of love. Marketing teams at greeting card companies have convinced us that February is the month of finding love or about being in love with another person, but I think it is just as important to be in love with yourself. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It is important to take a step back sometimes and look at all the hard days you have been through, and all the decisions you have made to lead you to the life that you have now. To be grateful for all the things you have in your life now that you would have loved to have as a younger you whether that be material things or just the wisdom and confidence that often comes to us as we get older.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When I was younger I used to think getting older was a bad thing, now I realize it is a privilege. I welcome the grey hairs, the changing body, and the passing of the years as each year we are given truly is a gift. ❤️

I have been really favoring dishes that are super simple to make in the kitchen these days. I am finding it really amazing how many delicious dishes can be created with few ingredients. My husband and I have been making a lot of soups, wraps, buddha bowls, oatmeal variations, and some super simple, yet tasty, deserts. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Tasty healthy food does not require top chef skills. Sometimes simple can be just as amazing. Some things really helping my mealtime right now:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👩‍🌾 Making a big batch of sauce at the beginning of the week that can be used on buddha bowls, wraps, or as a dressing on our salads⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👩‍🌾 Making the oatmeal the night before and tossing in berries, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and some maple syrup⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👩‍🌾 Chopping all the veggies the day we get home from the store⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👩‍🌾 Cooking a big batch of whatever grain we are eating that week whether its brown rice, millet, or quinoa (my usual go-tos) as well as cooking up some beans or lentils that can be used in meals in the following days⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👩‍🌾 Making a big soup at the end of the week loaded full of whatever veggies and grains we have leftover that need to be cooked before they spoil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How are you doing when it comes to your diet right now? Are you working your way through the food delivery apps or are you thriving in the kitchen right now?

This was a big one for me to learn which is silly as it seems so obvious. There are things I am really good at and things I am not so good at. I do much better when I can stay in my zone of genius, the space where I hit my flow state most often, rather than push myself to do the things I hate that take me 10x longer than they should. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I find this shows up in my business as well as in my personal life. In my business, I have learned to outsource a lot of things which makes my business run a lot smoother. However, in my personal life, this one was a bit trickier to implement. This means saying no to that baby shower that I find super tedious, or not accepting that phone call from someone who just wants to vent. We are raised as women to be kind, caring, good friends, neighbors, and family members, however, sometimes we need to protect our boundaries so that we can be our best selves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How are you with saying no to things you hate? Are you a rockstar at it or is it something that still makes you uncomfortable?

I have been rereading this gem of a book this week and as always there are so many takeaways. When we open ourselves to love and to be loved our world can change in such powerful ways ❤️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Have you read The Alchemist yet? If not I highly recommend it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What book are you loving these days?

Did you know that eating a handful of berries every day can make you feel better? Berries are loaded with antioxidants. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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They can reduce inflammation and free radical damage in your body which can help your body heal from disease or help prevent the disease from occurring in the first place. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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They are also loaded with vitamins such as vitamins C and manganese. Vitamin C can help strengthen your immune system, which in these times we could all use, and manganese is essential for bone formation and good for brain health.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It helps that berries are so tasty, but eating plain raw berries can get a little boring sometimes. Some ways to add some variety:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🍓 with coconut whipped cream⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍓 make a parfait with plant-based yogurt and some granola⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍓 in a fruit salad with other fruits⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍓 in a pie, cobbler, or a muffin⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍓 in a smoothie⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍓 over vanilla plant-based ice cream with cocoa nibs sprinkled on top⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What is your favorite berry or fruit and what is your favorite or typical way of eating it?

A great morning routine can make or break the rest of your day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When your morning routine feels rushed or frazzled or doesn't incorporate any essential self-care that energy can carry on into the rest of the day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Try to make sure you get to bed early enough the night before so that you can feel well-rested in the morning. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Drink a glass of water and eat something before you reach for that coffee.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Try not to reach for that phone first thing when you wake up. I know sometimes the first thing we think about is the need to check in on the online world and get to work, but waiting to do so until after some of the above self-care is done can help your mindset for the rest of the day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Also, try to write down three things you are grateful for in the morning. Science has shown that gratitude practices really do impact happiness. This doesn't have to take a long time, simply write three things on a piece of paper, notebook, or in an app on your phone.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Let me know if you have tried any of these tips and if they have worked for you, also let me know about your morning routine. Are you a coffee and out the door type girl or do you have mindful mornings?

This first week back to work can be a tough one for many. You no longer get to sleep in and that inbox is full of all the things you need to get to. Rather than reaching for that third cup of coffee - drink some water, go to bed on time, and get some exercise. All will help boost your energy levels and help clear up some of that brain fog.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How is your week going so far?

So far my year has been amazing. I have found good routines, outlined my goals, and been protecting my energy. 2020 was a year that did not go quite as I had planned out last January (or as I imagine, how anyone else planned their year to go). While I did not achieve the exact goals I thought I would last year, I still had a great year and learned a lot. A few things this last year taught me:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🦋 How resilient we can be⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 That connection is possible even when in-person visits are illegal⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 How communities can come together to be there for one another⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 How important hobbies are⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 That outdoor time can be the best thing for the soul⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What did 2020 teach you?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📷: .studio

WOW, 2020 was one for the books! I have to admit for as challenging as this year was, a lot of good happened in my life. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉 I had time to focus on my goals⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉 My relationships with my inner circle got stronger⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉 My health thrived⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉 I cooked almost every meal at home⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉 I spent a ton of time out in nature⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
👉 My house has never been so organized 😜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How about you? What positives came out of 2020 for you?

I am stuck indoors all day working on a paper for my Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition. What is getting me through the day today:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🐶 Frequent breaks to play with the dogs⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍲 Homemade soup on the stove loaded with veggies⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍵 Matcha green tea⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🧘 Mini yoga sessions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥛 Lots of water to hydrate the brain and body⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What gets you through a long day when you have a deadline looming? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Today and every day ❤️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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One unexpected side effect of Covid is that I am cooking at home so much more! I have been going through some of my old cookbooks, retrying old favorites, and trying new ones. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Even creating some of my own 🤗 side effect ➡️ my skin is clearer, my digestion is better, and my tummy is flatter. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Has the pandemic changed the way you are eating? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Many of us are dealing with smokey air right now. While I don't have a cure for clearing the air in your home, these tips might make this time a little more bearable. Stay safe everyone ❤️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Where do you live and is it smokey there? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Reasons to get outside:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🦋 Reduces levels of cortisol or stress⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 Improves your immunity by breathing in different phytoncides ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 Helps your eyesight through focusing far away instead of at a close computer screen or phone⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 Can boost creativity⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 Natural aromatherapy⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🦋 Natural vitamin D⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Have you been out in nature yet today (or this week)? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I have spent the past month mostly offline doing my best to enjoy the present moment and all that is around me in the offline world. I traveled to the ocean, saw some family I had been missing, and redid my vision board to accommodate this new world we live in. My cup is full and I am ready for this new season. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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How was your summer? Are you ready for fall? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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