Health Tips for Women
We all know the benefits of taking care of your mind and body, but oftentimes that’s easier said than done when you’re balancing a career, a family, and a multitude of other activities.
Nutritionist and speaker Landria Voigt, 41, knows just how tough it is to make your own well-being a priority. “It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. It just means you want to be great for everyone else in your life,” she explains.
Here are her top four tips to help you take care of yourself.
Tip 1: Plan Ahead
Voigt’s first and most important tip to aid your well-being: Prepare. For example, as a working mother, she tries to make the majority of her family’s weekly meals on Sundays. That includes grocery shopping, meal planning, and making breakfasts and lunches.
She and her husband also prepare for all the weekly activities, including their two children’s schedules, speaking events, and social functions. “I am fortunate to have a lot of help from my husband,” Voigt says. “He helps take the kids to school, with their homework, cleaning up after dinner, and many other tasks. We work very well as a team.”
Tip 2: Fuel Your Body
Voigt’s second piece of advice: Never skimp on breakfast. But she’s not talking about a bowl of cereal and pancakes with maple syrup. She’s talking about fueling your body. “You need to focus your breakfasts on protein and healthy fats. Aim for 25 grams of protein at breakfast alone,” she says.
A good, high protein breakfast can help you avoid snacking between meals on pre-packaged items that usually contain high amounts of sugar, Voigt explains.
Tip 3: Get Up and Move
Aside from feeding your body, Voigt encourages you to move your body regularly. “Something as little as going for a walk does a lot,” she says. “Even if you only have 15 minutes, it lowers your cortisol levels, which is the hormone directly related to stress.”
If you’re short on time, Voigt suggests doing intervals. For example, sprint for 30 seconds and alternate it with an active recovery for a minute or so, then repeat 10 times. The same goes for walking: Fast walk for 30 seconds, recover, then repeat 10 times.
Tip 4: Take a Rest
The last piece of your overall wellness is sleep. As basic as it seems, 73 percent of Americans don’t get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, according to National Geographic data provided to The Huffington Post.
These days, many of us fall asleep watching TV, reading an e-book, or checking our phones, Voigt says. But by doing so, your brain is still being stimulated from the light. “So turn off the electronics about an hour before you go to bed so that your brain can get out of stimulation mode and into sleep mode,” she says.
You always may be busy, Voigt says, but your body will always be the vehicle for everything you do. “Don’t use the weather or a cold as your excuse to forget about taking care of yourself, because those things will always be there,” she says.
At the end of the day, it’s not about perfection. But if you don’t nourish your body, your body won’t return the favor, Voigt says.
Are you ready to start taking care of yourself? Check out these four emerging trends in health and wellness .
