Back to the Basics: Keep it Simple & Just Be...

Those of you who may be feeling overwhelmed with the 30-Day Joylife Training Journey, you probably need to just get back to the basics. With the plethora of information out there on the topics of lifestyle, exercise, and diet, one can become easily overwhelmed, and give up on embarking onto a journey to health. I mean how can you even move forward when there are so many options or life is just too busy?

Even with it mapped out for you, embarking on a healthy lifestyle change can be time-consuming and confusing. My advice to those out there who are still struggling, is to Keep it Simple & Just Be... Authentic, Active, Awesome...The 3As! Follow them as simply outlined below for 30 days, and I know that you'll feel better and have more clarity and vigor!

Here's the Keep it Simple version of the 30-DJT Journey!

1. Authentic

• The goal here is to take in the most nutritious, natural, and best quality food & water available to you.  
• Stop counting calories and follow these simple regular-size plate rules, 
• make at least half your plate colorful and/or leafy vegetables-50-75%, 
• place a palm-sized portion (4-8 ounces) of a healthy protein on your plate-25-30%, 
• put a quarter plate of whole grains on your plate-0-10% (non-gluten or no grains for those with GI intolerance or autoimmune issues....more on that in later posts for those interested in taking it a step further)
• place a serving of fruit (max 2-3 servings/day) on your plate-10-20%. 
• For snacks, a handful of nuts, apple slices or celery with almond butter, or even 1/2 - 1 oz. of dark chocolate works great!
• Regarding alcohol intake, limit this to no more that 1-2 drinks for women, 2-3 drinks for men, no more than 2-3 times per week. 
• For a quick, basic breakfast, try this easy, delicious smoothie recipe!
•  If it is a real, whole, natural food that was grown or raised outside of a factory, you've prepared it yourself, and you eat it in reasonable portions, then you're probably not eating processed food.
•  A rule of thumb is to drink at least half your weight in ounces per day. For example, if you weigh 160 lbs, shoot for 80 ounces per day. Add 8 ounces for every 15-30 minutes of exercise, and add another 8 ounces for every 25 lbs of weight loss desired. 
• Don't like the taste of plain water? Infuse it with citrus fruits, cucumbers, or berries, just like recipes suggested on this fruit infused water blog.

2. Active

• Instead of the constant chronic cardio & over-training, just be active in whatever you are doing!
• Natural walking is the best! Take your 15-minute morning and afternoon breaks at work and walk at your natural pace for those15 minutes. At home after dinner, take another 15 minute walk with the dog, with a spouse, or by yourself. 
• If you keep this easy active routine up, before you know it, you'll be picking up your natural walking pace! 
• In addition to walking, center your daily routines around activity, such as doing calf raises while brushing your teeth, parking farther from the entrance to add more steps, or doing gentle stretching or calisthenics while watching TV.
• On weekends, focus on active play, such as hiking, or any of your favorite sports and/or activities. Go old school with games like dodge ball or duck-duck-goose!

3. Awesome 

• I found there is one single thing that you can do to improve all these facets of your life, and that is to get good, quality sleep! This article gives the basic benefits of sleep here.
• Most people really need at least 7-9 hours per night, whether they want to hear that or not, in order to function at full optimal capacity. 
• If you have trouble with getting this amount, start pushing your bedtime back 1/2 hour each week until you build up to the suggested optimal time that works for you. 
• For those of you who have trouble falling or staying asleep, sleep hygiene is important. This includes having a regular bedtime routine, such as a warm bath, turning off electronic devices, blackening the room using blackout shades as needed.
• If 7-9 hours per night is unrealistic for you, get at least 6 hours nighttime sleep with one or two naps before 3 pm. This article here gives tips on napping effectively. The ideal nap time is 20 minutes, but even a 1 - 2 minutes nap can be beneficial for you. Avoid more than a 30 minute nap, as this may make you feel groggy instead of refreshed.

You can always just go back to the basics above, if you find that the 30-DJT Journey is too difficult to follow or you're just not ready for it yet. Take it easy on yourself, knowing you're essentially learning new skills on your road to optimal health & energy. The 3As will improve your well-being by just following their basic concepts, without even having to do anything else. If you take photos of yourself, you will be able to see changes in your body you may not have noticed without the photos.

Once you are ready to delve into more detail, join me here on a 30-Day Joylife Training Journey to optimal health & energy by just being Authentic, Active, & Awesome! I'll give you healthy tips, suggestions, and recipes to guide you along the way. 

One step at a time...that's all it takes! You will be great regardless! Don't try to be perfect, just do your best! Everyone has their own timing, their own inspiration. Just decide where you want to start, what you want to do, and be intentional in your decision! Feel free to comment or email me with any questions or concerns, and as always, find what gives you joy in your life.

                                                                <3 Cheryl Joy