If you know me at all then you know I tend to hyper-focus on things.
I get really interested in something and I go all-in. Sometimes it sticks, (yoga!) and sometimes it doesn’t (being vegan).
Instead of beating myself up or trying to put myself in a box I fully embrace and lean into the fact that I’m a girl of many interests. Am I crazy? Definitely a little.
I always take something away from my phases- I’ve come to think of them as opportunities to learn more about myself. I think at the end of the day it gives me more life experience and makes me a more interesting person. I definitely have more material to relate to other people with!
That being said, here are the 6 heath trends I’m trying right now:
Raw Milk
Maybe you think I’m super weird for trying this. You’re not the only one! My family reminds me of this daily.
I saw a meme the other day pointing out that in some movies they always portray sociopaths in a library, with a cat, drinking milk. Say what you want, I’ve always liked milk and I’m grateful I’m able to tolerate it!
I’m trying this because I’ve heard that raw milk is better for you than pasteurized milk. As long as you get raw milk from a reliable source (clean equipment, healthy cows, etc), it’s very nutritious, good for your gut and it digests better than pasteurized milk. I get mine from Chuck’s Produce, it’s the only place I’ve found so far that carries it. And so far no problems!
Daily Walks Outside
Okay, this one isn’t new for me. I’ve been doing this since high school, when my family got our sweet (but super high-strung) boxer dog, Abby.
I did NOT always want to walk her. However, she was incredibly persistent so each day when I got home from school I’d take her on a 30-minute walk. I think those walks definitely helped me to manage my stress throughout high school.
When I went to college I got out of the habit. When I was working full time I almost never made it outside for a daily walk. The lack of sunlight, lack of cardio, and lack of listening to music daily was just so terrible.
This spring when I quit working full-time I picked up a dog walking job on Rover. I walk 2 dogs from 11am-12pm Monday-Thursday. I appreciate this job so much because I love the dogs, I get my daily sunlight, movement and music, and I get paid to do something that’s good for me! I keep this job even though my schedule gets chaotic because it’s my accountability to go on a walk every day. I definitely wouldn’t make time for it myself if it wasn’t my job.
Bonus Health Trend- I’m actually trying backwards walking as well lately. When I go to the gym I always start with 15 minutes of backwards walking on an incline on the treadmill. It’s good for the knees and for SI joint pain, as well as strengthening the posterior muscle chain.
Bare Feet on the Ground
Each day I’m trying to spend time with my bare feet on the earth. There are a few reasons I’m trying this one:
- In theory, the earth has negative ions that get transferred to you when your bare feet are on the ground. These negative ions are really good for you.
- Our feet have more bones and joints than, like, anywhere else on our body. Whose idea was it to stuff them in boxes all day?! It’s good to let your feet move and stretch on different surfaces on the daily.
- I hate myself. Just kidding- I’m doing it to physically ground myself each day and connect with nature. But man, the ground is cold right now! I recently heard a tip to pour hot water on the ground before you step on it, and I’m excited to try that!
Bonus Health Trend: I got myself a pair of barefoot shoes recently to wear on my walks. While it’s not the same as being barefoot, the soles are flexible and there’s lots of wiggle room for the toes so I feel like my feet get more movement. There’s also no heel at all, which is good for the hips.
Watching the Sunrise & Sunset
I recently learned that light cues are very important to our circadian rhythm.
Right now I’m not able to control the amount of light I see after dark, but especially with sunrise and sunset being within reasonable hours right now I’m able to take 5 minutes to stand outside or at least crack a window during sunrise and sunset.
Apparently the red light is really good for your eyes to take in, even if it’s cloudy, or there are trees in the way. Your eyes receive a clear signal that it’s time to wake up or to start winding down.
I started this one because I was having a really hard time sleeping. I would lay my head on my pillow and my brain just wouldn’t turn off. I think that this has probably helped, along with eating more protein throughout the day.
High Protein Meals
This one has been a huge game changer! For a long time now I’ve struggled with always feeling hungry. I guess that feeling hungry isn’t the problem- I’m really grateful that my body gives me clear cues- it’s more that I’ve had trouble nourishing myself properly.
I’ve felt like I could eat and eat and eat all day and still be starving constantly! This is not a light issue, it has affected my energy and ability to do things and to think clearly, and to feel a sense of wellbeing rather than stress and anxiety. I’ve been really hard on myself for being overwhelmed, and I’ve been unable to conquer the feeling that things will never get better.
BUT lately I’ve been very intentional about eating enough protein during meals. And not just eating high-protein foods, but trying to get at least 100g of protein per day, at least 30g at breakfast. That’s easier said than done! Well, it actually is easy I guess- but having to completely re-vamp your food system is not easy, as I’m sure many of you already know. Luckily I have a few recipes on hand at this point that help me get most of my protein in, but I’m still figuring it out.
Strength Training
This is NOT a weird one! But it is one that I’m trying.
I’ve actually been trying it out since last summer, and I’ve been learning about strength training for women specifically.
I was inspired to do it because I loved my exercise classes in college, and also because I learned that strength training helps combat common yoga injuries. And also because it’s so important for women to have strong bodies, and I think that our society doesn’t allow for that in a lot of ways.
So I’m “being the change” I wish to see in the world and I’m following a strength training for women course. I’m on the easier side of it right now but my goal is to work up to the more challenging stuff. It’s hard to be consistent but I feel that I’ve found a time of day that works for me and I’ve learned how to scale the workouts, so here goes nothing!
What health trends are you trying lately? Have you tried any of these before? Let me know in the comments!