As a fitness fiend, I always like to extoll the importance of a healthy morning ‘wake up’ routine – to just about anyone who would listen. And to be blunt, there is good reason why I consciously choose to do this.
I believe that we, as an intelligent species, are meant to help one another along life’s journey. This includes sharing any piece of wisdom that we may come across. Because you never know when a choice remark or suggestion could help save someone from the brink of some personal disaster.
On Healthy Morning Routines
A healthy morning schedule includes a set of physical and nutritional therapies to get you positively started after you wake up. I refer to these daily interventions as ‘therapies’ because they do result in bettering your holistic health profile. And a vibrant mood, clear head, and stable energy levels only comprise some of the benefits attained thereafter.
In this blogpost, compiled using the Frontier Internet Plans, I’ll discuss each of these advantages in detail. My aim with this piece is to show you how, with only 3 inexpensive routine modifications, almost anyone can start to enjoy them.
So if you’re the pen and paper ‘points jotting’ sort, you’d better start taking some notes.
- 1. Start with Lemon ‘n’ Honey Water
A lemon and honey water concoction is the ideal wake up drink. Many dieting men and women all over the world rave about it. Expert nutritionists like to add it at the very top of their metabolic enhancers’ lists. And some people even resort to it as their go-to post-hangover remedy.
Lemon juice (extracted from the fresh fruit, and not the bottled variety) is a potent antioxidant. It comes brimming with a highly bioavailable – stomach absorbing – form of Vitamin C. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the body, which bring about the visible and felt signs of aging. Also termed as ‘reactive oxygen species’, these compounds are produced as by-products of the body’s natural processes. But their production increases tenfold through unfiltered environmental exposure.
If free radicals are not sufficiently neutralized, they can wreak cellular havoc by damaging cell DNA strands. In addition, they target the body’s collagen structures.
Collagen is the most prevalent form of protein found in the human body, and it has a vital role to play in preserving youthful skin. Its successive degeneration causes all kinds of facial lines, wrinkles and sagging. Many dermatologists (skin doctors) inject collagen fillers to relieve these aging indicators.
A better, and arguably more lasting approach to protecting collagen from within, is to increase daily Vitamin C intake. And consuming more lemon is an easy way of achieving this.
Honey (the other vital ingredient in the tonic) acts like a soothing balm for the throat and liver. It also raises blood sugar levels slightly. This signals the brain, which responds by lowering body melatonin levels, to begin prepping for an active day.
- 2. Eat a High (Healthy) Fat, Protein and Complex Carbohydrate Breakfast
The old-age advice of eating breakfast ‘like kings’ has broadly held true under modern scientific scrutiny. But most health experts warn against eating too many simple carbohydrates so early-on in the day. These include the bulk of bakery items like white breads, jams, jellies, and marmalades. Table sugar and all kinds of fruit juice (whether natural or synthetic) are other prominent examples.
Simple carbohydrates are high-glycemic food products; in that they are quickly digested and cause blood sugar (glucose) levels to spike. These sudden periods of energetic highs, however, are rapidly followed by mood-depressing lows. This is the feeling you experience after downing a bottle of carbonated beverages like Coca-Cola or Miranda. And if low energy levels aren’t enough, simple carbs also lead to untimely ‘sugary’ food cravings. These ultimately result in binge eating; a slippery slope towards acquiring morbid obesity.
The uncontrolled consumption of high-glycemic carbs and Trans-fats is the reason why Americans are the most obese nation in the world. And all those countries which predominantly follow the ‘drive through’ eating culture don’t lag too far behind.
With this said, a good breakfast should consist of a healthy fats & proteins course. A single egg (or two) with yoke intact can suffice for most people. Scrambling it in high-quality olive and coconut oils (natural sources of unsaturated fatty acids) can really add to the meal’s nutritional value. For the carbohydrate portion, stick to a low-glycemic (complex carb) eatable. A toasted slice of fresh whole grain bread can do.
And if you really need to have that glass of O.J in the morning, then consider skipping the bread slice.
- 3. Do Some Calculated Deep Breathing and Stretching Exercises
I know that this pointer seems basic and obvious, but many people still don’t act on this prescription. I was once an un-practicing skeptic myself. But that all changed when I experienced, first-hand, the transformative power of early morning deep breathing and stretching.
Deep breathing is easy. You simply need to sit in standard yoga position in a quiet place, and inhale, pause and exhale according to the 10-6-10 seconds formula. And breathing through your nose is important for correctly tapping into the exercise’s therapeutic potential.
As for stretching, any pre-workout posturing can do. I know some people, in their late 40s, who even skip several circuits before eating their breakfast.
If you’re interested in reading more health-specific articles like this, consider subscribing to a Spectrum internet plan. The said service provision can be signed-up for through the Spectrum Customer Support.
Check out the amazing health blogs published on the My Fitness Pal and Spark People web platforms to get you started.
