My Daily Routine on a Perfect Health Day

I often get clients ask me what I take for supplements, how much protein I eat, and what I do for exercise. While it varies depending on what is going on in my life, I thought it might be helpful to write about my daily routine on those days when all is right in my world.

My first priority every day is getting in some movement. I either teach yoga, go for a long walk, or do strength training, Pilates, or Barre on my Fit On app. Fit On is great because it is FREE and you can choose both the type of workout, instructor, and duration.

• I try for a 60-minute workout daily but if I am tight on time, I spread out some short exercises, like 15-minute walks, 10-minute Fit On workouts, push-ups against the counter or walking briskly up and down the stairs.

• I just do not feel right physically or emotionally if I don’t build in some movement every day. It gets addictive for sure and helps to manage stress while setting me up for a good sleep.

Second, I try to focus on eating a healthy diet, prioritizing protein, healthy fats and fiber.

That means on my perfect day, I have a healthy smoothie for breakfast (one that is low in sugary fruit, high in fiber, with good fats and protein powder); a big salad with a variety of greens, healthy fat, and quality protein (chicken, tuna or salmon, chickpeas/cheese) for lunch; and a high-protein, lower-simple carb dinner with plenty of veggies for dinner. I also love to end my dinner with a square of dark chocolate, chock full of flavonoids, or a small Greek yogurt with berries and nuts.  

• We all should be aiming for about 100 grams a protein a day. I realize that is A LOT of protein and much more than most of us women are eating. We need more protein to prevent significant muscle loss while we age.

• I aim for 30-35 grams with each meal, boosting my protein intake with whey protein (in smoothies), Greek yogurt, and occasionally an IQ protein bar, which has 12 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber and only 2 sugars! They even have a chocolate sea salt one that doubles as a perfect dessert.

As for supplements, I take calcium with vitamin D for strong bones, Omega-3 fish oil (Nordic Naturals brand are my favorite) for blood vessel health, and sometimes a probiotic for my microbiome. At night, I take magnesium glycinate and occasionally the Indian herb Ashwagandha. (Consult your doc before adding any supplements or adaptogens as they could interfere with your medications.)

• Magnesium does over 500 actions in the body and can really help us sleep. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen which helps the body manage stress. Taking it in the evening can help dissipate excess cortisol before sleep.
  

• I also have more recently drinking creatine monohydrate in water (blue raspberry flavor is my favorite) before, during or after my strength training workouts. Creatine is useful for muscle building, energy maintenance, and may even benefit brain function.

Finally, I tried to build in some meditation or quiet time daily, even if it just a hot bath at the end of the day. We need to have time when we are not ON and we can recharge our batteries. I really like Insight Timer (another free app) for the flexibility of picking guided meditations of varying lengths. If meditation is not your thing, try journaling or even prayer.

Again, this is my perfect health day. Yours will look different but some principles remain the same—the importance of movement; a healthy diet of quality protein, fats and fiber; and quiet time to reflect and recharge. Here’s to our health!

Content provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice.