Episode 20 Why September Is A Great Time To Refocus On Your Nutrition & Self-Care Goals & How To Get Started
Welcome to episode 20 of Wellness Wednesday’s Audio Series.
I’m Nissrine, registered holistic nutritionist, mindful nutrition & wellness coach for female entrepreneurs who are looking to prioritize their health and wellbeing without fad diets and wellness trends.
I created this series to bring a fresh perspective to nutrition and wellness, one that is centered on and lead by you.
There’s a plethora of information out there and it can be really hard to know what to do and eat to feel good in your body.
It’s so easy to get caught up in fad diets and wellness trends, and question, doubt and second guess your decisions when it comes to the way you nourish and care for yourself.
But I wholeheartedly believe that; reconnecting with your own innate wisdom to know what your body needs to thrive IS the first step to a life-changing transformation AND true lasting wellness; and that progress is made by taking small steps, mindfully, intentionally and consistently.
Now it’s September and this time of year is reminiscent with new beginnings and a much better time to make changes to your nutrition and self-care routine than January, in my opinion.
And here’s why:
For one, we’re subconsciously programmed, from a young age, to expect a fresh start in September, with the end of summer break and back to school season thing, right? We come to expect September to be a new beginning, right?
Summer’s warmer weather and relaxed mood give us a chance to slow down, unwind, let loose and sort of recharge our batteries so that we’re ready and energized to go in September.
Even if you worked all summer long, the pace was probably a little slower (unless you run a beach concession or other highly seasonal summer business), chances are you had a chance to slow down with with co-workers, customers, clients and suppliers taking time off themselves. So if that’s the case, hopefully, you’re feeling energized and ready for a fresh start this month.
If you have kids and they’ve gone back to school, you’ve hopefully regained lost time that you can now dedicate to self-care, to your business, or to yourself and endeavours whatever they may be. The back to school season may be a busy one, but having routine once again is an opportunity to cultivate new habits with some level of consistency.
So, all of that said, how can you use this time of year or the energy of this time of year to get back on track or to get on a new path, with your nutrition and self-care goals?
Well, I’ve got a few ideas that I want to share with you:
Resist the urge to “go on a diet, reset or detox” and focus on balanced nutrition instead.
Summer might have meant ice cream on a leisurely walk, cocktails on a patio and cookouts and BBQs on repeat. I know it did for me and it’s totally ok.
In fact, I’d be really upset with you if you held back on all the goodness summer has to offer because it’s all part of the summer experience.
But also, if you did indulge this summer, I want you to know that you don’t have to feel guilty about it and you don’t have to feel pressured to now go on a diet, do reset or embark on a detox to “fix” your eating habits now that summer is over.
As the weather cools, you’ll naturally be spending more time at home, preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for yourself and the family and the more you cook at home, the more likely you’ll be to eat more vegetables, less sugar, less unhealthy fats and more fiber.
The research shows it all the time that the people who make home cooked meals tend to eat a healthier more balanced diet all together.
If you find yourself relying on take out for survival at the start of the hectic back to school/back to work period, give yourself some grace and compassion and know that it will pass once the new routine sets in ok? And if you want to help it along plan to stock to your pantry and refrigerator and start meal planning again.
Here are some links to help you get started with meal planning and creating balanced meals:
Embrace the season’s bounty
Now this is a really great way to get back on track with your nutrition.
Late Summer/Early Autumn happens to be one of the most abundant seasons of them all and is in fact considered to be the 5th season. Ok?
The early autumn harvest is coming in and many summer favourites are still going strong, and so what happens this time of year is that you’re actually spoiled for choice when it comes to creating a delicious and nutritious rainbow inspired meal. right?
This time of year is particularly great for, you know, fresh Tomatoes that are nice and juicy this time of year, and delicious, it’s the best time of year to get them, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, fruits like figs, plums, grapes, late season peaches, and even early season apples and pears and some fall produce is starting to come in right now as well like some varieties of squash, so you’ve got a lot of options, not to mention the greens that are in abundance this time of year as well, so you have a lot of options to get some nutritious colourful plant foods onto your plates.
So embrace the season’s bounty, and go out and shop the markets, shop the grocery stores and pick up as many varieties of these amazing plants as you can to include in your meals. It will also, not only make your meals more nutritious, but it will also make them more delicious and more exciting because of all the colours and flavours and textures you’ll experience when you’re eating.
Don’t forget to drink
Water as you already know is essential for optimal body functions for gut health and staying regular. Right?
It can be easy to assume that we don't need to drink much now that the weather is cooler, right? Or it can actually be easy to forget to drink now that your schedule is busier than in the slower summer days. right?
So be sure to keep your cells and intestines adequately hydrated with plenty of water.
Set yourself some reminders, get yourself a great bottle that you can take with you on the run to make sure that you’re always drinking plenty of water and keeping yourself hydrated.
Start to Prioritize Sleep Once Again
Now, I don’t know about you, but for me in the summer, yeah I do like to sleep in in the mornings, but I tend to stay up alot, right.
Our sleep wake cycle just generally changes in the summer months with the longer days and extended daylight hours. We may find ourselves going to bed later and even waking later in the morning, either because we are taking some time off for a summer vacation, because our summer schedule is more relaxed or because the kids are home from school, and we’re eliminating the need to hustle in the mornings, and maybe we go out and we have these amazing long summer days and we don’t get back until later, we have dinner later, we go to bed later. So in general, our sleep wake cycle changes and it’s different from what we’re used to in the autumn, winter and spring months, right?
But then as autumn rolls around, the days get shorter and we get back to school and work and the daily routine, it’s important to adjust our sleep wake cycle accordingly so that we’re getting optimal rest, which is essential for optimal body and brain function, including hormone balance, focus, and concentration, to name just a few, right?
So it’s extremely important to get back onto a regular sleep schedule that allows you to get the sleep thart you need through the night to face the demands of your day without crashing and burning half way through it.
Keep moving your body
With the heatwave we had in Italy in July, it felt impossible for me to keep up my exercise routine even at 6am and frankly I’m not willing to wake up before 6am to exercise, so my exercise routine kind of flew out the window a little bit.
And once I was in Canada in August, my priority kind of shifted to getting as much sleep as possible in the mornings, because I was staying up later, spending time with loved ones - family and friends, and maybe being out a bit later than what I was used to and then just taking more time to unwind in the evenings, so I needed more sleep in the mornings. So, I prioritized natural forms of movement like swimming in the sea when we were in Italy or in the pool when we were in Canada, and then just going for long walks as much as possible when the weather allowed it, so whether it be early in the morning, or later in the evening, or on a cooler afternoon, taking the time to just go out and move my body in a natural way like walking.
Now that autumn is here though, i'm gradually reintroducing intentional movement and exercise, kind of what I call sort of intentional exercise, structured exercise, into my days again.
So, if you’re like me and you wound down your workouts for the summer, you don’t have to make up for lost time by going all in and overdoing it all of the sudden because you somehow feel like you have to make up for the time you did take off . I encourage to just get in on the schedule again and start rebuilding the habit gradually at a pace that feels good to you.
Carve out time for you on the family schedule
So self-care or time for you to pause and breathe, because it’s essential for your mindy body and soul, for your holistic health and wellbeing and for your ability to show for the people and things in your life that are important to you. So I want to remind you not to get caught up in the hustle, or so caught up in it, that you neglect to make time for yourself.
Be sure to carve out time on the family schedule. Whether it means 10 minutes a day to write in your journal, 30 minutes to go for a morning walk or even 5 minutes to do some meditative breath work, put it on the calendar and hold yourself accountable to prioritizing yourself and your needs because they are just as important as everybody else’s.
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On that note, I'd like to thank you for tuning in to this week’s short episode and remind you that if you’re looking for support with your nutrition and self-care and making it a priority, you can book a complimentary wellness consultation with me, to chat about your goals and how to get you there on your own terms and at your own pace. At the very least, we’ll have a nice chat and you’ll get some clarity about the wellness journey ahead of you.
Last but not least, if you’d like to be a part of my pilot program, entitled (re) Awaken Your Innate Food Wisdom, a self-paced mindful nutrition program with 4 weeks of group support to help you prioritize your nutrition & wellness without fad diets and trends, get on my mailing list to get an exclusive invitation once I’m ready to launch it later this fall.
It will be a journey to learning more about your body and what it needs to thrive; A mindful approach to nutrition that will improve your relationship with food; and a wellness education program that will guide you for life so your nutrition and self-care will always be a priority.
Now, to get on my mailing list, all you have to do is subscribe to this audio series or you can download my simple 5 step framework to nourishing meals in minutes and you’ll be the first to know when the pilot program is ready for testing.
A Simple 5 Step Framework To Nourishing Meals in Minutes
You’ve got your hands full and more than enough on your plate. Take the guess work out of what and how to eat and make meal preparation a breeze, even when you’re short on time.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and share with a friend and be sure to tune in next week for another episode of Wellness Wednesday Audio Series, where I a share a short audio clip each week to inspire you to reconnect with yourself on a deeper level so you can start nourishing and caring for yourself, more mindfully and intentionally.
Until next week,
Stay healthy, happy and safe,