“You don’t have to be a wreck. You don’t have to be sick. One’s aim in life should be to die in good health. Just like a candle that burns out.”
(Jeanne Moreau)
As the designated content sherpa for Happy Living one of my roles is to peruse the internet in search of ideas and inspiration for the Happy Living community. I try to find stories and useful information that fit into our mission to “improve the health and wellbeing of the world, one person at a time” and our Seven Foundations of Health.
Since joining Happy Living I’ve noticed how my own health and wellbeing has become a priority. This is a departure from how I used to live my life, and how I used to have very little regard for my health and wellbeing. For example, my nutrition was terrible and I mean terrible. I used to drink 2-6 cokes a day, a bag of candy and who knows what else! And did you know that one coke puts you at or above the daily limit for sugar in a day according to the AHA (American Heart Association)? I sure didn’t and on top of that my food intake was a ‘mish-mash’ of highly-processed foods, insta-frozen-meals and ice-cream.
[Tweet “Did you know that one coke puts you at or above the AHA’s daily limit for sugar?”]
So what changes did I decide to make? Well for starters I significantly cut back on my sugar intake and as this isn’t the only healthy habit I incorporated into my life, I wanted to share with y’all a few of my favorite ‘happy habits’:
Intermittent Fasting (IF): Going 16-48 hours without food. There are a whole slew of claimed health benefits, including: lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation, and IF has shown to increase the life-span of rats 15-20%. These benefits are supported by some great articles from Bullet Proof and Fat Burning Man, who offer different perspectives.
I actually had been unintentionally, intermittent fasting before I knew what it was. I rarely wake up hungry so I hardly ever eat breakfast, and never bought into the adage that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. I haven’t yet experimented with going the 48 hours without food, but 2-5 days a week I do a 16-20 hour fast (I try to listen to my body to set the frequency). This isn’t for everyone, but seems to work for me and as always if you are questioning if this change is for you, consult your doctor.
Bone Broth: A broth made from the bones of grass-fed animals. This is one of the new wonder foods out there that offers a great many health benefits, as it is high in vitamins, minerals and collagen. In addition, bone broth can help with your digestive system and fight inflammation, improve joint health and sleep. [1] Here are some great articles for you to read that go into more depth about the benefits of bone broth, and some great recipes for you to try from Dr. Mercola and Dr. Kelly Ann Petrucci.
So I started making my own bone broth a few months ago and it has become a daily staple of my diet, I almost always have a pot brewing. It is fairly easy to make, but it does take some time (24-48 hours). For me, drinking a nice cup of broth awakens something primal within me, it is a great meal replacer and doesn’t disrupt an intermittent fast. As well, I’ve been drinking a lot of broth lately for its restorative and healing powers that may reduce inflammation as I recover from a recent shoulder dislocation.
Butter Coffee/Tea: Blend a cup of coffee with grass-fed butter, ghee or a special type of coconut oil (MCT oil). It is like drinking a turbo charged cup of coffee that also acts as a meal replacement and doesn’t disrupt an intermittent fast. Here is the origin story for you and a great recipe for butter coffee from Dave Asprey (the fatty-coffee pioneer).
I start most of my days with a butter coffee and you can read further about my love for coffee and butter here. I also have been adding collagen powder from the great folks at Vital Proteins, cacao powder (when I want a mocha), and lately I will have a cup of fatty tea if I need an afternoon pick-me-up!
I would love to hear from you our readers if you practice any of these healthy habits or your thoughts after trying them out! Leave a comment below or email me. I hope you find some happiness in these Happy Habits! Check back in regularly to Happy Living for future Happy Habits.
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