Each of us has our own morning routine, whether we’ve carefully planned it out or not. It’s easy to get into habits, whether that relates to waking up at a particular time or in a particular way, eating a specific breakfast, laying in bed, sleeping in, getting on our phones right away, or taking time for self-care.
The way you start the morning says a lot about how you’ll feel for the rest of the day, your mindset for the morning, and at what level your body will be functioning going forward. Naturally, some habits are better for your mind and body than others, and making some conscious choices about the very first things you do when you wake up in the morning is a majorly crucial step to giving each day its best chance to be a great one.
We spoke to Brandi Black, registered holistic nutritionist, and got her tips for the three very best things you should do at the beginning of each day. These are the ways she starts her days this season, with the goals of boosting immunity, staying healthy, and feeling mentally prepared to tackle the day ahead.
1. Wake up naturally.
The very first thing she recommends is avoiding an alarm whenever possible. In this time of heightened stress, getting the sleep your body wants and needs is more important than ever. When your stress is higher, your immune system becomes less able to fight off infections. But if we know anything about 2020, it’s that it has most people feeling a lot of extra anxiety and stress, while we also want our immune systems to be at their best. Therefore, Black recommends letting your body wake up on its own, as much as your schedule allows. As she says, “your primary lifestyle focus right now should be to get adequate, restful sleep and manage stress and anxiety as best as you can,” so that’s one easy way to start. It’s recommended that most adults get six to eight hours of sleep each night, but you know your body better than anyone. If you need more, and your body needs more, get the extra sleep! You’ll feel better for it.
2. Drink water!
Starting the day with a glass of water has long been recommended by nutritionists and medical professionals, as it helps your body wake up, and it helps you quickly rehydrate after a night of sleeping and not consuming water. Black goes further, recommending a particularly healthful first-thing drink: warm water with lemon, raw local honey, and ginger. These added ingredients are all packed with healing benefits and antioxidants, and are excellent for boosting your immune system quickly and easily.
3. Whip up an immune-boosting smoothie.
The last thing Black recommends to conclude your early-morning routine is a delicious immunity smoothie, packed with nutritious ingredients. Your smoothie recipe can vary to your preferences, but aim to include lots of vitamin C and zinc-packed foods, like apple, kale, cranberries, avocado, and blueberries. Black also always adds chlorella–a green algae in powder or tablet form–to hers. She says, “Chlorella is rich in several immune-boosting vitamins and minerals, as well as beta-glucans, a group of polysaccharides that have been studied for helping the body fight illness faster.” A highly-nutritious green smoothie like this will not only energize you for the rest of the morning, but its ingredients will help continue to make your immune system stronger than ever.
