Everywhere you look, there’s a new trend to try, a new diet “everyone” is suddenly recommending, or a supplement that has miraculously solved every problem from hormonal acne to bloating to hair loss. If you’re looking to make a change for the better and don’t know where to start, we’re here to help. Let’s get back to basics and habit stack to success:

Start with sleep.

Sleep is the foundation to health, period, and I’ve yet to find an expert who disagrees. It isn’t as easy as we’d like to to be, though, since so many factors (including many outlined below) are at play in order to get to that delicious, restorative REM.

What we know for sure after pouring over as many research articles as we could before our eyes glazed over:

• Eat your heaviest meal earlier in the day to aid digestion and avoid disrupting your circadian rhythm. No one wants to go to bed bloated and uncomfortable.
• Give your evening routine as much attention and care as you do your morning routine. This helps set the stage for your body to anticipate sleep is imminent and start slowing down to prepare.
• An hour before bed, turn the lights low/off. Bonus points if you swap night lights for these. Red lights are proven to positively impact sleep quality and aid endurance performance.
• Keep your phone on the charger in another room so you don’t have the temptation to doom scroll before bed.
• Try an evening meditation to unwind. We share more about the benefits of meditating, here.
• Add a magnesium supplement! We take this religiously before bed and it has made such a difference not only in our ability to fall asleep, but our ability to stay asleep. (This is the magnesium we recommend for kids – Grey-approved!).

Don’t sleep on this article – This sleep protocol has been the missing piece to our puzzle and has helped in countless ways. 10/10 suggest giving it a go!

Watch your liquids.

You know water is good for you but it’s hard to drink more of it consistently, isn’t it? Especially when the weather is cooler, you’re not craving it like you do in the heat of the summer. I like to make it a challenge and attempt to fill this container at least twice during the day, with a third fill-up at night and a big swig before bed to help with digestion and all that beautiful regeneration that happens while we sleep.

As far as other liquids – we drink our coffee black (RIP chemical creamers I used to love), I have a scrumptious mug of matcha tea mid-morning (look at all these health benefits!), an afternoon tonic of lemon, ginger and turmeric, then a rotating mug of tea before bed, usually rooibos or dandelion. Notice there aren’t any juices or sodas 😳 which can cause gut issues, bloat, not to mention long-term chronic disease.

If you do like a little bubbly, I highly recommend kombucha, it’s phenomenal for your gut microbiome and can stave off heart disease, diabetes, cancer and more. Just make sure you’re watching the sugar content on the label, they can really sneak it in.

Move with intention – all day.

Did you see the study that equated sitting all day with the same impact as smoking? Gah. Not long ago, I would do my morning workout, then remain fairly sedentary for the rest of the day thinking I had checked that box. Wrong.

Even if they are micro-movements, it’s better than nothing. Here are a few ways to sneak in some strides:

• Set a timer to get up every hour. The apple watch is great for these little nudges (here’s the one I use).
• Do a set of stairs on your stand break, or maybe a lap around the house.
• Give yourself a goal, and a reward: When I get to 10,000 steps today, I’m going to treat myself to…
• Use your lunch break for good. Press play on a mini workout (this one is an absolute boost of energy & joy!), take a neighborhood stroll for some vitamin D, even taking a call on the treadmill works wonders.
• Make your chores work double-time. Hit up every room in the house searching for rogue laundry, see how fast you can clean the bathrooms, make it your mission to clear all the clutter in two minutes or less and every hour tackle a new room.
• Throw on your favorite playlist and dance like no one’s watching (if they are, they can use the steps too – the more the merrier!).

Eat the rainbow.

One of the most frequent questions we get is what to not eat. Rather than focusing on what not to eat, let’s keep it as simple as possible:

I read something a while back that said, if you’re really hungry, you’d eat an apple. So imagine you’re feeling snacky and you get up to fill that craving. You see your favorite cookies in the corner and go to reach for one. What if they weren’t there and you only had a bowl of apples instead. Would you eat the apple? I use that logic every time, and 9 times out of 10, it helps.

Pay attention to how you feel when you eat. Keeping a notebook helps too, especially if you’re trying to work through some dietary changes. I love beans, but I notice they bloat me. I live for bread, but developed a gluten intolerance as I got older that caused me to itch uncontrollably. I don’t feel full when I eat a salad, unless I add protein, nuts and seeds for some crunch. Take the time to notice, and you will unlock the power to improve your entire food experience.

Lastly, eat a more diverse palate of fruits and vegetables daily. We all have our go-to’s, but studies show we have better energy, immunity, longevity, and ability to stave off chronic disease when we eat the rainbow. Make it a game at the grocery store to try something new each week. This diversity help us form more complete aminos, and have better digestion in general.

Make time for mindfulness.

Lastly, and perhaps most important next to sleep: mindfulness. This pillar gets the least attention when it comes to overall well-being, and up until the past year or so, I was guilty of this, too. It’s easy to put intention and effort behind the practices where we see tangible, visible results. It’s rewarding, and who doesn’t love that feeling? But the mental component can be equally impactful and the internal work you’re putting in will help you keep the physical results coming. Bookmark this article and save these ideas for later:

• Anything by Doctor Daniel Amen. He is a renowned psychiatrist and showcases some incredible research on mental health, brain health, self-care, and so much more.
• The Huberman Lab. This podcast is one in my rotation that I never skip. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist and Stanford professor who explains science, health and wellness in such a relatable, regular people kind of way and I value his perspective deeply!
• Play this in the background when you’re working, resting, reading, cooking…any time where you want to re-charge your energy. Studies show the 528hz tone has healing powers!
• YES to all of these affirmations/ meditations/ words of wisdom. I play these when I get ready for the day, when I do my skincare routine at night, even on one of my standing breaks where I need an energy shift.
• Turn off the news, notifications for social media, and if you still need to get a fix, head here.

I know this likely felt like A LOT. But it's so much more simple than the big marketing machine behind the wellness industry wants us to believe. 
EAT CLEAN. 
DRINK WATER. 
MOVE YOUR BODY. 
SLEEP WELL. 
SEEK PEACE AND PRESENCE. 

We're here if you have questions. Leave them in the comments below ⬇️. Wishing you a well + joyful day!