Morning Essentials: Part 2

es·sen·tial

əˈsen(t)SHəl/

adjective: absolutely necessary; extremely important.

noun: a thing that is absolutely necessary.

Here is Part 2 of my series Morning Essentials.

1. Water
Water is essential for life. Without water, life cannot exist. That is why scientists get so excited when they find some form of water on other planets because that means, at the very least, there is a possibility of finding some kind of life form on that planet. Our body is composed of about 60% water and it needs water, in plentiful supply, to function properly. When our bodies become dehydrated, severe consequences can happen: dizziness, fainting, brain fog, memory loss, blurred vision, headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue. If you feel thirsty, you are becoming dehydrated. Don't wait to feel thirsty before getting some water. Find ways to incorporate water intake into your daily routine. 

The average American drinks about 58 gallons of water per year. That number may seem high to you but lets break it down: that's about 1.15 gallons a week, which means we are only drinking about 20 ounces of water a day. That is not enough. As a general rule, you should drink half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, then you should be drink at least 60 ounces of water a day.

How do I make water an essential part of my day? I start first thing in the morning with a full glass of water. Seriously, first thing. After I make a stop in the bathroom, I head to the kitchen and I get a cold glass of water. I add 2 drops of lemon oil and 1 drop of copaiba oil. And I drink the whole thing standing right there at the water cooler. It's not too hard because I'm pretty thirsty after 6-7 hours of sleep. I must be active in my dreams. I get the rest of my water for the day at each meal. I only drink water with my meals; well....except breakfast, when I have coffee. But more often than not, I will also have a glass of cold water and coffee at breakfast. Yes, Jerry thinks it is a little weird. Who am I to argue? Anyway, at some meals I will make a glass of fizzy pop. It is a mix of lemon & lime juice, stevia, ice, and sparkling water. Yum. And I always drink a full glass of water about 1/2 hour before bed. If I don't, I usually wake up with a headache next morning. Yes, I put essential oils in every glass of water. I like grapefruit oil in the morning because it is a natural appetite suppressant and helps with sugar cravings. I also like tangerine, and for a real flavor treat, I like to mix spearmint and lime oils.

2. Breakfast
Breakfast is an essential for me as it should be for everyone. There is the myth that says skipping breakfast slows one's desire to eat throughout the day and will speed up weight loss. False. Just as your body needs water to function properly, it also needs good, healthy food. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. When I eat a good breakfast filled with good, healthy food, I am more committed to eating the same way at lunch and at dinner. I have been following the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) eating plan off and on for several years. When I'm on plan, I lose weight, I feel healthy, and I have much more energy. Why? Because THM advocates for eating real, natural, healthy food. It's about choosing food in it's purest form so it can work in your body the way it should and your body can work the way it is created to work. There are no (or very little) processed or altered foods. Our bodies are organic. They weren't created to deal with all the highly processed, synthetic laden, fake food that has become part of the American diet. It's been a while since I've followed the THM lifestyle, obviously, but I have been back on board 100% for the last month and I am feeling great. I have lost five pounds, with more to go. I know it will be a process, but it starts with my morning essential of consistently eating a good breakfast.

I have three go to breakfasts that are essential to starting my day off right. They are very easy for me to make, therefore, making it easy for me to stay on plan.
1. THM Chocolate Chip Muffin in a Mug. Every now and then I want a sweet breakfast and this meets that want in a healthy way. Sometimes I will also have 1-2 pieces of bacon to go with it.
2. Scrambled eggs and bacon. I put onions and red peppers in my eggs, and if I have it, I will add spinach as well. Topped with a little bit of shredded cheese, this is a winner for sure.
3. Steel Cut Oatmeal. I will sweeten it with a little bit of stevia, cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla or caramel extract. I top it with fruit and Greek yogurt and I am good to go!

If you would like more information on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, CLICK HERE. 

3. LLV Supplements
What is LLV? It stands for Life Long Vitality. LLV is doTERRA's leading nutritional supplement. Just as important as eating breakfast, so is taking supplements. Even the healthiest eaters are missing essential food nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. I love doTERRA's supplements because they are 100% natural with no fillers and no binding ingredients (glues) which are used in the hard-pill forms of vitamins and supplements. LLV is a combination of supplements, vitamins, and minerals that targets your nutritional needs and works with your body naturally for health and wellness. Benefits include improved heart health, proper brain function, increased energy levels, digestion support, and weight management. For the sake of time, I won't go into detail about each of the three supplements, but you can CLICK HERE for a link that talks about the awesome benefits of using LLV supplements. I would be happy to talk with you more about how to get and make LLV a part of your morning essential routine and to answer any questions you might have.

4. Exercise (an essential wanna be)
Okay, another totally honest and transparent moment here. I know, in my head, the importance of regular exercise and physical activity. I understand the importance it plays in my overall health. In the past, exercise has been an essential in my life. It's not now, but I am working on it. I am readjusting my mindset and my schedule so exercise becomes part of my morning routine once again. I know myself. If I don't exercise in the morning, I will not make time for it during the rest of my day. So my plan is to exercise 3 times a week on my exercise bike for at least 20 minutes, 30 if I can swing it. I think that is a good start. Eventually I'd like to incorporate some other forms of exercise as well. I've got a few DVDs and some hand weights. With my knees, high-impact exercise is not an option. Sorry Linda, I won't be running with you anytime soon. Ever. But I do like to walk. As the weather gets nicer I can go into town and walk on the high school track or around some neighborhoods. And I can recruit some friends. Exercise is always better with a friend or two. As the saying goes, "misery loves company." Oops....that is NOT the right mindset!

I will keep you posted on how I do.

Morning Essentials: Part 1

es·sen·tial

əˈsen(t)SHəl/

adjective: absolutely necessary; extremely important.

noun: a thing that is absolutely necessary.

Starting the day off right is essential. Starting the day off with the essentials of life is....well.....essential. Below you will find the four things that I consider essential for starting my day. I honestly cannot imagine a morning without them. I hope you will find something helpful and encouraging for your essential morning routine.




1. Time in God's Word.
Spending time reading my Bible is vital (yes, I have a thesaurus) to my spiritual health and well being. I find that taking time first thing in the morning works best for me. My house is quiet. Now that Jerry and I are empty nesters, our house is quiet most of the time. But still, there is nothing quite like the quiet calm of the early morning. I don't shower, get dressed, put on makeup, or have breakfast before I open my Bible. I'd have to get up at 4 in the morning to do all of that and for now, 5:30 is early enough. 

Right now I am going through the four gospels and studying the life of Christ in chronological order. I am using a study book called Simply Christ by Andrew M. Rector. I love this study for so many reasons.

• First, the layout. Each day is a passage of scripture(s) and questions. That's it. There is no commentary, practical illustrations, author insight, or explanations by a theologian as to what the scripture is about. Don't get me wrong. I love those kinds of devotion books and have used them often. But, for the past few years, I am finding that I just want to be in God's Word with God. Him teaching me. The Holy Spirit revealing truth and insight. And is there any better way to learn about Jesus than from Jesus Himself? Again, I am in no way putting down or discouraging the use of other kinds of studies. They are full of wisdom and instruction that is essential for growing one's walk with God. For now, for me, this type of devotion works well. 
• The second reason I love this study guide is that it asks the same questions every day for every passage: summarize the passage, who are the people in the passage, what is taking place, where are they, when is this taking place, what did Jesus say, why is this happening, etc. I think of Joe Friday from the old television series Dragnet when he says, "Just the facts ma'am."  Once those facts are established, then come the how questions of applying this information to my life. 
• Finally, I love this study guide because it encourages journaling, which I love to do. When I write out the answers, I become more thoughtful and deliberate in my responses to what and how God is teaching me. It gives me a reference point to remember how God works and to praise Him for His faithful word. Journaling during my time with God requires me to really listen to His truth and not my own. 

2. Time in Prayer
Another part of my morning routine is prayer. I'll be honest, this essential hasn't always been quite as easy for me as time in God's Word and I haven't always given it a place of priority in my routine. Sad, I know. I really have to work at taking the time, no, making the time for this essential aspect of my Christian walk. I am currently taking a class at church that covers all aspects of prayer. At first, I wasn't going to take this class even though I knew I needed it. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), God had to work extra hard to get my attention on this matter. I'm a slow learner sometimes, which is a nice way of saying that I'm really just stubborn. Anyway, I signed up for the class and I am so glad I did. Since the class started, I have learned so much and God has had to essentially break me down so He could build me back up in regard to prayer. Not an easy task either. It's been a process and I have been challenged to make prayer an essential for starting my day. I keep a journal for some matters of prayer. I also use an app on my phone called PrayerMate. These different prayer tools, along with God's constant prompting and patience, are making a huge difference in how I pray. Focused, purposeful, and heartfelt. Connecting my heart to God's heart. Essential, don't you think?

3. Essential Oils
Yes, you knew essential oils had to be on this list, but it's true--they play such an important part in getting my mornings off to a good start. On the side table next to the couch where I sit to read my Bible and pray, I have a diffuser. (I have diffusers in 3 other rooms as well) This allows me to breathe in all the essential goodness from these amazing oils. I pretty much use the same oils every morning, but once in a while I will change things up and try something new or use an oil for a specific need. "What oils?" Glad you asked!

• Peppermint Oil. It is a great energizing oil (much needed at 5:30 in the morning) and it smells awesomely sweet and yummy. Peppermint oil also pairs well with most other oils so any combination I come up with is sure to be beneficial. 
• Tangerine Oil. This oil is one of my new favorites. Besides smelling and tasting great, tangerine oil is also an energizing oil that helps to clear out the fog that settles in my early-morning brain. Lemon, Lime, and Wild Orange oils can easily be substituted with the same benefits. 
• Cypress Oil. Cypress is great for focus and concentration. Seriously, once I'm all energized up from peppermint and tangerine, I need to be able to concentrate on what I'm reading so I can focus on the truths God is teaching me. 

There are other benefits of the essential oils listed above as well: immune system support, stress management, purifying effects, and help for respiratory and digestive issues. All that from just three oils.

4. Coffee
This morning essential is a no-brainer. For other coffee lovers, I don't have to go into detail as to why this is a morning essential. You get it. If you are not a coffee lover, I'll pray for you. Besides, nothing I say will convince you anyway. But seriously, who doesn't need a warm, yummy, jolt of "get going" in the morning? However, I am finding that with the regular, consistent use of essential oils, I am drinking only one cup of coffee in the morning instead of my normal two or three. Hmmm......can't decide if that is a good thing or not.

So there you have it. I honestly believe that these morning habits are something that everyone should incorporate into the start of their day. Everyday. Okay, maybe not the coffee. Please no hate mail from my tea-loving friends....but the other three are absolutely necessary, extremely important.....well....in a word.....Essential.