May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so I am going to take a moment to share some things that are fuelling my own mental health and happiness, in the hopes it might inspire you to do the same!
Remember, we also have lots of resources on HEAL to help you too:
We moved to a new neighbourhood last summer, and there’s not a single flat street around us. While at first I really missed the option for a flat walk, it’s been awesome for my fitness! Three to five times a week, I do a 35-minute loop that is uphill for the first half and down for the second half. I love how happy and refreshed I feel afterward. I can start the walk feeling tired, anxious, or stressed, and by the top of the hill, I feel the endorphins and so much calmer!
The science backs up how I feel. According to Dr. Ben Singh, physical activity is 1.5x more effective at reducing mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression, psychological stress, and anxiety than medication or cognitive behavior therapy! Wow!!
While this won’t be the case on my girl's trip to Palm Springs coming up, Adam and I have been drinking less alcohol on the weekends. Inspired by one of my good friends who cut it out entirely and shared how much more she enjoyed her kids on the weekend, we notice the same thing. We are much more tired and grumpy and less energetic from even just a couple of drinks. For us, it’s not about cutting it out entirely, but even just being mindful of how much and when does help.
If I had a dollar for every time I said blood sugar balance….haha. But seriously, I know that eating 25-30g of protein at every meal, plus some at snacks, balances my blood sugar and leaves me feeling clearer-headed and craving less sugar. Eating sugar (more than a dessert here and there) leaves me feeling moody and means I don’t sleep as well either. The science backs this up as well. While blood sugar can affect mood in everyone, among diabetics, higher blood glucose has historically been associated with anger or sadness, while blood sugar dips, or hypoglycemia, has been associated with nervousness.
If you’d like help ensuring you’re getting enough protein throughout your day, join our weekly meal planning program, where you’ll get a full grocery list, plus 9 new high-protein, sugar-free recipes.
I recently concluded a nine-month mindset program with Catherine Farquharson, a Mindset Coach. I learned a LOT! The biggest takeaway for me was around our ability to choose our own thoughts to elicit the feelings we want to feel. We have so much more control over our thoughts than we realize, and she taught me how to bring awareness to them and subsequently reframe them. I can’t say enough about Catherine’s approach to mindset work.
This is a brand new addition to my sleep routine over the last week and I’m loving it. WellTold’s Sleep product is a non-habit-forming sleep aid that helps with mental stress. The active ingredient is lemon balm, which also has science behind it. Based on meta-analysis results, lemon balm use significantly improved mean anxiety and depression scores compared with the placebo. The top reason for disrupted sleep is stress, so most stress-supporting herbs can also help sleep in many people. I’m sure you feel the same as me that a good night’s sleep makes a world of difference for mood!
1. While I’m not being paid to write about WellTold’s products, they do provide samples for our corporate lunch & learns.
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34449930/
3. https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2019posts/mood-blood-sugar-kujawski.html#:~:text=Among%20diabetic%2C%20higher%20blood%20glucose,has%20been%20associated%20with%20nervousness.
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