Mornings can be a time of reverence, peace and tranquility as a new days starts, the sun slowly rises and the birds start chirping. Or, they can mean a loud beeping on the alarm clock with a mad dash out the door. I believe that the habits you foster in the morning can make a big impact on your day as well as your overall health. Do you believe this to be true? A good morning routine really starts in the evening. The earlier you get to bed at night, the earlier you will wake up and more refreshed will feel in the morning. But, let’s not get too complicated since going to bed early can be a challenge for many people.
Let’s talk about three things that take a total of fifteen minutes that can create a positive change in your health. I suggest trying these out for a month and evaluating if you feel better. At that point you can eliminate what isn’t serving you, add something else, or just go back to the way you were before. It’s up to you. Each morning when waking up try these three morning habits:
1. Oil Pulling You have probably heard of oil pulling by now, it’s going viral all over the internet. It is really simple. As soon as you get out of bed, before drinking water or brushing your teeth, you should oil pull. Oil pulling is swishing about one teaspoon of sesame oil (or coconut oil) in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. All you do is pour a little oil into a spoon, slurp it up and then start swishing. I know it sounds gross, but it isn’t that bad and can do wonders for your health. It pulls toxins and impurities out of your body, strengthens your gums and mouth, whitens your teeth, and so much more. After 10-20 minutes (I usually stop around 10 minutes, but want to build it up to 15), spit it out. IMPORTANT: do not swallow! Also, don’t spit in your sink, instead spit in a trash can. You will notice the oil is now watery and white, that is your saliva mixed with the oil. Just imagine all of the toxins you are spitting out! You can now brush your teeth (and scrape your tongue).
2. Body/Skin brushing Body brushing can be done while you oil pull. See, you really don’t need a lot of time! Body brushing improves circulation, gets your lymph nodes flowing, improves immune system, firms skin, scuffs away dry skin and purifies your body. To read how to do body brushing, click here. After body brushing you can take a shower.
3. Drink a big glass of water (optional: add lemon water or mint)
After oil pulling and body brushing, start your day out right by drinking a big glass of room temperature or warm water. Sometimes we forget to drink enough water throughout the day, so it’s good to start out with a solid base. Just like the two habits above, water purifies the body of toxins, hydrates, improves skin, and so much more.
Bonus! If you find yourself awake with an extra time to spare I would suggest adding in 20 minutes of heart rate increasing exercise. Ideas: walk/jog around the block, turn on some music and dance around (yes, in the morning! Play something positive) or do a ten minute body weight routine (ideas here and here). You will pat yourself on your back when you are done with the day and can relax at home instead of feeling guilty for not exercising.
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