Hello beautiful friends. I have been waiting for the warm weather, chirping birds, budding trees and fresh air for many many months now and it is safe to say it is officially spring. Studies always talk about the importance of “8 hours of sleep” (see source below) but that was always interesting to me because we are all different and seasons are always different. In the winter I sleep about 9 hours per night and in the summer I sleep about 7 hours per night so, I think that all varies.  Spring is when my sleep schedule starts to shift and I wake up earlier, go to bed a little (a little!) later and wake up to the sound of little birds.

Although spring is the season of change, there are some things that are a constant in my life. They are a part of my routine each and every morning whether it be spring, summer, fall or winter. This routine follows me on road trips, vacations, business trips and weekend retreats.

Do you have a special routine that you follow each day?

If yes, that is so good! I am glad that you have found what works for you. I still encourage you to keep on scrolling and read about my day-to-day routine.

If not, I highly recommend that you scroll on down and find what you like about my routine and incorporate it into your life! If you don’t particularly love anything, you can use my routine as a guide to walk you through creating your own.

While you are checking out my routine, I want you to think of ways you can incorporate this into your life, your kids’ life and the life of your family. Think of ways you can change it to make it your own. Write out what sticks out and then ACT.

In particular, this post is all about my supplement routine. When, on average, I wake up. What I do upon waking and how I kickstart my day so I am effective, energized and ready to go!

Between 5:30 – 6:00 – Wake up naturally by the sunlight. I hate alarms and only use them if I absolutely must. They are such an unpleasant way to wake up in the morning. Once I wake up, I lay in bed for about 5 minutes and pray / meditate on all my blessings and what I am thankful for.

Upon 1 hour of waking – Eat a delicious breakfast that is going to give me a nutritional boost to start off my day. This commonly looks like pastured eggs served on sautéed greens, sauerkraut & topped with avocado and sea salt. In the warmer months I have a berry or green smoothie with lots of superfoods, probiotics, protein and greens.

With my breakfast – I have a little supplement gang that I take each morning. These supplements include probiotics, vitamin D3, fish oil, digestive enzymes, curcumin and occasionally I throw some other goods in there. Let me break down these supplements for you.

• Probiotics – I am sure you have heard lots about probiotics lately since everyone has jumped on the healthy gut train, all aboard! Probiotics are different strains of bacteria in your gut that help to keep a healthy balance of “good” / “bad” bacteria. Many people say you should have an 80:20 ratio of good:bad bacteria in the gut and I’d say that is a pretty safe balance. This means that you will have enough good bacteria to fight off the pathogens but you also don’t have so much good that is overgrows and causes issues.
  • Probiotics come in the form of capsules, chewables, liquids and whole-foods. The latter is definitely at the top of my list but if you can’t get yourself (or your kids) to eat foods like kefir, sauerkraut or yogurt, you have to find another way. When you are shopping for probiotics make sure you aren’t wreaking more havoc than you would be if you weren’t taking them. Hmmm… what could I mean by that? Well, I mean that many supplements are packed full of more than just “nutrients”.
  • They contain fillers like titanium dioxide, aluminum, teak, food colorings and animal byproducts. Look for a diverse supplement when you are shopping around. And PLEASE, do not buy refrigerated. Here is where I get mine.

• Vitamin D3 – This one is a biggie, seriously, super important. If you live in a cold-weather area, that super important description becomes super SUPER important. Vitamin D deficiency is a common thing among American’s and other countries today.
  • This deficiency is linked to depression, sleep disturbances, weight retention, mood swings and much more. Think about what happens to a plant if it doesn’t get sunlight… yep, that’s happening to you as well. If you have questions about vitamin D we can set up a consultation to discuss your levels.

• Fish oil – Okay, okay, don’t go running to far now. Supplementing with fish oil is one of the best things I have done for my health. It has increased my energy, brain function, hair growth, awareness and smarts 😉
  • This healthy fat helps your brain and your heart directly + all the other parts of the body that thrive with this oil is just too much for me to write about in this post! The supplement I take is a mixture of DHA, EPA, D3 (mentioned above), folate, B12 & CoQ10. These are all important nutrients that we need as women!

• Digestive Enzymes – Since I have been having some gut issues **pause** I know what you are thinking, “how can she have gut issues if she eats so healthy?” I can and I assure you that even the healthiest of people have issues. Mine stem from a past of birth control, antibiotics, junk food and chemicals. I am still working on healing and these enzymes are a huge part of the process. **resume**
  • Digestive enzymes are the enzymes that our bodies make when they are functioning properly to help us in the digestion of fats, carbs, proteins and other nutrients. My enzyme is a mixture of amylase, protease, and the other -ase(s). That means that when I take this chewy 15 minutes before a meal, my body is already in go mode and it won’t have to strain as hard to digest as normal.

• Curcumin – Curcumin? This is a BOMB root that grows in fertile soils and is known for its anti-inflammatory, calming and balancing effects. It is commonly known as turmeric. Curcumin is the active constituent found in turmeric, the bright orange/yellow root that dyes our kitchen gadgets and makes curry so delicious. This ancient spice packs a delicious flavor, beautiful color and nutrient powerhouse. I highly recommend that you order some & get going with this one!

• Miscellaneous – l-glutamine, collagen, B12, l-lysine, bile salts & more. These are all supportive of different parts of my body and they make me feel (for the most part) better.

Just like anything else in the health world, there isn’t a one size fits all plan for everyone. Some people react negatively to different amino acids, some people react positively to protein. Some people can’t have collagen while others can’t have plant protein.

If you are interested in ordering any supplement, visit my supplement dispensary or use these ones. From there we can set up a time to discuss your questions, health needs and lifestyle. I look forward to it! In the mean time, be sure to investigate your current supplements and watch for ingredients like:

aluminum, yellow color, red color, blue color, teak, magnesium stearate, corn, soybean oil and artificial flavors

These are all ingredients that are doing more harm than good and your body doesn’t know how to digest and utilize them. Jesus created these temples and we are to treat them with respect. When we do that, we will thrive and feel better than ever before. Let me know which supplements you love in the comments below, I can’t wait to hear about what you’re taking!