You have a million things competing for your attention every day. Work. Kids. Groceries. Dinner. Dishes. Laundry. Shower. Sleep. Repeat. One thing you definitely don’t have time for? An hours-long, Pinterest-worthy self-care routine.
But what if you could prioritize your well-being with simple practices that fit into even the busiest schedule? According to certified functional nutritionist Kelly LeVeque, 10 minutes a day is all it takes to make some serious headway when it comes to supporting your health. “In my opinion, taking care of our well-being is the most important thing we can do for ourselves, so even amidst our busy schedules it should always be a priority,” she says.
Sound like a pipe dream? To turn this theory into practice, LeVeque is sharing four quick wellness tips, including guidance on how, exactly, to squeeze them into your daily routine—no matter how packed it is. And to make prioritizing your well-being even more attainable, she’s serving up each tip with a NOW® supplement formulated to support your specific wellness needs. Check out LeVeque’s 10-minute recommendations for feeling cared for and accomplished at the end of every (very busy) day.
1. Support your gut
Scroll through your social media feed for a minute or two and you’ll see that, these days, conversations about gut health are everywhere. But supporting your digestion isn’t just a passing trend—it’s essential to your overall mental and physical well-being, LeVeque says, which gives it some serious staying power.
To prioritize her own digestive health, LeVeque fortifies her gut-friendly Fab 4 smoothies—which you can create by combining any blend of protein, fat, fiber, and greens—with supplements. Choosing from a powerful lineup of NOW® powders, she adds a scoop of Organic Acacia Powder (which acts as a prebiotic to help maintain a healthy GI environment), Fiber-3™ Powder (as a source of soluble and insoluble fiber), or Prebiotic Bifido Boost™ Powder (which helps support a healthy balance of gut microflora) to her daily drink.*
“Dedicating 10 minutes every morning to this habit will allow you to conveniently get 30 grams of protein, increase fiber intake, and stabilize blood sugar levels,” she says.
2. Get some sunlight
When your alarm goes off in the morning, do you pop right out of bed, or grab your phone off your nightstand and catch up on your social feeds? If you’re human and you usually opt for the second option, LeVeque suggests a different approach that can help boost your energy and combat early morning brain fog.
“Upon waking, rather than staying in bed and scrolling through your phone, step outside and aim to get at least two to 10 minutes of natural, direct sunlight to trigger the first dopamine release of the day and promote wakefulness,” she says. What better way to prioritize self care than with a dose of dopamine, first thing?
And there’s more: Sun exposure throughout the day is a simple way to fill up on vitamin D, which “has been linked with a lower risk of mood issues overall,” LeVeque says. “Getting out in nature is an easy way to increase endorphin levels and dopamine production.” To fill in the gaps on days you’re not able to get outside, she recommends supplementing with NOW® Vitamin D,* which offers 313 percent of your daily value per serving.
3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
You know drinking water is important—but did you know that properly hydrating is about more than simply hitting your daily number of ounces? “Many people drink plenty of water but don’t replenish electrolytes, leaving them at risk for electrolyte imbalance or deficiency and symptoms like headaches, cramps, fatigue, and weakness,” LeVeque says.
According to LeVeque, supplementing with a high-quality electrolyte mix is key—which is why she reaches for NOW® Sports Effer-Hydrate tablets, formulated to help with rehydration and recovery.* “The tablets contain sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and magnesium for a complete electrolyte profile, and come in a variety of flavors that are the perfect addition to your water as a pre- or post-workout drink,” she says. Fruity sips that can help reduce your chance of fatigue throughout your daily grind?* That’s definitely self care.
4. Try “exercise snacking”
No, LeVeque’s not suggesting you hit the elliptical with a bag of trail mix (but don’t let us stop you, if that sounds appealing). She defines an “exercise snack” as any short burst of vigorous activity that raises your heart rate, like climbing the stairs or going for a quick walk. “Incorporate exercise snacks into your routine to interrupt prolonged periods of sitting as a way to boost your mood, increase energy levels, and support stable blood sugar levels,” she says.
To get the most out of these mini movement sessions, LeVeque recommends supplementing with NOW® Sports Creatine Monohydrate.* “Creatine is a substance found naturally in muscle cells,” LeVeque says, that’s been “shown to improve strength, increase lean muscle mass, help muscles recover faster, and promote optimal performance during short bouts of high-intensity activities.”*
So grab some creatine (or another pick from your supplement lineup), set your timer to 10 minutes, and prioritize your self care with these quick wellness tips—because you deserve at least 10 minutes for you, even on the busiest days.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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