It All Comes Down To One Thing...
Health is everything. Some tips on how to live your healthiest life, with help from a colorful road, some sparkling red shoes, and a mantra.
Let’s start things off by going behind the curtains here in the Land of Newsletters - a distant cousin to the Land of Oz.
Both involve a journey.
The Land of Oz, as you know, was all about Dorothy’s journey home. Lucky gal - she had a good witch to clue her in on the heel clicking/no place like home routine needed to get back to Kansas.
In the Land of Newsletters, my goal is also to “get back to Kansas” which means publishing What I’d Rather Be Talking About - every Thursday, and two days later, the Saturday Sidebar.
Most weeks, the topics come pretty easily, and almost always in an odd, unexpected way - in downward dog, while waiting for an elevator, or out with friends. My husband’s not lying when he tells people, “Be careful what you say, or you’ll make it in the newsletter.”
I love those easy-breezy weeks, when ideas fly into my head and the podcasts I’m listening to magically tie in with the theme.
But as you can imagine, it’s not always epiphanies and rainbows in the Land of Newsletters. Sometimes I need to Google my way from here to Oz, and when that doesn’t work, I resort to heel clicking.
This was one of those weeks. On Monday night at 9 p.m., I was still tossing around possible topics and nothing was sticking. Meanwhile, my weekly to-do list was breathing down my neck. I was frustrated, stressed, and could feel a headache coming on.
First, how awesome is it to get a headache on a Monday night.
Second, nothing gets done when you’re tired and feel crappy. Feeling bad puts a wrench in things and reminds us of how good it feels to… feel good.
Right?
As I sat there with my head pounding and stress level increasing (at one point I swear I felt plaque building up on my arteries), I knew nothing was going to happen that night.
So I went to bed.
And thanks to a solid night of Z’s, I had a revelation that led me to What I’d Rather Be Talking About This Week:
We hear it all the time…
Health is everything.
I know this. We all know this.
We toss the sentiment around a lot in conversation.
And yes, unfortunately, some aspects of our health are out of our control.
But a good deal of it isn’t.
And don’t the times we feel sick or worn out make us appreciate our health and inspire us to do everything we can to live a healthy life?
We promise ourselves we’ll do the things we’re supposed to do.
We know what those things are - we’ve got prescriptions for health all around us, in the form of nutrition, medical, wellness, fitness, and emotional & mental health tips and tricks.
Yet even with this arsenal of information, we manage to go off course and make dumb choices.
But don’t worry, I’m here to help us all.
In a “Stop. Collaborate. And Listen.” moment (thanks, Vanilla), I’ve put together some reminders for all of us - you, me, your dog - the whole lot, to make good choices every day that help our overall heath.
Lots of good stuff below - I hope you find something here that helps you feel your very best.
And I hope you find your way back to Oz… whatever that means to you.
For now, we’re off…
Abbey
GET HEALTHY
Gabby Reece Podcast - This Episode Might Be the Wakeup Call you Need to Get Healthy
A list of the best health and fitness podcasts, the best medical podcasts, and a lineup of top nutrition shows.
Last week, I featured an interview with Mel Robbins and author/family physician and leader in functional medicine, Dr. Mark Hyman. This week, find out why Dr. Mark Hyman looks and feels better at 65 plus than he did at 40.
SHOPPING FOR FOOD & PREPARING IT
Love Whole Foods but also have a mortgage? Fear not, there are deals to be had and Bobby Parrish tells us what’s on sale these last days of April.
Trend alert. Forget cooking with olive oil. Forget avocado oil. How
about…algae oil? Fast Company Magazine and a Michelin chef weigh in on this trend.
Meals from scratch are the best. Here’s a video that helps you prep & freeze dinners for a week, plus five meal ideas from plant based YouTuber Alexandra Anderson.
WELLNESS
I just discovered the Global Wellness Summit’s 10 Wellness Trends for 2024 - that include the power of a pilgrimage and the longevity of longevity. Speaking of longevity, we all age differently. Here’s how to measure your biological age.
Get yourself in balance with a great lineup of Amazon wellness finds from nutritionist Jessica Spiers.
How about a fitness challenge? Try this 21-day hip-opener series, a 30 day fitness challenge, or do what Chalene Johnson did and walk daily for 30 days.
What’s the secret to healing your body? A Stage 4 Cancer Survivor Reveals the Secrets to Healing Your Body With Kris Carr.
MENTAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Mental health at your fingertips… find out the 5 best mental health apps according to Forbes. A number to keep in case of emergency - mental health hotlines.
Ten TED Talks about Mental Health and feel better with these top Mental Health Podcasts.
Ending with a question:
What are your tips and tricks that get you back on the Land of Oz? (Whatever that means for you.)
Drop me a line in the comments. Por favor. :)
In the meantime, if you get off track, just remember the yellow brick road is right underneath your feet. And like Dorothy, the power to get where we want to go is always a click (or three) away.
See you Saturday,
Abbey
