Morning routine for balanced hormones & gut health

Let me take you through my morning routine for balanced hormones & healthy digestion ✨

I wake up to a calming alarm sound or naturally wake up to the sun, head to the bathroom for oral hygiene + skin care. I'll oil pull (3x a week), brush teeth, tongue scrape and wash my face.

🥥Benefits of oil pulling with coconut oil: whitens teeth, helps prevent cavities, improves gum health, helps to reduce inflammation, clears sinuses & aids in detoxification.

👅Benefits of tongue scraping: keeps bacteria build up at bay and helps with eliminating toxins that have accumulated in mouth overnight.

Then, I head into the kitchen and make a mineral rich concoction to re-hydrate my body.

💦Today's recipe includes: filtered water, quality sea salt, fresh lemon & a freshly squeezed orange, mixed up in a mason jar.

What we put into our bodies first thing after waking is extremely important! Waking up and re-hydrating is KEY for good digestion (hydration enables the process of digestion) and hormone regulation (proper hydration transports hormones throughout the body)!

It's important to replenish minerals so that the body absorbs and utilizes the water which is why adding unrefined sea salt is important instead of just drinking plain water all the time.

I'll drink this while I get ready to head outside for some natural morning sunlight, movement and fresh air.

🌞Exposure to morning sunlight helps to regulate the circadian rhythm (our natural sleep/wake cycle) which helps to slow down melatonin and increase serotonin. It profoundly affects mood, energy, and aids in sleep.

Sunlight also protects good bacteria in the intestines & Vit D is extremely beneficial to gut health and immune system. Walking in the morning can help to stimulate digestion as well.

Once I get back from my morning sunlight & a walk, I’ll eat a balanced, high protein breakfast.

🍳I eat within 45 mins - 1 hour of waking to support balancing my blood sugar, to support my metabolism and to support my cortisol levels and adrenals.

And of course, if I'm having coffee I drink after my breakfast or after I've eaten.

Coffee on an empty stomach can disrupt natural cortisol levels and can create a dependency on caffeine without even realizing it. It can cause an increase in stress hormone and hinder the body's ability to regulate blood sugar.

Drinking with or after a meal can lessen this affect as it will slow down the absorption of caffeine and the body is getting real nutrients first!

Coffee isn't bad but it can be used in ways that will interfere with the body's natural ability to function optimally. I add collagen, raw honey, cinnamon & raw or whole milk to my coffee.

🧘🏼‍♀️I'll then take 10 - 15 minutes for self care. This could be: journaling listening to a meditation playlist while deep breathing or I'll even do some stretching. I do whatever feels supportive of my body that day.

No matter what I do, my focus is to get grounded and start my day off in a parasympathetic state not in a sympathetic state which is the body's stress response state.

I never used to "slow down in the morning" and it kept my body operating in sympathetic overdrive which became a disaster for my hormones and gut health.

📓Lastly, I’ll write a to do list for my day so that I set myself up for a productive day.

Once this is complete, I get dressed & we are ready for a successful day ahead!

This is much different than how I used to spend my mornings. I'd jump out of bed without carving out time for this and immediately I'd be thrown into a sympathetic state.

I'd "add fuel to the fire" by drinking coffee first thing and rushing right into a stressful work day.

Everyone has different schedules and my hope is that by sharing what has worked for me, you can add tweaks to your morning routine to better support your health.

I make the decision to go to bed earlier so that I can have this time in the morning for myself.

Changing the way that I spend my mornings has had a huge impact on my overall health and vitality. It truly supported my body's ability to heal.

#lemon8partner #morningroutine #guthealth #morningaesthetic #morningmotivation