UPDATE: This post originally ran on July 30th but we wanted to share it again for some late summer inspiration!
There are definitely days when I wake up not feeling my best. It may be that I’m extra tired, and just can’t seem to find the energy to start the day, or it’s that feeling of being weighed down. Often times caused from a heavy meal the night before, water retention, or simply because the body might not be up to feeling the right way. When we feel light, we feel good – about ourselves and the day in front of us. Feeling heavy and bloated is a quick way to send all self confidence out the door, and is also a reason for being lazy or procrastinating. Luckily, there are a few things you can do – in the morning and afternoon – to get you feeling lighter and better by night fall and into the following day.
Hydrate
Your body retains water when you’re not supplying it with enough, causing it to bloat. Being aware of how hydrated you are throughout the day is the easiest way to start feeling lighter. I always try to drink a big glass right when I wake up in the morning. The cold chill helps to wake me up, and I’ve realized that I’m more prone to drink it throughout the day if I immediately start in the morning. Water also helps to flush out the bad toxins and salt in our body which sometimes gives us that extra “puffy” feeling.
Add Some Lemon
If you want to go the extra step, add fresh lemon into your water, but make sure the water is hot! Hot lemon water helps to kick start your digestive system. Drinking a cup of this in the morning can help settle the stomach if you went to bed with a full tummy!
Kick The Dairy
I always have a hard time stomaching dairy first thing in the morning. Dairy is a mucus forming food, which can clog up your system and make you feel heavier. If you find that your stomach is upset, or you’re feeling bloated after consuming any form of it, try cutting back. It’s easy to find substitutes for milk. Try trading it in for soy, almond, or rice milk. And if your worried about loosing out on vitamin D, you can easily get the right amount your body needs from dark leafy greens, and proteins like salmon.
No Gum!
If you think about it, every time you open and close your mouth in the process of chewing a piece of gum, you’re swallowing unnecessary air into the stomach. It sits in your gut, not moving anywhere which can make us feel heavier. Gum also contains sugar alcohol, which causes bloating.
Snack The Right Way and Slow Down
Picking the right kind of foods to snack on is ideal when it comes to feeling lighter. Fiber rich foods, like avocados, raspberries, and quinoa are great to snack on. Quinoa specifically contains fiber that gets rid of unneeded fats and helps speed up the digestion process. I love cooking some up and mashing in a fresh avocado slice. This is super easy to make, and it’s a fast and healthy snack! And always remember to eat slowly, and allow time for your body to realize if it’s full or not! This helps to avoid overeating.
Exercise Early
Getting a work out in before the daily grind is one of my favorite things to do. Yes, I always have a hard time waking up a bit earlier to fit one in, but it feels so good to get it out of the way. Sweating out toxins early can help us feel lighter throughout the day, and getting your heart rate up in the morning can fight off grogginess! Knowing that you accomplished a hard physical activity that early in the morning is also a great mental start to the day.
More healthy suggestions from the BLDG 25 Blog.
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I love these tips. Hot lemon water is one of my favorite things to wake up my body in the morning. Adding a little ginger is nice too. No morning is complete without walking my dog in the cool morning air. A good walk starts circulation, and there is something nice about getting fresh air into the lungs early. It’s like waking up with the earth.
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That bubble gum photo is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
great tips!
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Kefir is also great! I started adding it to smoothies, or just having a tablespoon – it has way more probiotics than yogurt. These help digestion, and therefore, help you feel less bloated!
All very true – I keep meaning to add more lemon to my life :) I like Lizzie’s ginger recommendation – that always works for me!
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Exercise in the morning definitely helps me feel better throughout the day. I’ve recently gotten back in to horse back riding and I feel much more productive after a morning ride.
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Oooh I love these tips – I’ve already cut out milk from my diet for that same reason. I’m going to try hot lemon water now for those days when I just can’t seem to roll out of bed
xoxo Sara
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I knew about most of these tips, but didn’t know about the hot lemon water. I’m definitely going to try that!. Thank you!
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Ah, yes. I needed this. For months I’ve been talking about feeling lighter, I did believe trying out ballet would help. I don’t know…it sounds weird. But the grace and flow makes it seem so gentle…like they could fly. I guess there are more internal ways to assist with this too…haha. Thank you.
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Lemons can help improve digestion. Lemons are a great source of some vitamins and minerals, like Vitamin C, Potassium, and Iron (these have some great benefits, especially when dealing with sickness like colds and flu). Lemons help your system flush out toxins faster, both through liver stimulation and through increased urination rate.
Amazing tips! I heard it had to be warm water though instead of hot. Hot water just cancels out the whole process as such! Can’t wait to try the tips anyhow! Thanks for sharing!
xx
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Ohemgee, thanks for the tips <3 Always appreciates it. Anyway ,great post as always <3 xoxo
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I have the most difficult time staying hydrated. I try to keep lemons handy!
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
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Thank you for your great tips :)
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I didn’t know that the lemon water should be hot! Thanks for all the great tips.
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I have started exercising first thing and it has made a world of difference, will definitely try lemon in my water
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Great post, thanks!
I have noticed such a difference in my whole day when I start with some hot water and lemon. Just need to kick start the exercise!
I have noticed such a difference in my whole day when I start with some hot water and lemon. Just need to kick start the exercise!
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I agree with the dog walking. Been doing it every morning for the last ten years. It helps me to think about the day ahead and get my thoughts together. I love the peacefulness. And my dog is a fabulous listener.
It’s so smart to start your day with hot water and lemon, or just some tea. Coffee or a big breakfast makes me feel sick in the morning – and now more research is saying that eating breakfast is not actually beneficial. So I’ll stick to a warm water-based drink!
I love quinoa. I usually eat mine with cherry tomatoes and avocado sliced in it. I need to drink a lot more water. The warm lemon water sounds like it would be quite good
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Thanks for this tips !
I love quinoa too, I could eat it all the day !
Every morning I drink a glass of warm lemon water and it really helps my body to wake up.
xx,
Maïa
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Nothing is better for your skin than water!
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