45 Days of Self Check-In + Next Steps in Health
My Progress With Self-Love
My Progress With Self-Love
It’s been 45 days – 45 days of self-love meditation in the hopes of finding focus, managing my chronic pain, sleeping better, and increasing my self-esteem. Every single one of these past days has brought on new challenges and emotions, and yet everything seemed easier with meditation.
With that said, there still can be times where it is not so easy. There was one day when I forgot to meditate, and that was the only day that I had a slight anxiety attack. It goes to show how much just 10 minutes of time for yourself can really set the tone for your day.
Sometimes, it’s hard to remember to take care of myself by meditating because my anxious self tends to dig deeper into an already-depressed hole. But, for the most part, I have been steadily giving myself more time, and in turn, loving a little bit more of myself every day.
Taking It To The Next Step + Balancing My Diet
What a lot of people don’t realize is how much diet affects mental health and stability as well. I’ve recently switched to an 85% Whole30 Diet and started drinking healthier beverages like Steaz’s Prickly Pear Water. I try to exclude grains, dairy, and artificial sugar from my diet – that means no bread, pasta, ice cream or other sugary delicious things! At first, it was difficult, but after a week or so, I began to notice how my energy levels have increased. I became less tired when I woke up and I was more alert throughout the day.
Aside from food, I started experimenting with healthy drinks as well. For the most part, I have eliminated a lot of alcoholic drinks from my routine. I found that alcohol would make me feel more lethargic and groggy the next day no matter how much or little I drank. Instead, I replaced alcohol and other sugary drink cravings with this new beverage I discovered by Steaz, called Prickly Pear Water – and it’s such a great alternative to regular plain water.
Luckily, the team at Steaz recently sent me their Prickly Pear Water, and it came at just the right time with my recent health kick. When I get sick and tired of the good ol’ H2O and crave some flavored juice or water, I grab this gem of a drink. This water is made from the prickly pear fruit – the berry-flavored super fruit straight from the cactus – and is blended smoothly with green tea (one of my favorite tea’s)! How cool is that? I didn’t even know you could consume those cute little fruits on cacti, let alone them being beneficial!
You must think, “But, don’t you get cravings for unhealthy food or sugary drinks?” Of course I do, and once in a while, I indulge in the occasional bread or sugar because life is all about balance. Completely restricting yourself from your favorite dessert, binge-worthy Netflix show, or shopping, is NOT healthy. As humans, it is in our nature to find balance and to BE BALANCED. Too much limitation may cause chaos and a dangerous overindulgence.
What grabbed my attention the most about the drink aside from its cute branding, was also the fact that it was made from such a cool-looking fruit AND that it was organic. As I researched further on their website (while drinking some myself, of course J), I saw that it was ultra-hydrating, made of natural electrolytes and antioxidants, which in turn may reduce inflammation. I’m a sucker for anything that reduces inflammation and joint pain, due to my current herniated disc that severely inflames my lower back and my chondromalacia. Every morning when I wake up, I take turmeric and fish oil to help ease the inflammation. Now, I can add on Prickly Pear Water.
And get this: prickly pear is also an excellent source of Vitamin C which helps boost the immune system, combat oxidative stress, AND builds collagen! I’m all about skincare and the ingredients in this drink can help strengthen skin tone and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Steaz Prickly Pear Water + Green Tea is a nice addition to my daily routine as I am continuing my journey to being my superwoman self again. And for those calorie counters, the drink only contains 9 grams of sugar and 50 calories…AND it’s 100% fair trade. 🙂
Next Steps and Maintenance
If you’ve read this far, thank you. I sincerely hope that you are able to read about my recovery path into living a happy life and apply some practices for yourself. So far, I will continue to meditate every day, and remember to breathe when things seem overwhelming. I will continue to watch my diet, NOT to get skinny, but with the goal in mind to feel and function better. Although it is a struggle at times, I cannot wait to continue on this journey to happiness and mental stability. And this is my takeaway for all you #BossLadies out there: without your HEALTH, there is no WEALTH!
Xoxo,
Kasey
This blog post is in partnership with Steaz Prickly Pear Water. All opinions stated are my own.
Photography by: @TableTopography
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Maartje
says:Self-care is so important! I sometimes forget about it because I have a million other things going on in my life. This actually reminded me to take some time for myself and make sure that I’m doing good!
Elly's Diary
says:Great blogging project! <3 Best of luck on your journey! <3 xxx
Elizabeth Keene
says:Self care is so important and something we need to talk about more. I am so glad you are taking the time to ensure you are doing self care.
XOXO
Elizabeth Keene
http://www.akeenesenseofstyle.com
TheStyleWright
says:Thanks for the nice comment. We have to! So many of us forget to take care of the one person who keeps us alive and well (us!)
Jessica
says:This is such a great reminder of how connected everything we do in the run of the day is. From drinking enough to taking a few minutes to self center – it all has a profound impact on how our day runs. Needed the reminder today! Thanks!
TheStyleWright
says:Hi Jessica. Thanks for the kind note. It’s very true that every little thing we do affects how we think and feel for the day.
Annemarie LeBlanc
says:I admire your self control! I wish I could eliminate rice and pasta from my diet too. Like you said it would be difficult. If I cannot totally avoid them, at least, I will eat less of them. That drink looks really refreshing. 50 calories only? Wow. Got to have that!
Ellen
says:Love the can design. Makes me want to try it out.
Kasey Ma
says:it’s super cute right! and delicious 🙂
Diana tidswell
says:To be honest this is the first time I’ve heard this product but with this post. I would definitely go and find this great drink. Cheers.
Brittany Nicole
says:Loved this post babe! I’ve heard great things about Whole 30, I’m thinking about trying it after I give birth to get myself back on track after pregnancy! xo, Brittany Nicole | http://www.theblistblog.com
Invisible Lioness
says:Wishing you the best for your further recovery! It sounds like you are on a great path.
Jay
says:Glad to see that it’s all working out! More and more people need to be aware enough to take care of themselves.
Nicole
says:Definitely gunna be looking for this the next time I go shopping! I’m a big fan of La Croix and I’m always looking for an alternative. Side note: I’m obsessed with your cooler/lunch sac!
Kushi
says:That looks so refreshing! I really want to try that drink!
Shawniece
says:I love very thing that talks about self-love. I think it’s great you mentioned getting healthy doesn’t mean getting skinny, a lot of people have that misconception.
Kasey Ma
says:It’s always self-love girl! We all need to practice it, everyday 🙂 That’s what healthy means to me and it should to you, too!
Lacy
says:Oh my goodness! I really really want to try that drink!!!!!
Maria P Hafner
says:Meditation is something I have been thinking about doing. The family has always gotten on the way, definitely will consider this after reading your post thanks!!!!!
Ivana
says:meditation is something I’ve been trying to do daily, glad it’s going well for you 🙂
TheStyleWright
says:Yes – it’s such an amazing feeling every time I meditate. It’s tough to stick to a schedule, but it’s well worth it when I remember 🙂
Mary
says:this drink looks so refreshing, I want to try it!
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