You might have one if you’re “the mom trying to do everything and eating cracked Pop-Tarts out the door and never getting enough sleep,” says Keri Lappi. She’s a Northville health coach with her own business, called Energetic Wellness.
For Parenting Awareness Month, Lappi shares simple tips to combat this “scraps” mentality. She says her advice has helped her clients, friends and herself as mom to Joshua, 13 and Samuel, 12.
1. Prep
“When you don’t ‘plan in the moment,’ it feels easier,” says Lappi. “It does take work.” Meals are a big perp. Try specific food days. Mondays are always a chicken dinner for the Lappi family, for example – baked, grilled, in a fajita, anything.
2. Hydrate
Drink 16 ounces of water as soon as you wake up. “It has a huge snowballing effect,” Lappi explains. “When you make one healthy choice, when you’re faced with another choice to eat healthy or not, you will more likely choose the healthier option.”
3. Go solo
Grab five minutes. “Even just having a nice cup of tea” can boost your mood. Or try hot towel scrubs. Fill a sink with hot water and a little lavender oil. Dunk a towel; move it in circles from your hands to your shoulders. “The motion and scent have a calming effect.”
4. Move
“Exercise shouldn’t be something that you hate,” Lappi says. “Connect to things that you used to love – climbing trees, roller skating. It doesn’t have to be running on the treadmill.” Pro tip: Do it early. “Give yourself that little bit in the morning to fill your own tank.”
Pick up Keri Lappi’s book, Just One Thing: Simplifying the Mystery of a Healthy Lifestyle, for $19.99 on Amazon. More at energeticwellnesscoaching.com.
