Welcome to February! In my world, this is the last month of winter. In case you missed it, my word for the year is refine. For the next few weeks, I will update you on the four areas of refinement I have been working on this winter: soul, body, mind, and spirit. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find something inspirational in today’s post.
Immunity Building
All four of my children were on antibiotics for a weird pneumonia-like illness between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. I try to minimize the use of antibiotics in our house, so you know it had to be bad. I am trying to amp up our immunity by being more careful about stress, rest, nutrition, and movement. Of course, I cannot manage that for everyone else, but I try to do my part to feed them nourishing foods and encourage them to do the rest. A friend of my son’s made him some immune-boosting tea when he was away from me at school. It’s good to have reinforcements!
Nutrition
We all know eating well is important for refining our bodies. Our family tradition is to start our year with Pork and Sauerkraut. This meal goes along with our family goals meeting for the year.
Healthy lunches are also on the menu. My favorite is to get canned black beans, instant microwave rice/quinoa blend, and leftover grilled chicken or frozen diced grilled chicken from the grocery store and add to it to make a healthy bowl lunch. I like adding tomatoes, lime juice, fajita veggies, cheese, avocado, or whatever else I might have in the fridge. It is delicious! I also found a new source for free-range eggs close to me, so we are back to enjoying “real” eggs. And for a cheaper price, too!
Movement
Once the cold weather hits, it is difficult to get movement in. My bike is stored away for the winter, and I do not enjoy walking outdoors in the cold. So, when my work is done for the evening, I do home workouts in my bedroom. I have a few favorites I cycle through. I usually dislike the music on them, so I mute the video and play my own music or listen to a podcast. I purchased this T-shirt from GlowBodyPT to wear when I work out some nights. No one sees it but me, but it’s a good reminder to me to care for my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
What I’m Working On
For Body Refining this winter, I have been working on three key habits. They are incorporating a daily nutrition regimen using whole foods to heal different issues, doing 5 core exercises as soon as I get up each morning, and performing my evening workout. I always have some experimentation project going on to correct a health issue or work towards my goal of lower body fat and more muscle.
Inspiration and Key Question for Winter Body Refining:
Inevitably, the beginning of a new year brings a renewed interest in the latest diets. I love this perspective from a Christian fitness expert. My sharing it does not mean I endorse everything she says 100%. Use your own brain. 🙂 As with all channels that include workouts, I recommend this video for women only: Diets: Buckle Up, Ladies (Christian Perspective)