Tag: Blog

JaM are not experts on anything really, but we do have some thoughts, tips and tricks we’d love to share! When talking about something slightly serious like health and healthy habits, it is important to start with that and to say, Do what works best for you and if you have any questions, ask your doctor! P.s. Google is not a Doctor, sad but true.
So with that in mind, here are out thoughts on staying healthy in your 30’s when you have full time job, partners, dogos and there are only 24 hours in the day.
The absolute most important thing anyone can do to start their health journey is drink more water. Everyone thinks they drink enough water, but 99% of us still don’t. It might seem like a simple ask, but well its 2020 and nothing about the first two months of the year have been simple, ya feel us? First things first, lets drink more water and save the planet. Get your self some reusable water bottles. Do you work from a desk or office? Get two and leave one at work! Do you work on the go in your car? Get two so you don’t run out! Do you work from home? Well then you have no excuse. . . Just kidding, we find working from home to be super awesome, but it poses the challenge of forgetting things you think will be easy because you are in your comfort zone, so fill up a water bottle for your home office as well. You get the idea, just drink more water. The health benefits are too many to count. But it will help you look less tired, help clear your skin, flush out shit from your body, keeps you going through a hard work out, fills you up before a meal. Aim for half your body weight in oz. (ie 100 pounds, drink 50oz.)
The second thing, but not second in importance, is getting enough sleep. This is tricky because everyone functions differently on different amounts of sleep, and everyone has different responsibilities that can cut in to sleep time. (Shout out to parents for all the late-night feedings and diaper changes and a big ol’ shout out to first responders of all kinds for being up all night to keep us safe and healthy.) Sleep is tricky for several reasons, but if you find yourself struggling emotionally and physically, getting a handle on your sleep schedule in can really help you get back on track. One thing that can help is getting in to bed earlier than you need to sleep by 20-30 minutes and curling up with a good book, your honey, your pups or cat or whatever your comfort animal is (we recommend all three for a comfort trifecta). Start some deep breathing and let your mind begin to unwind. We all know we should probably get off our phones sooner and whatever, but sometimes playing a game on your phone can help – turn your phone to night-mode to cut down on that blue light, or maybe a meditation app? Have your tried counting sheep? I do that all the time! Make a plan that works for you, and implement it every night, sleep hygine is real, now get in those ZZZZZssss.
Third thing, eating right. Oh, this can mean so many different things! Diet restrictions, muscle gains, cutting carbs or adding protein, vegan or vegetarian? There are so many restrictions out there! For now, we leave you with this, find a plan that works for you and stick with it. Your body needs protein, fat, and carbs to function so don’t leave them out! We do our best to be 80% healthy and 20% ‘fun’ and this really allows for some wiggle room. JaM is not fully vegetarian, but we recognize the need to cut out meat where and when we can (shout out to Garbanzo beans for being so delicious and full of protein!) If you can manage to cut out meat for at least one meal a week, that is rockin’.
Last thing, working out. We dread the work out. We have never been gym rats, so it can be very challenging to find ways to get motivated to work out and get moving. We live in SoCal, so hiking is a great movement option pretty much 365 days a year (Humble brag). But we also go to the gym to lift the weights (the little ones don’t be silly) and pretend like we know what we are doing. The one thing we agree on, is find the thing you like. If you like to run, then run. If you like the low impact elliptical, then crush that. You like to ride a bike, cool! Maybe the Stairmaster is your friend, I commend you, we are on the outs. . . But don’t let anyone tell you what you do at the gym (or in your living room on a beach towel with a youtube video) isn’t good enough. For some of us, it is a win just to find the time to get there at all. So good job you! Our favorite trick for cardio motivation is to pick a show you can only watch while you are running or biking or whatever. Download it on your phone and away you go. JaM owns all 14 seasons of ER for this very reason. Not working out, can’t find out what happened with Dr. Ross and head nurse Carol Hathaway. (We watched every episode on the elliptical. No lie.) For some ladies out there, buying some new gym clothes can be incredibly motivating as well. If that’s a motivator, then get thee to a Target! Something about showing off that new outfit at the gym can really get you going.
Soooooo, that was a lot, and hopefully it was a little bit helpful and if noting else a reminder to be nice to yourself! 2020 is a new year and new time to find the motivation to make changes both big and small. Get those steps in, drink that water, trade out one meat meal a week for veggie, help save the planet and crush it!!

xoxo JaM

p.s. What are your tips to sleep better and stay healthy? Drop ’em in the comments!