My Healthy Morning Routine

With Veganuary underway I thought it might be helpful to share some of my healthy routines starting with my Healthy Morning Routine. Obviously we all have different schedules & what works for me might not even be possible for someone else’s schedule etc. But if there’s a way you can incorporate some of these tips/routines into your every day, well then awesome!

Also to note, I do not have children (just my one furbaby) & this routine is my current routine because of Covid, I haven’t been working as much so I have A LOT more personal time than I normally would have.

My Healthy Morning Routine:

• Wake around 7am – super hard to get up early peak winter though haha
• Tongue Scrape
• Oil Pull – I use Coconut Oil but others use Sesame Oil, Olive Oil, etc.
• Brush Teeth – always make sure you brush your teeth before lemon water so you don’t wear down your enamel
• CBD Oil
• Liquid Iodine in a large glass of water
• Morning Supplements – Moringa, D3, Stress Fx
• Warm Lemon Water
• Feed my little monster Elton – He gets a combo of wet & dry Natural Balance Vegetarian Formula along w. fresh fruits & veggies in the am
• GGS Smoothie Time!!! – This is my fav part of the morning, I love my Green Smoothies (recipe listed below)
• Tidy the kitchen by 8:45am
• Meditate for 5 – 15 mins (whatever you have time for is beneficial)
• Brain Dump for 5 mins
• Cardio – Run outside (weather dependent), indoor cycling (Les Mills), recently I started doing Sh’Bam (Les Mills) & I’m absolutely awful but it works up a really fun sweat
• Yoga – Usually Yoga With Adriene or Boho Beautiful on Youtube
• Neti Pot
• Morning Skincare Routine
• Lunch by Noon

The Benefits:

Tongue Scraping – I have written about the benefits of Tongue Scraping before in my Ultimate Wellness Gift List article if you’d like to check that out as well.

Tongue scraping is said to help improve bad breath by removing any toxins & bacteria that can collect on our tongues. When we remove these bacteria we naturally help to create a healthier environment in our mouths as well. It is also said that tongue scraping can even improve our sense of taste. 

To Use:

• I like to tongue scrape before I brush my teeth.
• It can be pretty gross & can also trigger ones gag reflexes so it’s best to start in the center of your tongue.
• Take your tongue scraper, hold it between your thumb & 4 fingers like a nut cracker, place it sideways on your tongue & start scraping your tongue towards its tip.
• I like to rinse it off as I go ‘cause it starts getting gross haha. But you just drag it along your tongue until it picks up less and less grime.
• Rinse it off & brush your teeth, ta-da!

1. This is the one I use. I rinse it off & dry it and then store it in this little cloth baggy that it came in. Kosha

2. This one seems to be the best value. You get two double sets; 4 tongue scrapers (2 different types) and 2 travel cases. Oaprire

Oil Pulling – Like Tongue Scraping, Oil pulling originates from ancient Ayurveda practices. It is said that oil pulling can help remove toxins from the mouth & can help prevent mouth diseases. Some practitioners even claim that it has reversed their cavities. Now I’m not saying to get rid of your dentist by any means but to add this to your daily routine might not be a bad idea. And I swear, this is why my teeth are so white! I am not kidding you the one thing people say to me all of the time is, “wow, your teeth are so white”. And I do not whiten my teeth. Oh, and I’ve been doing this for many years now & to note, I’ve never had a cavity.

So we know it’s said to kill harmful bacteria, oil pulling can also help with bad breathe, prevent cavities, reduces inflammation & improves gum health.

To Use:

• I use organic coconut oil & I keep a little teaspoon in the jar & take a big dollop of coconut oil & scoop it into my mouth.
• You want to warm up the oil by swooshing it through your teeth & around your tongue & gums.
• I only do this for 5 mins every morning but some people do it for 15 – 20. If you can handle it for that long then do it! Haha I just can’t, 10 mins is my max.
• Make sure you spit into a garbage can & not down your sink as this can clog your drains.
• I like to brush my teeth right after to make sure I get all of those toxins/bacteria out of my mouth. Not everyone does this.

CBD Oil – I have anxiety which makes me overthink everything, like every interaction with someone, every thought, every idea, etc. It’s super annoying & can be triggered by caffeine & certain foods & certain people, am I right? haha. So I take a syringe of CBD oil every morning & night in an attempt to help calm my triggers. Unfortunately I am not a “functioning pot-head” so smoking weed daily just does not work for me haha.

Along with calming anxiety, CBD oil is known to help with reducing inflammation & free radical scavenging, there are neuroprotection benefits, it’s been known to help fight seizures, aid in pain relief, & helps regulate sleep.

Liquid Iodine, Supplements, & Water – We all know we need to drink water & more of it. I find making sure I down a massive glass of room temperature water in the morning helps to get me on my way.

I add 3 drops of liquid iodine to my water every morning. Iodine is an essential trace mineral & Iodine deficiency has been shown to lead to Thyroid Cancer. You can get iodine through foods like, sea veggies, strawberries, cranberries, potatoes, Himalayan pink salt, navy beans, dried prunes. I generally eat a lot of these veggies but I still supplement the iodine to ensure I’m getting enough. Iodine also helps to support a healthy metabolism, helps provide a stronger immune system, helps prevent Hyperthyroidism & Thyroid Cancer, helps maintain energy levels, hair & skin health, & helps in fetus development.

Moringa is a plant native to parts of India & Africa and has been used for centuries for its health benefits. Moringa can come in many forms like powders, pills/capsules, oils, etc. and it has so many health benefits. I mainly use Moringa capsules but have used powders (throw it into your Green Smoothie) & I have found that it has really helped keep my skin in check. Moringa is also known to help with inflammation-related diseases, cancer, diabetes, anemia, low energy & fatigue, arthritis & other joint pain, such as rheumatism, allergies & asthma, constipation, stomach pains & diarrhea, epilepsy, stomach & intestinal ulcers or spasms, chronic headaches, heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney stones, fluid retention, thyroid disorders, low sex drive, bacterial, fungal, viral & parasitic infections.

D3 is an essential vitamin & is actually considered a pro-hormone because our body can naturally produce it by absorbing sunlight. Some of us however, don’t get enough Vitamin D so it’s important to eat/supplement. Because of the Corona Virus, Vitamin D3 sales have actually risen, as vitamin D is a natural immunity booster. Along with benefits like, strong bones, helps with skin repair & growth, helps form healthy muscles, can help diabetics regulate their glucose levels, heart diseases, autoimmune disorders & low levels of vit D have been linked to depression.

Stress Fx is a supplement to help lower my cortisol levels so I don’t always feel like an anxious as*hole who overthinks every little thing, haha. I’m not sure if this actually works but it doesn’t hurt to keep trying it out. I’ve only really been taking it since this past Fall & I have been a bit less triggered so maybe!

Warm Lemon Water – Ok so we know we need to drink lots of water, but why warm lemon water? For starters, lemons are packed with vitamin C so it’s an instant immunity booster. Lemon water is also known to boost your metabolism, which is why it’s best to do it first thing in the am. Lemon water naturally balances your own ph levels & it helps keep your skin clear. It is also a natural diuretic which will help flush out your system at the beginning of your day so you have more energy.

GGS – Aka. Glowing Green Smoothie by Kimberly Snyder

I don’t know if you’re familiar with vegan celeb nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, but she is amazing. I have read all of her books & highly recommend them to anyone & everyone. She breaks nutrition & our body’s metabolism down in simple to understand ways.

Anyways, she has a green smoothie recipe that I drink every single day for breakfast & I’m telling you, having big large breakfasts are slowing you down! You’re spending your entire day metabolizing & breaking down your very first meal instead of doing all of the other things your body could be doing. Because it is filled with fiber, it will literally flush your system right away. No more constipation or Metamucil haha. When your system is clean, your skin gets clearer too!

To note, I switch some of the greens & fruits around from time to time but this is the general recipe. And I add Chia Seeds, Apple Cider Vinegar, Grapefruit Seed Extract, & Omega 3 Plant.

Meditate – I personally use the Balance Meditation App & highly recommend them. I mentioned in a previous article that they gave away an entire year for free this 2020 to help people cope with everything that has been going on. Which I feel is commendable & a sign of a good company.

I like to meditate in the morning because it helps me start my day. I make sure that I go into the day with a clear level head & I don’t let any bad attitudes continue. Meditation has been said to increase your energy, reduce your stress levels while giving you practical tools to utilize throughout your day. I generally do a 10 – 15 min session but truly, if you only have 5 mins, give yourself those 5 mins & do it, you’ll thank yourself later.

Brain Dump – As soon as I finish my meditation I turn my timer on for 5 mins & I start brain dumping. There are no right or wrong ways to do this. Some people like to journal, others like to right lists, I personally turn mine into a reflection/journal type. Really whatever is in your head, write it down! And then on Sunday’s I like to reflect on what I’ve written throughout the week. This allows me to check & say to myself, “see, that issue you had worked itself out just fine”. It’s a great way to get whatever is bugging you or weighing heavy out there on paper instead of playing over and over in your mind.

Exercise – I mean we obviously know by now that movement is the key to longevity. We know that exercise is necessary for a healthy lifestyle & exercise can look different for everyone. While I love weight training or hardcore super sweat sessions, I don’t think it’s necessary to do that every single day & instead I think our exercising should include kindness to our bodies. If your body is sore, then do a gentle yoga session, don’t force yourself to continuously put strain on your muscles/joints etc. Also, I like to workout in the morning because if I don’t, then I won’t. I will procrastinate that workout until it’s too late & I’ll somehow tell myself I can make it up tomorrow, haha right?! So that’s why, I just have to do it in the am, usually around 9 – 11am.

I bought a Les Mills subscription so that I could do their virtual spin classes & as I mentioned I also came to find out that their Dance/Sh’Bam workouts are pretty great too. So generally I’ll do a 20 min outdoor run (3.5k) or I’ll do a 45 min spin or Sh’Bam workout. If I do a shorter cardio then I will incorporate an isolated routine as well, like a leg workout or butt, back, etc. I do cardio 5 days a week.

I also like to do yoga 7 days a week. 5 days of flow & 2 days of yin style yoga. As mentioned, I usually follow Yoga With Adriene’s monthly calendars as she maps each days video out really nicely. On the weekends I like to do Yin yoga which is normally when I’ll incorporate Boho Beautiful’s yoga videos.

Neti Pot – A neti pot is simply a nasal irrigation tool. It helps flush your nasal cavity freeing it from congestion; another wonderful Ayurveda tool. It is said to help with colds, allergies, general congestion, helps people who snore & those with sinus infections. Long story short, I broke my nose this May & I’ve been a lot more congested since then. I had been using a neti pot prior but I do find the warm water & pink Himalayan sea salt really helps clear the “air”. There are many types of neti pots now, I prefer this more traditional style myself. It’s easy to keep clean & hygienic.

Morning Skincare – Depending on how sweaty my workout was, I may or may not have a rinse off. Either way, my skincare stays the same. I don’t like to use a cleanser in the am as I find it unnecessary for me, wastes product, & strips the skin of natural oils. So instead I use warm water & a makeup eraser cloth to clean & wipe off my skin. Checkout my review on the Makeup Eraser Cloth for more info on it.

Then I’ll use my Kopari facial toner which I just spritz onto my skin, while it’s still damp I’ll apply my first serum, The Ordinary’s The Buffet. Then I’ll apply a Vitamin C serum by Naka. Then I use my Holy Grail Nurse Jamie De-Puffing Roller (I keep in the fridge).

Next I apply my eye cream; I’m currently using Farmacy’s Brighten Up, which I don’t love. (Beauty Tip: apply excess eye cream around the perimeter of your mouth for an extra nourishing lip treatment) Lastly, I apply a moisturizing SPF; I’ve been loving Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion w. 50 SPF.

And then that takes us to LUNCH! Woohoo! So it seems like a lot, especially looking at it all written down, haha even to me. But like I said in the beginning, these are special circumstances & this is the current Healthy Morning Routine that I am able to have. And if you are able to do any of these then that’s amazing too! Prioritizing our own health & wellbeing will only allow us to be the best versions of ourselves & therefore we can give the best of us to others.

* If you’d like to see videos of my Morning Skincare Routine or Smoothie making, checkout my IG highlights reel here *

Happy New Year

My Healthy Morning Routine – A Blog About Stuff