5 Self-Care Tips from a Registered Dietitian

Are you ready to level up your self-care? We all love a good massage or pedicure, but these 5 tips from Registered Dietitian, Amanda Nighbert, will take your health and wellness to a whole new level. Keep reading for a sneak-peek into Amanda’s self-care routine.

1. Optimize sleep

Getting enough quality sleep is one of the most important changes you can make for your physical as well as mental health. To improve your sleep quality, lay down and get up at close to the same time every day, shoot for at least 7 hours each night, create an ideal sleep environment—make it dark, cool (65-69 degrees ideally), and comfortable, shut off all screens 30-60 minutes before bedtime, and eat your last meal 2 hours before bed. Even just a few of these changes can have a positive impact on your sleep. Start off slow, and see which habits work best for you.

2. Get outside

Sunlight is a signal that triggers many crucial processes in the body. A simple 15-20 minutes of sunlight exposure in the morning can dramatically impact your quality of sleep. It’s simple, free, and will boost your mood through increasing hormones like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. It also promotes autophagy (the process of cleaning out damaged cells) and antioxidant defense. Get outside for some sunlight, vitamin D, and fresh air daily!

3. Enhance hydration

Drinking enough water is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective changes you can make when it comes to your health. Adding in a high-quality electrolyte supplement, like Ultima Replenisher, can boost its effectiveness even more. Electrolytes improve digestion, boost energy, flush out toxins, help burn fat, increase immunity, promote blood circulation, and even plump up your skin.

4. Move more

Sitting is the new smoking! I know it sounds extreme, but it’s true. Moving your body matters. This habit is simple, yet life-changing. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. Walking promotes weight loss and decreases cravings. Even just a 15-minute walk can silence your sweet tooth!

5. Eat more plants

The fiber in plant foods protects against metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol/triglyceride levels). When you add a veggie starter to your meals (think small salad or carrots and guac), the fiber in the veggies coats the small intestine and slows down stomach emptying. Blood sugar from the rest of the meal is absorbed to a lesser extent, resulting in a smaller blood sugar spike. A smaller blood sugar spike means better hormonal balance, fewer cravings, reduced inflammation, slower aging, and reduced risk of disease!

About the Author: Amanda Nighbert is a registered dietitian specializing in weight loss nutrition. Her passion and purpose is to empower others to break the all or nothing mindset and find sustainable change for long term weight loss success. She presented this powerful message on the Ted X stage March of 2021. With 20 years of knowledge and experience under her belt, she provides upper level nutrition education and support to everyone she works with. Amanda’s goal is to provide the most current, cutting edge nutritional techniques that not only provide results but are also sustainable for life. Learn more about Amanda at www.amandanighbert.com