One of the biggest slips for people in general but even more so for stressed out, short on time coParents, is the lack of attention to their physical self.
Does this sound like any of us, regarding nutrition? “I’ll just grab a burger at the drive-through.” “I totally forgot to eat today.” “The thought of food makes me ill.” “Donuts are my best friend right now.” “Wine. Beer. Soda. Yes please!” Any of this sound familiar? Not eating enough or eating garbage is a quick route to a total health breakdown. Extreme weight gain/loss, brain fog, fatigue, irritability, and health issues—the list of negatives is long!
Do yourself a favor and pay attention to what you eat! I say this as someone who hates to cook and invests as little time as possible into food and eating. It’s just not something I personally care that much about. But I do want to be sharp and clear.
Who wants a fuzzy mind while they are tackling their custody issues?? I want to feel as healthy and energized as possible, and that is not going to happen on a diet of junk food and coffee. Take a little time on the weekend to get some healthy foods prepped for the week. Nothing fancy, just easy to open and eat munchies, simple meals, and grab and go lunches and snacks. Make it easy to stay on track. Bundled into what you eat is what you drink. Most of us get lots of coffee, soda, and alcohol and little to no water.
I love my cup of joe in the morning and am all on board for the occasional glass of wine (or bourbon!) in the evening. I get it—these things taste good and bring some pleasure into our day. Fine. Balance is what you are after. But when that’s all you are drinking, supplemented with soda (just say no), you are starving your body of one of its main elements! Water. We need water and plenty of it to keep our minds sharp and our bodies whole. Drink up!
Exercise. This is my heart! The core of my being craves movement! This has always been the case, from riding my bike for hours as a kid to getting in touch with the real me while hiking through the woods to my life as a group fitness instructor. I know that I am a bit of an anomaly in some respects when it comes to this. For many people, exercise is a chore. They don’t enjoy that glorious feeling of sweat dripping off the tip of their nose in quite the way that I do. I get it—really, I do.
However, it is important for us to take care of our bodies. You want to truly live longer for your kids.
Excerpt from DIVORCE is a PUSH UP: Get Strong to Get Through. ©2016 Laura Aiello
About Lori Denman-Underhill
