E189: Physical Habits & How to Incorporate Them, Part One of The Science & The Spiritual Series

In part one of this seven part series learn how to combine science & spirituality to create lasting habits that create balance in our lives. This week, physical habits: daily movement + eating more veggies + quality sleep!

[00:28] Hello there and welcome back to the Women’s Empowerment Podcast, I am your host and Healthy Habit Mentor, Valerie LaVigne. Today’s episode was created from a request from listener Ceri who asked about different types of habits and how to incorporate them. If you have ideas or requests for episodes, you can find me on instagram @vallavignelife and send me a DM. I absolutely LOVE hearing from you and getting to know you in the virtual space. It honestly makes my day when I get a note from you.

So I’ve also been able to get to know a little bit about Ceri because we follow each other online and she’s also participated in some of the Healthy Habit Challenges. Ceri, like myself, and I’m sure you as well, enjoys spiritual things like crystals, the lunar calendar, astrology, etc.

And since this is the case, I thought I’d combine some science with some spiritual components to creating your different types of habits. Truthfully I use this combination in many of my Healthy Habit Coaching offerings, including the Make a Habit Mentorship 1:1 Coaching and the Healthy Habit Membership group coaching as well. If you’re interested in learning more about those check out:

Monthly Group Coaching Membership

1:1 Coaching Experience

Now I had to come up with the different habit examples, and to offer variety I wanted to use the seven dimensions of wellness to really get a nice range of different practices. Even though I will speak to seven very different dimensions, I encourage you to start with ONE, and then add on after you’ve created the habit for yourself.

Originally I wanted to speak to all seven of the dimensions in one episode, but as I started to produce this episode I realized it was going to be VERY LONG, so I’ve actually decided to break this up into a seven-part series! I’ve never done a series this long but I’m excited about it and it really allows me to dive deeper into each dimension so you can get a better idea of what works best for you.

As you’re listening to each episode in the series, I encourage you to notice which dimensions you’re drawn to or excited by and then decide where you want to put your focus and energy into building your habit.

Let’s dive in!

The seven dimensions of wellness are: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental and occupational.

The overall goal is to create balance in ALL these areas, however when it comes to starting and sticking to a new habit, I suggest choosing one. And what’s really cool about focusing on one of these dimensions, and improving it, is that it actually impacts OTHER areas.

It also makes it easier to create balance as a whole if we can create consistency, momentum, and confidence in one area so that it propels us with the other areas.

[04:24] Physical Habit

On that note, let’s begin with the first dimension and first of our series: a physical habit. These tend to be the most popular with starting new habits. Physical wellness is a broad area of health as it emcompasses many different behaviours from movement to nutrition, sleep, and anything to do with your physical body. For today’s examples, we’ll use exercising daily + eating more veggies + getting quality sleep

As a Healthy Habit Mentor AND a Pilates/Fitness Instructor I am a huge advocate for regular exercise and one of the reasons why is because it has so many amazing benefits including:

Improving brain health
Helping manage weight
Reducing the risk of disease
Strengthening bones and muscles
Improving your ability to do everyday activities
Releases chemicals called endorphins that improve your mood
The list goes on

Although the benefits of regular exercise can be experienced by anyone and everyone who participates in this practice, actually doing the routine is a lot more complex and unique depending on the person.

I want to be clear that today’s episode and the entire series, really speaks to general examples. Don’t be deterred if they don’t work for you. There is a uniqueness to you and your lifestyle and your goals and therefore you will need to create a unique action plan for yourself! This is something I work on with my 1:1 Make a Habit Mentorship clients. If you’re interested in a more customized approach for your goals, let’s get in touch! Allow today’s examples to be foundational to your experience.

[06:22] Exercising Daily: The Science

The list of benefits of working out including: slowing down aging, better quality of life, increased blood flow to the brain, and the ones I listed (above) earlier can be enough to convince you that you need a daily exercise routine. And if it doesn’t, what if I told you the consequences of a sedentary life?

People with low levels of physical activity are at risk of:

Different cancers, Heart disease, Alzheimer’s
Decreased core strength, and increased lower back pain
Depression and anxiety
And so much more

[Source]

It can also help to include to your list of reasons why daily movement and exercise is so important, specific goals that you have for your physical health. Do you want to go on a big hike in Machu Picchu? Do you want to have more energy to spend time with your kids or family members, and friends? Do you want to feel good in your body all day every day?

The reason for why you want to be healthier in your physical body - and I’m talking the real reason, not the “hot girl summer body” - is going to be your purpose and motivation for taking action, literally.

Let’s look at the spiritual tools to a daily movement practice.

[08:50] Exercising Daily: The Spiritual

Crystal: Orange Calcite for energy during your workout. Disclaimer: I am not a crystal expert, so I did some research on these! [source]. You can put your workout crystals in your gym bag, or in your pocket, or your bra during your workout!

Essential Oil: Cypress oil, the essential oil of “motion and flow.” This is such a powerful oil that creates energetic flow and emotional catharsis. It helps bring stagnant energies into motion through the fluid energy of the oil. It works with the heart and mind, creating flexibility.

You can inhale this oil from the bottle, from your palms, or apply 2-3 drops along the spine or bottoms of the feet before your workout. If you want to add a drop to your gym bag, why not!

Exercising Daily: Practical, Tactical Tips

Here are some helpful practices that have supported my clients in creating a daily movement practice:

Choose an exercise you ENJOY, you’re more likely to do it.
Get any tools needed for your exercise ready the night before. Example, lay out your yoga mat, prep your gym bag with your clothes and shoes.
Add your workouts into your calendar so you know when you’re doing them and you’ve allotted the time.
Invest in a trainer, membership, or gear to keep your accountable and motivated

[11:33] Eating More Veggies: The Science

Another frequent request or goal in my habit coaching services that I have is physical health with nutrition and better eating habits. In this example I’m going to speak about eating more veggies.

In terms of the science behind building this new habit, and the theme for the science in this particular episode, I’ll also speak about the benefits of eating healthier, specifically to more fruits + veggies.

The federal guideline for how much fruit to have for adults is 1 ½ to 2 cups, and 2 to 3 cups for vegetables per day. And according to the CDC’s website only 1 and 10 adults get enough fruits or vegetables,

Not only is quantity important for consumption of these colourful foods but VARIETY is also very important. No single vegetable or fruit can provide us with all of the different nutrients we need every day, so the variety of vegetables can be very beneficial to a nutrient rich diet.

Benefits of eating a variety of fruits + veggies include:

Lowered blood pressure
Reduced risk of heart disease or stroke
Cancer prevention
Improved digestion
Positive effect on blood sugar
Promote weight loss
Depending on the plant compound you are receiving other benefits that are unique to that plant!

I have a great resource link that goes deeper into different studies proving these benefits of eating more vegetables.

[13:13] Eating More Veggies: The Spiritual

Crystal: Peridot. This crystal is known to be helpful for motivation. It is a green colour which also supports the heart chakra or energy centre. This crystal may also reduce anxiety or fear, detox the body, increase strength, and enhance digestive organs. [source] Sounds like a great crystal for working on physical health goals, especially around eating and nutrition.

Essential Oil: Grapefruit is the oil of “honouring the body” The emotional support this oil brings is that it teaches true respect and appreciation for the physical body. It encourages integrity by respecting your physical needs.

To use this oil and receive all its benefits you can inhale it from the bottle. Or you can put a drop on your wrists, belly, or behind the ears.

And additional spiritual practice would be a pre-meal blessing. Similar to giving thanks before a meal, but instead turn your palms toward your plate, close your eyes, and “bless” the food with good energy and good digestion. You can also give thanks and gratitude for the meal.

[15:11] Eating More Veggies: Practical, Tactical Tips

Keep vegetables where you can see them. Don’t tuck them away in the little cubbies of your fridge: put them on the shelf at eye level, or in the door. I know it doesnt say to go there, but trust me… you’ll eat what you can see!
Try new and seasonal veggies. When you’re grocery shopping, choose one new vegetable each time to try something new. You can also look at what’s in season, which is usually very fresh and nutrient dense!
An easy way to incorporate a variety of vegetables in one meal is soup! These are some of my favourite ways to eat more vegetables.
Eat the rainbow! Another way to ensure variety in your meals and vegetables, is to choose vegetables based on their colour. Aim for all the colours of the rainbows when meal planning, shopping, and plating your food.

[16:29] Getting Quality Sleep: The Science

Our final habit for part one of the series is getting quality sleep. There are so many great books on sleep, and although I haven’t read them all, I have heard great things about:

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington

Here are some of the many benefits of getting quality sleep:

Improved immune system
Healthy weight maintenance
Lowers risk for diabetes and heart disease
Reduced stress and improved mood
Increased focus and mental clarity
Mood boosting
And more!

Since I started wearing an OURA ring in January of this year, I’ve been able to better understand my personal sleep patterns and sleep health and I find it so incredible to see how things like the length of time I’m sleep, to the restfulness, to the latency (how long it takes for me to fall asleep), and also be able to track how long my REM and deep sleep are. It even monitors my heart rate and heart rate variability while I’m sleeping.

[18:16] Getting Quality Sleep: The Spiritual

Crystal: Amethyst. Which is one of the most common stones, and one that is most recommended for sleep. It also happens to be my birthstone - holla!

Since amethyst is made from quartz, it has amplification properties. This means if you “program” your crystal aka set an intention for your crystal for sleep and calm, it can be “used to broadcast calming messages for a soothing and calming sleep experience” [source]

Essential Oil: I have two for this one…

Juniper Berry, which is the oil of “night” and helps anyone who fears the dark or unknown aspects of themselves. It helps us understand the things we fear can be our teachers. It can also help us with our dreams and gives us courage and protection in the nighttime.

Inhale from the bottle, diffuse, or place a drop in the palms and inhale. And/or place 1 drop on the forehead or behind the ears before bed.

Vetiver: the oil of “centring and decent” which assists us in becoming more rooted in life. It’s a great oil to help transition for a grounding and restful sleep, centring us and rooting us into our true selves. Can also help with stress and to bring us into the present.

Inhale from the bottle, diffuse, or place a drop in the palms and inhale. You can also apply 1-3 drops on the bottom of the feet or base of the spine.

[20:06] Getting Quality Sleep: Practical, Tactical Tips

The number one helpful practice for my clients who are creating better sleep habits is curating an evening wind-down routine with boundaries around technology + consistent bedtimes.

Choose a time 90 minutes - 2 hours before going to sleep to begin your evening wind down routine
During the 2 hours pre-bed, opt for activities that are relaxing and help you prepare for bed
Go to bed around the same time every evening, and wake up at the same time every morning; or within an hour of those times.

Let me know what physical habits you’re working on. Screenshot this episode and share it with me on instagram @vallavignelife – If you’re feeling stuck, let’s connect and see if either 1:1 or group coaching would be best for you and your goals!

Next week on the series part two: Emotional Habits

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!