Good habits

Hi.

I've written before how I don't really agree with the idea of "resolutions" for the new year - but being the new year, it totally works to transition and talk about the "good habits" I've been working on to be healthy.

Let's keep in mind though that these are not resolutions, and began before the new year ^_^.

Obviously going to the gym is one of the things that should be on the list - so of course it's obviously not :P.

I mean there were some ideas about doing core exercises every morning/night to keep up the strength of the vital things. But somehow, that just didn't really pan out - so let's not focus on that part of the whole healthy scheme and just be thankful that I'm at least walking to and from work.

On the other hand, my morning ritual has been given a boost of sorts - I always start the day with a breakfast of steel cut oats, almonds, and my vitamins! The oatmeal thing isn't really new, but I've never been good with vitamins or almonds, because I'm too used to having them set out for me every morning. So it's great that I'm making sure that those healthy steps are taken.

In line with eating - I'm way better at making sure I get my fresh fruit every day. This probably has something to do with the fact that I pack a lunch (or at least most of one) for work everyday. Also it's really hard not to when I have 2 Whole Foods, a Trader Joe's, and regular supermarket within walking distance - and one of them is on the way home from work.

And talking about eating, I'm doing a bit better with my dental care, both regular and orthodontal (I know that's not a word, so just roll with it). I recently discovered the hidden location of my retainers that were re-molded after my wisdom teeth showed up, and so I've been doing my best to wear them.

Side note: if you've ever had braces or worn a retainer, you know how it feels when you haven't worn something in a while or you get something tweeked? Yeah, that's pretty much what it's like constantly for like the first few weeks... I'm hoping it gets better soon?

Going back to the actual wearing... So I've been wearing my retainers every night (-ish). But the thing is, you can't really wear retainers without being a bit circumspect about your dental hygiene. In fact, it's almost impossible. So of course I've been taking good care of that by flossing, brushing and rinsing with mouthwash every night before going to bed. Much better than what my lazy butt usually does.

So now let's go to a different aspect of health, the upkeep of youth. Ok, I don't really mean it in the way you think - creams and anti-aging and the like - but I do mean it with respect to skin upkeep.

I'm not a vain person, but I've always been vain about having soft skin - it's a thing, not just in my head. So being vain, I've always strove to maintain that level of softness. But I'm always more focused on my legs (and by using lotion my hands). So I've expanded my moisturizing routine to include the rest of my body. Sure it takes a bit more time, but hey might as well start now right?

One of the things I've been told constantly on how to maintain soft, young skin for my later years, is to drink enough water to maintain the "full" look you have when you're younger. Now, I'm not a big water drinker - never have been. And I don't fancy having to use the restroom constantly. So instead, I've taken to drinking 2 glasses of water every night before I go to bed. On the one hand I'm drinking more water, and on the other I'm only impacting my bladder while I'm asleep. I think it's a win-win.

And of course you can't talk about skin and looking young without talking about facial care. I do have issues with acne and the waves of hormones that bring it, but I've finally developed some kind of consistency to deal with it. I have a morning ritual to take care and treat the acne and an evening regimen that helps exfoliate and make sure I'm not leaving anything on there. I moisturize primarily in the evening to avoid too much oil buildup during the day - but obviously still use it when necessary otherwise.

I'd like to think that now the only things to work on are really geared towards the physical and regulation of my health (like doctor visits and the like) - but we'll see how well I can keep all this up shall we?


(Here's where I have the sudden urge to add a tagline saying something like "share your stories about keeping healthy online or at #goodhabits" but you know, maybe I'll just hope you guys will share a in a comment below :P).