One of the most important things you need to do when struggling with health is to build a strong foundation. That means building your habits into a sustainable and effective pattern that can be repeated hundreds if not thousands of times. When you have this piece down, it's kind of easy to then relax into the stages of your healing process.

But, once you have that down, you will have a huge advantage and maybe never have to question it again. Sure, you might have some tweaks, but the basic process is what you are figuring out. The skeletal plan is key.

You might have a few of the steps in place now, and that is good. Focus on those and then let's scale up.

One of the best things I did was to go plant based. And I get it, some might not be ready to do that, but you might want to then consider just adding in more plants. That means more fruits and vegetables.

That can be as simple or as difficult as it sounds!!

Could be that you have fruits or vegetables at each meal, could be that you add some in as snacks, could be that you add some soup or salad at breakfast or lunch, but I suggest you take it seriously and do it EVERY time, or you won't get anywhere.

Cooking is a hassle, and I get that. You can take short cuts like smoothies, or freezing things or even eating out. Make it easy, there is no reason that eating plant based has to be harder or even taste bad.

Taking food with you is also a bummer. Still, when you are in the car and you start to pull over for some french fries, you will thank me when you decide to eat your snack first, and if you still want the fries, you will do it.

When you are really busy but feeling hungry, do you stop and take care of yourself. If you don't what happens? You don't have to say it out loud, but just tune in and know... if the answer isn't good, that is one of the things you might need to change. Stopping and eating is what is called radical self care. I use the word radical here because, in our culture, it is customary to push through at the detriment to our health.

Working out takes a ton of time out of the day. You have to think of timing it correctly, getting there and back (unless you do it in your basement) and finding something you like. But, out of all the things you put into your plan, this is definitely one of the most important.

Getting off soda and coffee is another good one. That's because both of these are sort of "gateway" drugs and get you into trouble. Both of them can alter blood sugar levels, sleep and hormones. They throw your plan off in subtle or big ways. The aftereffects aren't worth it. Try yerba instead. Stabilize your cravings, energize and lower inflammation all at once.

You have to try new things. Please, if you are making the same mistakes over and over, take a break and try something new. And, when you are ready to try yerba, just reach out and send me a message. I would be more than happy to help you figure out which blend is right for you.