Steps for a morning routine to aid energy and digestion.
Starting your day prepared and having a healthy morning routine can help significantly to improve your energy levels throughout the day and support your overall gut health and digestion. Here are a few steps that can help:
Prepare the night before - Taking just a few moments to prepare for your day ahead the night prior can mean all the difference. This can be setting clothes aside, meal prep or simply a little list of tasks you think you may need to tackle or prioritise for the day ahead (think a little brain dump before bed).
Get an early night - Essential for both your energy levels and digestion. Getting a decent amount of sleep can mean more stable blood sugar regulation, assistance with hunger hormones and metabolism, better focus, more energy and improved digestive processes. When we sleep, our body is in repair mode and this includes our digestive system as well.
Eat dinner early - Leave enough time between dinner and bed (ideally 2-3 hours at least) so you can digest and fall asleep comfortably. This can reduce the likelihood of indigestion/heartburn and reflux or a feeling of nausea in the morning.
Go to sleep and wake up at a similar time each day - Our circadian rhythm and sleep keeps our digestive system and metabolism happy.
Wake up as naturally as possible - If you do need to use an alarm, find a sound that can wake you more gently or use a smart alarm that wakes you at your lightest sleep within a sleep cycle.
Avoid the SNOOZE button - Ever noticed that hitting the snooze button makes you feel more foggy and tired? As good as it can feel in the moment, hitting the snooze button for an extra few minutes sleep can throw off your energy levels for the entire day. Hardly seems worth it now, does it?!
Avoid picking up your phone straight away and scrolling on social media/checking messages and emails. This can negatively affect your dopamine levels throughout the day or trigger your stress response if you are seeing bad news first thing.
Have some me time/movement/mindfulness - Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier and do some mindful movement (stretching), deep breathing, meditation, journalling or go for a quick walk. It doesn’t have to be anything long or ground-breaking. Even if you manage two minutes of deep breathing, this can still positively help set up your energy and digestion for the day.
Hydrate prior to coffee - I know, I know. This one can be a tough habit to break, but grabbing for a caffeine hit first thing in the morning can mess with your cortisol awakening response and your digestion. Ideally you are waiting for about an hour to 90 minutes after breakfast to reach for the coffee. If nothing else - at least hydrate first!
Cold shower - if you have trouble getting moving in the morning, finishing your shower with a blast of cold water is like an instant energy boost!
Get natural sunlight early if possible - This helps set our circadian rhythm/sleep cycle and positively influences the production of hormones.
Nourishing breakfast (extra points for fibre and protein rich). I am still a believer in breakfast. Having a balanced breakfast of complex carbohydrates, protein and good fats can help stabilise your blood sugar levels for the day, keep you satiated for longer, reduce the likelihood of an energy crash and reaching for sugar or stimulants later in the day. I find it helps my digestion like clockwork for the day as well.
Eat breakfast without distractions - This one might be challenging if you’re getting a couple of kids ready to make it out the door for school, let’s be real. But if you can, eat breakfast without the TV blaring in the background, grabbing the phone for a social media scroll or eating on the run. Eating mindfully and chewing your food also reduces the occurrence of bloating and IBS. Pre-preparing breakfast can help a lot with this one, for example, overnight protein oats or smoothie packs in the freezer and ingredients ready to throw in the blender.
Make your bed - Ok, so this one doesn’t have much to do with energy levels or digestion, but I just love the habit. If the only thing you manage to get done in a day is make the bed and you get to come home to a freshly made bed at the end of a tough day, that’s a pretty big win in my books.
It’s important to remember - It’s OK if it all goes haywire. You can try again tomorrow. Remember life happens and sometimes, some things are out of our control. If everything goes off track, tomorrow is absolutely a new day and ready for you to try again!
Happy mornings,
Sarah Kate.