Food isn't everything!

Funny title for a first blog post, considering I'm a dietitian! But the truth is, life has gotten really busy for me lately, managing my private practice along with my part-time job and a toddler! I wouldn't change a thing, but it certainly has caused a little bit of added <good> stress. Because of it, I've recently been tempted to stay up an hour later <or 2> to finish up a project, skip a run that I was really looking forward to, or even miss mass on Sunday <again>. UGH.

Then I realized- WAIT A MINUTE. To maximize my health & well-being (and PCOS management), I had to remind myself to step back and breathe a minute and look at what's the most important thing to manage: ME. Call me selfish- but self care is just as important as eating the nourishing foods we know we need. Why? Because stress can raise cortisol levels and inflammation in your body.

For me, self-care includes getting in a run most days. Many of you can probably relate. When I skip a run that I was looking forward to it usually throws off my day and i become a major crab. Self-care also includes giving my body the sleep it needs to thrive. Inevitably, if I'm lacking sleep, I eat like !@#$ the next day! And self-care <for me> also includes diving into a new fiction novel or Netflix show without regrets. I learned my lesson the past few weeks...

What do you do for your self-care?