Ask Jenny: Building Healthy Morning Routines

I’m such a huge fan of morning routines! They really set the tone for both your mental health and physical health for the rest of the day, and they are one of the first tools I use with my clients when they are starting their health journeys.

Personally, the first thing I do in the morning is scrape my tongue, and then drink a huge glass of water. Our body undergoes most of its detoxification process overnight, so clearing out toxins first thing is essential to optimum health. A much-neglected part of this are the toxins that accumulate in our mouths, so scraping your tongue with a stainless steel tongue scraper before you eat or drink anything goes a huge way to helping you not reabsorb those toxins. After that, I drink a huge glass of water that I keep on my bedside table to make sure I am consistent with that healthy habit.

I have to admit that I love a great cup of coffee in the morning, but I make sure it’s organic and low acid to maximize the antioxidant and polyphenol benefits. I always recommend starting your day with protein, fiber, and fat to keep your blood sugar balanced and keep hunger hormones at bay and I love to have a smoothie made with grass-fed beef protein powder, collagen, lemon, greens, flaxseed, avocado, and almond milk.

Intermittent fasting is so popular at the moment, but I do not recommend doing this every morning for women. IF is a tool in my toolbox, but only for the right client. It can be stressful on the body, so I recommend having your cortisol levels and thyroid function checked before starting IF. If it is the right fit for you then try 3 times a week, with a maximum of 18 hours fast.

In addition to having your blood sugar-balancing smoothie (as above) a tonic of warm water, lime juice, and Himalayan salt can actually give your adrenal and thyroid health a boost by providing some much-needed essential minerals. Getting some daylight is also key for all-day energy as it helps regulate your circadian rhythm and tells your body it’s time to produce the hormones that make us feel alert and energized.

Make your morning routine work for you. If you have a laundry list of ‘must-do’s that feel more like chores than self-care then you will never get them done! For example, I have a regular meditation practice, but I do this in the afternoon rather than the morning as it suits my schedule better and helps me transition into my evening.

Prepare as much as you can in advance the night before – I always set my coffee machine, prep my smoothie, and get my workout clothes ready before I go to bed as if I didn’t those things would never happen!

Habit stack – building habits one on top of the other is the best way to get a lot done in a short amount of time. I drink my water straight after scraping my tongue, keep my supplements next to my blender to take straight after breakfast, and use my infrared sauna blanket straight after my workout.