Andrea Wool is a nutritional therapy practitioner, personal trainer, and founder of Autoimmune Strong, an online exercise and lifestyle program designed specifically for people living with chronic illness and autoimmune disease. Wool is an expert in creating a healthy, body positive lifestyle - and we here at Paleo on the Go wanted to share with you her top 5 tips for feeling good each and every day.

 

Andrea’s Top 5 Tips to Feeling Good

 

Mindset

Before you can create a healthy lifestyle and implement healthy actions, it’s important to start by gaining focus on your goals and inspirations. Andrea says, “For me, my #1 goal in life is to feel healthy, strong, and energetic. Living with four autoimmune diseases, there were many years where I did not feel this way, and it made every day a slog. I felt like I was sitting on the couch watching my life go by. It was then that I realized the importance of putting my health and my self-care needs first. Because if my body doesn’t feel good, or if I am in pain, or feeling exhausted, I won’t be able to show up well for the people I love, and I won’t actually enjoy my life. We only get 1 life and I want to live mine to the fullest!”

 

Set Realistic Expectations

Often, we push ourselves too hard. There is much to do in a day, right? BUT… if your mindset is right and your health is your priority, then the first step to self-care is setting realistic expectations for yourself. The last thing we want to do is end the day feeling totally wiped out and exhausted, right? So, say yes to the things that are important, and no to the things that aren’t. Give yourself time to rest and recuperate.

Journaling

Once you set your mindset to focus on making your health and your self-care a priority, then the next step is to keep track of what makes you feel good and what doesn’t. And for this, journaling is strongly encouraged. Track what you did, what you ate, how you slept and how you feel. You will begin to see patterns of what made you feel good and what didn’t. Once you identify the patterns, you can start doing more of what makes you feel good, and less of what doesn’t.

 

Baby Steps

When you are ready to implement changes to your habits and do more of the things that make you feel good, don’t feel pressure to do all the things all at once. We are more likely to make things a habit if we ease into them with baby steps. For example, drink one extra glass of water a day. Eat one extra veggie a day. Exercise for just a few minutes a day. And once you begin to incorporate these little bitty changes, eventually they become routine, and you can build upon that foundation.

Healthy Food & Movement

These are the cornerstones to a healthy lifestyle. They are both equally important to feeling healthy and energized in your body. And don’t worry if it all seems too hard or overwhelming, Paleo on the Go and Autoimmune Strong are both here to help support you on your journey towards wellness! Paleo on the Go offers simple, nutritious meals so you can eat healthy, autoimmune compliant food without having to do all the work. And Autoimmune Strong offers a guided exercise program that takes all of the guesswork out of how to do healthy exercise, especially when you are living with chronic pain.

If you want to learn more about Autoimmune Strong’s exercise philosophy, and how it might help you get your energy back, you can sign up for the free Autoimmune Strong masterclass…