5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Health Routine

Your wellness routine doesn’t have to be complicated. 

No, really! 

A constant stream of life hacks and trendy new products can make it feel difficult to know which habits will make a real impact for you. After a while of trying this and that on for size, you might even find yourself juggling so many different skincare products, supplement bottles, and diet trends that your wellness routine is starting to feel less like nourishing self-care, and more like an overwhelming chore. 

When it comes to wellness, the best approach is one that you can be consistent with. 

Small daily habits, when practiced consistently, add up to big outcomes in the end. Keep things simple, focus on what works for your lifestyle, and voila: a routine that feels as easy as a fresh spring breeze. 

If you’re ready to clear away the winter cobwebs with a spring reset, or are in need of a boost but unsure where to begin, you’re in luck. Embrace these five simple shifts to simplify your wellness regimen and revitalize your routine for a fresh start in the new season to:

• Ditch stress

• Feel your best

• Boost skin from within

The slower winter months spent indoors can easily give way to a healthy-living slump, and spring is the perfect time to breathe life back into your routine. Read on for five simple, science-backed tips to help you turn over a new leaf and make meaningful wellness moves this season.

You’re doing your best to stay hydrated and working on getting your 11 to 15 cups of water each day (per the Mayo Clinic), but you also love to enjoy a sweet morning latte, afternoon soda, and post-gym sports-drink.1  Sound familiar?

While most experts would agree that moderation – not deprivation – is key to successfully building healthy habits, sneaky added sugars may be hiding in more beverages than you realize.2 

The CDC warns that sweetened beverages are one of the leading sources of added sugars in the American diet, noting that coffee and tea beverages and energy drinks can have surprisingly high sugar content.3,4 Others that appear healthy on the surface, like fruit juices and smoothies, can contain equally concerning amounts. 

Do your best to cut out sugary drinks. Consuming excess sugar can be detrimental to your hydration levels. The diuretic effects of sugar may contribute to dehydration by causing water to move out of cells and leading to more frequent bathroom trips.5,6 Additionally, consuming high levels of sugar can lead to extra calories without nutritional value, resulting in weight gain, and may contribute to various dental and health problems. 

Kicking extra sugars to the curb can help:

• benefit weight management 

• regulate blood sugar

• improve oral health

• lower risk of depression

• reduce acne

• improve skin health

• reduce risk of liver disease7

You’re supporting your body by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, but you know that it can be difficult to get all the nutrients you need from diet alone. However, the growing number of bottles in your medicine cabinet are making your supplement regimen feel complicated and hard to stick with. Sound familiar?

Do you really need all of them? Supplements are intended to support your balanced diet, not to replace it. And, you're less likely to be consistent with a regimen that does not work for your lifestyle.10 So if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, it’s a good sign it’s time to scale things back. 

Plus, quality matters. While most supplements are safe, not all are created to meet equal standards. You’ll want to look for trusted brands with quality markers like third-party testing, formulation by medical professionals, and transparent sourcing and manufacturing practices.   

Simplify your supplement routine. Ditch the clutter! Start by tossing low-quality items with sub-par formulations, and opt for higher-impact solutions with fewer steps to support foundational nutrition.

Our wellness starter kits are designed to streamline your regimen by removing the guesswork and helping you focus on the essentials. 

Consulting with your healthcare provider can help you to determine which supplements will be most beneficial for you.

You don’t always have time to eat a nutritious meal, and sometimes, your busy schedule means going too long without eating or skipping meals altogether. When this happens, you might find yourself feeling shaky, weak, fatigued, and irritable; or in other words, hangry. Sound familiar?

Our brains depend on a steady supply of glucose, their primary source of energy, to function. When we get hungry, our blood sugar –or glucose– drops, making it difficult to go about our daily tasks.

Something else happens when blood sugar dips, as well: in an attempt to regulate sugar levels, our bodies produce hormones like epinephrine (or adrenaline, the “fight or flight” hormone) and cortisol (the stress hormone), leading to increased feelings of stress and anxiety and negatively affecting our mood. 

Infrequent meals can also spell trouble for skin. In addition to low energy, anxiety, irritability, and other potential health risks, skipping meals regularly may lead to a troubled metabolism, poor gut health, lowered immunity, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and excess sebum production (the oil on our skin).11,12,13,14 

As these can all be underlying triggers of breakouts, in addition to negatively impacting our mood and overall sense of well-being, skipping meals may contribute to worsened acne and other skin issues.15 

Don’t skip meals. Plan meal times intentionally. Schedule breaks for nutritious meals into your day, and always have nutrient-dense snacks on hand to stave off hanger. Keep a stash of healthy fat and protein-packed nuts, yogurt, or hard boiled eggs, or fiber-rich fruits and veggies near your work area or on-the-go to fuel your brain and body and prevent blood sugar dips. 

You try to get your steps in, but some days that elusive 10,000 step goal simply isn’t realistic. Sometimes, you find yourself in a seated position all day long. Sound familiar?

With research demonstrating just how harmful prolonged sitting can be to our health, for those who are able, getting out of your seat and onto your feet can go a long way toward supporting your well-being. One study even compared the effects of sedentary lifestyles to those of smoking and obesity.8  

Stand up for wellness. 60 to 75 minutes of moderate activity each day, says the Mayo Clinic, can help to offset the effects of too much sitting.9 

Modern work can be one of the greatest culprits of excessive sitting. The Mayo Clinic recommends exploring a standing desk during your work day, inviting colleagues to take meetings on walks rather than sitting in a conference room, working while walking on a treadmill or walking pad, and standing while watching television or talking on the phone.  

Try to schedule movement breaks into your workday. It can be easy to lose track of time, but the warming spring weather is the perfect opportunity to sneak more walks into your day, even for a few minutes. Most smart watches and apps like Google Fit can also be helpful reminders to quit the sit throughout your day. 

You know how important quality shuteye is, so you try to wind down during the evenings to support your recommended seven to nine hours of restful, restorative sleep. But before you know it, you’ve spent an hour scrolling through social media in bed. Sound familiar?

Insufficient sleep can impact whole-body health, from lower energy and immunity to impaired mental focus and higher levels of stress and anxiety.16,17

The blue light emitted by devices like smart phones before bed can disrupt the circadian rhythm, impairing the natural sleep-wake cycle and leading to poor sleep quality, daytime fatigue, and difficulty falling asleep.18 During seasonal shifts, like the transition from autumn to winter or winter to spring, this may be especially important as our bodies are already working to adjust to changes in natural light exposure.19

Avoid screens before bed. According to the Sleep Foundation, devices can suppress the production of the hormone melatonin, which our bodies release in the evenings to help us feel tired and ready for sleep. They recommend decreasing smartphone use during both daytime and evenings, establishing a relaxing bedtime routine, dimming lights in the evening, and making your bedroom a “no-screen zone.”20

If you’re ready to take your digital detox a step further, try going a whole day or even an entire weekend without screens. Research shows the benefits of reduced screen time can be far-reaching for not only sleep, but for stress levels, productivity, physical health, and even the quality of your relationships.21

If you’re in need of a little extra support in the evenings, natural sleep aids like our mineral intensive Bone Support or tasty, relaxing Snooze Bites sleep gummies can help to promote a sense of calm in the evenings and deeper, more restorative sleep.