Establishing a Morning Routine

I'm going to preface this post by stating that I am, and as far back as I can remember, a morning person so I know establishing a morning routine may not be as easy for others. However, if you aren't a morning person, but need to be up and at em first thing, these recommendations are probably more important then you realize.

How we start our day has a huge influence on the choices we make throughout it. A common mistake many make when either trying to lose weight or establishing a healthier lifestyle is making poor choices early on in the day and then deciding to "try again tomorrow". Or "why start now?", when everything is not perfect.  Another comment I often hear is that my job is crazy and by the time I get home, I just need to wind down and the thought of exercising or making a healthy dinner just isn't happening.  My goal is to help others make simple lifestyle changes that they can easily incorporate into their day so it becomes as routine as brushing their teeth or showering.  Here's a simple list that I hope is helpful to you.

• Do some form of exercise upon waking: Even if you don't have time to make it to the gym or for a full run, give yourself at least a half-hour to get the body moving. Take your dog for a walk, your baby for a stroll, maybe even a quick run or lock yourself in a spare room and do so simple stretches and three rounds of sun saluations.
• Have one cup of warm water with lemon: If you're a coffee drinker, try having this first instead. If the thought of that makes you shake, then make your cup of water before you shower and drink as you get ready for your day.
• Eat something to take your multi-vitamin: If your normal routine is to have breakfast at work or a few hours after rising, have a banana after exercising instead. This will allow you to take your multi-vitamin not on an empty stomach. PS - don't forget breakfast -- it's probably your most important meal of the day.
• Daily Greens with juice: I'm a fan of Nature's Sunshine's Green Zone with about 6 ounces of apple juice.  It gives me my enzymes, probiotics, fiber and greens for the day in case I don't get it all in the form of food and supplements which is ideal.

Those are just a few tips that I try to do each day and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  What do you do now that helps you start your day on the right foot?