Marlene of Yoga on the Move Berlin warms up prior online stream session in her home on March 25, 2020 in Berlin, Germany.
Maja Hitij/Getty ImagesAs a morning radio host, waking up early is life for me! These morning habits I saw on Today will definitely help you boost your mood! Hitting snooze and gulping coffee helps, but there are a few easy things you can do to boost your energy levels and your mood, too.
Peloton instructor Ally Love shares the quick and easy tricks she uses to get herself in the morning mood when she needs a pick-me-up.
- Start your day with a yoga pose - Getting your blood pumping first thing can help wake you up. Love recommends easing into the day with a yoga pose like downward dog or forward fold as soon as you get up.
- Add a shot of cold to your shower - We all love our steamy showers. Try ending it with a cold splash! It can increase alertness and awakeness. Love suggests starting with 15-seconds of cold water at the end of your shower. Then work your way up to a minute to really reinvigorate.
- Have a protein-rich breakfast - Skip the bacon and try Love’s power breakfast of eggs with cottage cheese. Mix in either cayenne pepper or mustard pepper. The protein will help keep energy levels stable and keep you from crashing later in the day.
- Get dressed to heart pumping music - When you’re getting ready in the morning, blast some of your favorite tunes to boost your mood.
- Wear a bright outfit - Love uses colorful clothing to boost her mood, like bright pink, red and yellow.
- Write down your intentions for the day - “Write down the one thing you want to get done or a word to carry you today. You can even write one thing you like about yourself,” she says. You can write in a notebook, on your phone or share it in your Instagram stories to hold yourself accountable.
7 Foods That You Actually Shouldn’t Be Eating For Breakfast
It's hard to believe that some of the most popular foods for the morning, are actually ones that you shouldn't be eating.
Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals to cook at home. While there are the basic ingredients, you can always get very creative with what you make for breakfast. And we've all heard the age old saying that, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
If this saying is true, there are certain foods that your definitely want to avoid in the morning. EatThisNotThat.com just came out with their expert recommended list of foods that you should not eat for breakfast. While some of the foods are a given, others were surprising to me. Scroll through and see if you're accidentally eating one of these foods in the morning!
Breakfast cereal with lots of sugar
Make sure you are looking at the sugar and protein levels in the cereal you're choosing to make sure it is a good cereal for breakfast.
Sausage
This one is breaking my heart... Sausage is high in sodium, high in saturated fats, and high in calories.
Wheat bread
Instead of wheat bread, try to get a whole grain bread instead.
Muffins
While they are delicious, muffins have high saturated fat, sugar, and calories. They are essentially cupcakes without the icing.
Fat free flavored yogurt
As a rule of thumb, you have to look out for fat free, as certain brands with make up for that lack of fat with even more sugar. You'll think you're doing good but really, it's just as bad.
Bagels
Now this one hurts... Bagels are full of simple carbs, which will fill you up quickly and make you feel sluggish. They might not be the best option for a productive day, but I still love a good bagel every now and again.
Pre-made smoothies
While this option may seem healthy, and is super convenient, it's not always good. A lot of premade smoothies will have fruit juice instead of fresh fruit in them so it's super important to read the label on these.
