This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AGummyYouCanTrust #CollectiveBias

My mom used to always say, “make sure you grab breakfast, it’s the most important meal of the day.” I’d roll my eyes, grab a banana and head out the door. Of course, I never let her see me do that. My life was busy and I didn’t ever feel like slowing down. Somehow I now find myself saying something similar to my girls. “Come on, let’s grab breakfast, it’s important.” I know it’s only a matter of time before they too are rolling their eyes when I’m not looking.

The biggest difference between now and then is that staying healthy isn’t exactly as easy. I mean I still look good, don’t get me wrong, but the weight doesn’t come off as easy, running seems to take longer, and sometimes after doing yard work, my muscles ache like never before.

I’m getting old. 

Okay, so I’m not really old, but as every year comes and goes, it’s not as easy to stay healthy and in-shape. What I’ve learned is that I need a routine.  I can’t stay up until 3am, get a few hours of sleep, and be ready to go at 6am for a full day’s work. I just drag the rest of the day.  While it’s important to have a routine that you can stick to the entire day, the morning, like mom said, is most important. That’s because waking up and getting stuff done is setting yourself for a successful day.

My Morning Routine to Staying Healthy

There’s six things that I do every morning that has been a game changer for me.  It took a little while to get in the habit of it all, but I feel much better prepared for life when I start my day off doing these things.

1— Don’t Allow Myself to Hit Snooze

I’ll admit this is my #1 struggle, but something I continue to try to work on everyday.  As soon as my alarm goes off, I get up.  No hitting snoozing, no laying there “hoping” I don’t fall back to sleep.  Immediately get up ready to handle the day.  This little mind shift greatly affects my mood the rest of the day.

2— Take Apple Cider Vinegar

The first time I did this, I thought I was going to die. Okay, more like the first 32 times.  However, now it’s just second nature.  I mix 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar into 8 ounces of water and drink it before I have anything else in the day.  Apple cider vinegar has amazing nutrients like probiotics and more.

3— Drink a smoothie

I have a rotation of smoothie recipes and it’s my go to for mornings, especially when I go to work. I don’t have a ton of time from when I wake up until I need to get out the door, so a smoothie allows me to get all the needed nutrients to start my day off right, while getting out the door on time. My mom would be so proud.  Check out one of my favorite smoothies – Banana Bread Breakfast Smoothie

4— Prep for healthy snacks

Part of my morning routine is making sure I’m healthy throughout the day.  And that’s having healthy snacks around at work so I’m not reaching for the candy jar or my co-workers bag of chips.  My go-to snacks are trail mix, cheese sticks, energy bites, and carrots with peanut butter.

5— Pack my lunch

This has been a game-changer for me.  It not only helps my budget, but it keeps me healthy.  I’ve been packing my lunch for a long time, but traditionally it was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I have to shift my mind a bit on this because I didn’t like leftovers. Just that word sounds weird to me ….”leftovers” …like who really wants that.  But it’s helped so much.  Larisha makes sure to make enough dinner the night before that I have enough to take the next day.

6— Take vitamins

Before growing up, I never understood the importance of making sure you took vitamins.  I thought it was just another one of those things my mom harped about.  Funny enough, she was right about this too.  For a few years now I’ve taken a multivitamin and during winter months I up my Vitamin C with a Nature Made® Vitamin C Adult Gummies. Vitamin C has an awesome tangerine flavor, aids in absorption of iron†, and helps support the immune system†. I also love that Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps your immune system and to neutralize free radicals in the body.† Also, I recently discovered Nature Made® Energy†† B12 Adult Gummies and have loved adding into my routine. Nature Made® Energy†† B12 Adult Gummies contain 1000 mcg vitamin B12 per serving in a delicious Cherry and Mixed Berry flavors.

A bit more about Nature Made®

Nature Made® is the first vitamin gummie brand to receive USP verification. The U.S. Pharmacopeia Convention (USP) is a third party nonprofit organization that verifies products for purity, potency, and quality. This means that they are “a gummy you can trust” to have the nutrients you are seeking. Learn more about Nature Made® and USP here

This is my morning routine to staying healthy. All this happens before I even leave the house for work in the morning.  It’s not a lot when you think about it, but these few simple steps have giving me a roadmap to stay healthy and for that I’m so grateful.

Disclosures:

• † These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure prevent any diseases.
• ††Vitamin B12 supports cellular energy production in the body.†

5 Ways Dads Can Stay Healthy has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NatureMadeProbiotics #CollectiveBias

Let’s face it. We are hitting that time in our life where adulthood just got real. You can keep clubbing if you want to, but that TLC song that just came on and “I don’t want know scrubs” wasn’t the DJ’s way of trying to welcome you in with a song from your time. They were actually trying to send you a message. A message that says… 30 is not the new 20! To be completely honest… Do you really want to try and keep up on that dance floor? Im sure the saying “cut a rug” and “two left feet” comes from this exact scenario.   

But that’s ok! Because you my friend will be introduced to 5 ways dads can stay healthy and feel well in the big THREE ZERO and beyond.

1.MOVE “DUDE” Get Out and Sweat!

No one really cares to exercise. At least no one who isn’t looking to have a particular figure. So don’t. Forget exercising,  just go do something and “bust a sweat”. Go play a pick up game of basketball and school some youngins’….Go to the driving range and show your friends why you all settled for an office job. How about swimming? No sweat required! I mean ride a bike, walk the neighborhood, play catch. Really, I could go on and on, but basically GET ACTIVE. You want to boost your energy level and relieve some stress? This is the key to improving your mood!

2.Indulge in What Makes You Happy

You have plenty on your plate on a day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute basis. Carve out time in there to actually relax. You don’t need to sit in lotus position meditating to find peace and serenity. You just have to find happiness!  Doesn’t really matter what it is. I love photography and skateboarding. I’m far from the next Tony Hawk, but when I am out on my board, you can’t tell me nothing! Tony Hawk ain’t got nothing on me! The whole point is to enjoy being you.

3. Do not give the teacher the apple. EAT IT!

I don’t want you to think eating healthier consists of getting rid of your favorite foods. You can still eat the foods you like. Just replace some of the foods with a healthier choices.  Know how you would normally stroll to the vending machine and reach in your pocket to realize your $.30 cents short of that candy bar you’re craving? You know what I am talking about. You waltz over to the water fountain, and now your in debt to listen to your coworkers talk about who knows what, just to wait until it’s finally over to ask if they have change for the vending machine, only to hear that misleading “no”.

Let me save you 20 minutes of your lunch. Grab that apple you walked past on the kitchen counter on your way out to work. Now, instead of heading to the vending machine, grab the apple, walk to the water fountain and tell another coworker about whatever you want. And when you’re finally done and you notice they weren’t listening to you and they ask for change for the vending machine…. Take the largest bite of your apple you have ever taken and with your mouth full you already know how to reply…. Know what that’s called? WINNING.

4. Take The Goodness

Now I know, nobody really likes taking vitamins.  Half the time you forget to take them and then here I come along telling you to remember to not only take your vitamins, but now you have to take probiotics too? Pro-bi-what? I remember Larisha telling me I needed to add some probiotics into my diet and I looked at her like she had 35 heads.  What is this? I don’t need one more thing. But, somehow she convinced me and now I need to convince you.

Probiotics have always been found in foods like yogurt and some cheeses and essentially it’s just “good” bacteria in your gut. Using a probiotic supplement like Nature Made® Digestive Probiotics Adult Gummies allows you to increase your “good” bacteria and balance out your healthy gut flora.†  In Nature Made probiotics you get 4 Billion live probiotic CFUs* per serving . They are available at Walmart for an every day low price.  Learn more about how probiotics work.

5. Night, Night…

You think the kids are the only ones that have a bedtime? WRONG! Find a time to drop everything and take it down. There is nothing like a good night’s rest. And I know I am not telling you something that you don’t already know, so let’s not loose focus on what I am saying. Every single day, have a time that you go to bed religiously. No excuses! Plan for it. Tell your other half about it. Set an alarm. And when that bad boy goes off! HIT THE DECK! Get a couple weeks of this going and you as a person will transform. You will thank me later and like Maui would say… “YOU’RE WELCOME!”

BONUS Tip! Be a kid again with your kids (except you have a beard)

Don’t let that itchy facial hair get in the way of being a kid again. We’re guys, we’re dads, we’re over protective… right? Throw that out the window and live a little. Play hide and seek, chase the kids around, ask them what they think you should wear to work tomorrow and have the biggest laugh you had in forever. Use their new generation lingo in the worst way possible.  Tell them something is “the bomb” and get a kick out of how they look at you. Turn on some 90’s music and watch them cover up there ears as if a siren just went off. This is purely about having fun. No one is getting younger here, you got to enjoy it while it last.

Hope you enjoyed these 5 Ways Dads Can Stay Healthy in their 30s and beyond, PLUS, one amazing bonus tip! Now, which one are you going to implement first?  Leave a comment and let me know!

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

*If stored in accordance with instructions provided on the product label.