Funny story.

Last month we purchased a magnetic phonics set for Bazooka. He’s obviously too young to be reciting his ABCs, but we thought it was a neat toy after seeing it at our friends’ house.

Anyway, every time this child stops to look at or play with the magnets, he will, without fail, grab the “Q” and the “B.”

They’re both blue, so maybe he likes the color? But even when we mixed them up with the other blue letters, he still looked around and picked out those 2 specifically.

WHY?!!!

Every week at daycare, the classes have a theme letter. Lo and behold, I discovered that “Q week” was the same week the magnets delivered.

But that doesn’t explain the “B,” right?!!

I don’t know if I should be concerned or if I should just accept the fact that my child is a genius. 😉

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If you hadn’t guessed, I’m having a little fun with ABCs today. I totally got this idea from Lean, Clean & Brie, but I thought I’d give it my own twist. Mine is more about healthy living in general whereas hers was the ABCs of healthy eating.

A – Attitude. A healthy lifestyle isn’t just physical—it’s mental. Having a positive attitude is essential to living life fully and showing yourself grace if you slip up.

B –  Bananas. They are tasty, portable, and the perfect high-energy snack. I eat them daily—and they’re quite filling when paired with nut butter.

C – Consistency. It’s easier to practice moderation most of the time than to focus on extremes. Be consistent!

D – Detox naturally. What do I mean? I mean trust your body. If you’ve eaten too many donuts over the weekend, you’ll probably feel sluggish. That’s not the time to turn to some silly juice detox or fast—just add more greens and nutritious foods into your meal plan. If your organs are working properly, they will do the “detoxing” all on their own.

E – Eggs. Like bananas, eggs are a big part of my diet. I eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—no discrimination. And, yes, I include the yolks! There’s so much nutrition and FLAVOR in there, so I can’t imagine why you’d just eat the whites.

F – Fun! Health does not = boring, restricted, and difficult. Make your workouts and snacks fun. Eat some “ants on a log” or take a Zumba class with girlfriends.

G – Gelato (and other desserts). In a truly healthy life, there’s room for indulgence.

H – Healthy fats. Don’t buy into the garbage that tells you fats make you fat. A diet rich in healthy fats (from nuts, avocados, fish, olive oil, etc.) is essential for balanced hormones and adequate energy.

I – Intuition. Trust your body to make the right choices or tell you when it’s had enough. Eat when you are hungry, not because it’s when you’re “supposed to.”

J – Joy. Being healthy means finding joy in every day. Of course I am sometimes sad, angry, or discouraged, but I practice gratitude daily and try to find joy in the simple things.

K – Kindness. I try to practice it as often as I can—because a negative spirit is personified in the body.

L – Letting go of rules, rigid schedules, and the pressure to conform. Telling yourself that yours is the only opinion that matters.

M – Meditation. I don’t do this enough—or at all, lately—but it’s something I want to start. Even if it’s just 5 minutes of quiet and solitude, I know I will benefit.

N – Nut butter. I shouldn’t have to explain. I live by the old adage “a spoonful a day keeps the doctor away.”  😉

O – Outside. My mental wellness 100% depends on fresh air and sunshine. I love getting my legs moving and enjoying a “brain break” for 20-30 minutes by taking a walk outside.

P – Practice. Sometimes we have to practice making healthy choices (scheduling our workouts so we don’t sleep in, meal-prepping to avoid takeout, etc.) before they become intuitive. That’s ok, because perfection is not the goal.

Q – Quit comparing myself! I should have typed that in all caps.

R – Rest, which is sometimes easier said than done.

S – Seasonal. I feel so good—mentally and physically—when I eat fresh, seasonal produce. It just tastes better and it’s good to know I’m making a more natural choice.

T – Time for myself. As a parent who works outside the home fulltime, I don’t get much alone time. Thus, I’ve learned to enjoy the little things: sipping my coffee on my morning commute, an hour in the gym, blogging, or simply taking a longer shower than I should.

U – Understanding my limits. Some people can function well with 5 high intensity workouts a week. I am not one of them.

V – Variety. I’ve learned that if I eat the same things day-in and day-out or plan the same workouts each week, I get bored. Variety is the spice of (a healthy) life, so change up your meals (but include lots of veggies—another “V”) and workouts so you keep things fresh.

W – Water, water, water. I shouldn’t have to explain how important it is to stay hydrated!

X – (e)Xercise. I struggled with this letter (xylophone?—makes no sense; ooh, I totally should’ve gone with “X-rays: avoid them!”) but exercise is definitely a big part of my healthy lifestyle. Some days I just take a walk, and other days I push myself hard at boot camp or BodyPump. All that matters is I get my body moving.

Y – Yoga. Maybe you’re not a yoga person, but I’m sure you need some quiet time to relax, regroup, and stretch your muscles. I miss yoga so much, and after taking a Pilates class recently (not the same, I know), I realized I need to incorporate it back into my life.

Z – Zero judgment. As long as a behavior isn’t harmful or dangerous, there’s no room for judgment in a healthy lifestyle—toward myself or others.

• So…what do YOU think the “Q” and “B” signify?
• What are some of your healthy living ABCs?