How to Establish a Healthy Morning Routine

Whether or not you have a natural inclination to rise with the sun, establishing a healthy morning routine isn’t easy. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort.

From Steve Jobs to Margaret Thatcher — whose respective morning routines included mirror pep talks and rising with the roosters to listen to a radio program about farming — some of the most successful people in history have been vocal about their early morning rituals. Read on for seven methods to create your own great morning, setting yourself up for a full day of healthy decisions.

1. SET YOUR ALARM AN HOUR EARLIER

The first step to starting a healthy morning routine is by actually, you know, getting up. As much as you might hate to hear it, setting the tone for a healthy and productive day starts with not hitting the snooze. And research shows making the effort to get up earlier really does help the early bird get the worm — studies have found that early risers are more productive, happier and have lower BMIs.

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2. HAVE A DRINK

When you wake up, have a glass of water waiting for you on your bedside table. Drinking 16 ounces first thing in the morning not only rehydrates you but also helps kick constipation, temporarily suppresses your appetite and kick-starts your metabolism.

3. START WITH AN EASY WIN

Research shows that our willpower peaks in the early waking hours. With that in mind, start your day with something you can easily accomplish — especially if you’re not a morning person. If you love getting a good sweat in yoga, switch to the a.m. class instead of going after work. Putting something you enjoy at the top of your to-do list will make it much easier to capitalize on your morning burst of willpower.

4. HIT THE GYM FIRST

Yes, waking up in time to make that 6 a.m. spin class can seem like cruel and unusual punishment — but making exercise part of your morning routine really is better for your health than hitting the gym after work. Not only will you feel super accomplished by the time you arrive at the office, studies also show that a.m. exercise routines help you get a better night’s sleep and burn more calories during your sweat session.

5. GET OUTSIDE

To make the early rise a little easier, get outside — or at least open the curtains if you can’t step out into the fresh air. Exposure to daylight resets your body’s circadian rhythm. In other words, it helps you start your day feeling alert and energized, rather than groggy and cranky.

6. EAT BREAKFAST

Not only does eating in the a.m. jump-start your metabolism for the day, studies show that those who eat a healthy morning meal make better food choices all day long. One 2011 study found that breakfast skippers were particularly likely to consume more calories from fat throughout the day.

7. MEDITATE

To round out your morning routine, spend 15 minutes meditating. Not only is meditation a proven way to reduce stress, increase your multitasking skills and stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, it will also make sitting in traffic on your morning commute way easier to handle.

Written by Macaela Mackenzie, a writer based in New York City with a passion for all things active. To see Macaela’s latest work, visit macaelamackenzie.com.

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Convenient Cooking Hack: Rice Cooker Oatmeal

Oatmeal isn’t the hardest thing in the world to make, but, some mornings, those few extra minutes of stirring and attention that it requires are the difference between having a warm breakfast or not. So we’re letting you in on a little secret: Your rice cooker can double as an exceptional tool for making oatmeal and porridge. That means a power-packed breakfast is within reach, no matter how busy your day.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

A rice cooker is handy because it automates everything for you — simply combine the water or milk, grains and any additions into the nonstick bowl, place it in the rice cooker and push the button. The rice cooker will rapidly warm the liquid to a boil, then a sensor inside is triggered that immediately shuts off the heat and allows the contents of the cooker to continue steaming and resting. Fancier models even have a sensor that will let you know when all of the liquid has been absorbed for a specific kind of grain, and will adjust the cooking times for you. Voilà! A satisfying meal!

WHY USE A RICE COOKER INSTEAD OF A SLOW COOKER?

While a rice cooker doesn’t necessarily speed up the process of cooking oats or porridge, it does offer a foolproof way for you to cook your grains — just push the button and walk away. The rice cooker will cook your oats or porridge and keep them warm for you until you return to open the lid and enjoy. With a rice cooker, you can cook smaller quantities of grains (whereas most slow cookers have very large capacities and don’t intuit moisture as sensitively, sometimes resulting in burned grains at the bottom of your cooker.)

But you’re not limited to oats. A rice cooker can make multi-grain meals a snap. Whole grains such as quinoa, farro, barley, amaranth and millet all require different ratios of water to grain. But cooking them with ample amounts of water in a rice cooker guarantees that steam is an agent in the cooking process. If the rice cooker has a porridge or whole-grain function, it will let you know when all of the water has been absorbed, and you’ll never find yourself with some grains swimming in water, while others are still solidly al dente.

HOW DO I MAKE OATMEAL OR MULTI-GAIN PORRIDGE IN MY RICE COOKER?

Every rice cooker will be a little bit different, so making oatmeal or porridge in your machine may take a little trial and error. The following formula is a great place to start:

For oatmeal: Combine 1 cup of whole oats or old-fashioned oats with 3/4 cups of water or milk, or 1 cup of steel-cut oats with 2 1/2 cups of water or milk. Add a pinch of salt. Close the lid, and hit the start button. Walk away. When the cooker beeps, the oatmeal is done!

For multi-grain porridge: Combine 1 cup of grains (a combination of oats, quinoa, amaranth, millet, barley, etc.) with 2 1/2 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt, give the mixture a stir, close the lid and hit the start button. Walk away, and, when the cooker beeps, the porridge is done!

Optional: Adorn your bowl of oats or porridge with crunchy nuts, fruits and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, and you’ve got a great, comforting start to a busy day.

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We Tried It for You: SweatBox

It was only a matter of time before wearables entered the group fitness world. While you won’t find tons of classes using fitness trackers yet, one studio is daring to give it a shot. Enter SweatBox, a new boutique fitness studio in Washington, D.C. I tried it to see how tracking my heart rate and power affected my workout.

WHAT IS SWEATBOX?

SweatBox is basically a 50-minute workout that uses heart-rate training and high-intensity intervals to whip its students in shape. You’ll switch quickly between 6–8-minute strength circuits working every muscle group and 3–6-minute high-intensity cardio circuits and active recovery sessions on spin bikes. The class sizes are small — mine had 5 students — so that the SweatBoss (their term for “instructor”) can offer personal attention to each person.

Before co-creating the programs at SweatBox, Isiah Munoz, who’s also SweatBox  studio manager and trainer, tried different interval-based classes in New York and the D.C. area to suss out the market. “Many places advertise that they offer interval training when in fact they have their clients at a steady 80%-plus of their max heart rate for the entire class,” he explains. “This is not an interval; this is aerobic or excessive anaerobic training. Intervals require bursts of super-intense work followed by recovery.

The American College of Sport Medicine defines high-intensity interval training as “repeated bouts of high-intensity effort,” often at 80–95% of your maximum heart rate, “followed by varied recovery times.” Your heart rate is supposed to dip down in these recovery times. Like many people, I didn’t even realize I was doing interval workouts wrong by failing to vary my exertion level.

READ MORE > HEART RATE MONITORING BASICS

The bikes are the Matrix IC7 Coach by Color, which calculate your functional threshold wattage based on your age, weight and frequency of working out. Your FTW is fitness-speak for the max amount of power you produce over time (typically an hour) when pedalling on your bike. The bike has color-coded effort levels that help instructors see your intensity.

For the workout circuit, each student has their own area stocked with dumbbells (the lightest was 12.5 pounds, instead of the lighter 2 pounds at other bar and spin classes I’ve taken), XT trainers and a mat. Your FTW and heartbeat are displayed for all to see on the big screens on the walls  — which, along with the bike’s color-coded effort levels — help instructors get a sense of how hard people are working at a glance.

HOW DID MY CLASS GO?

We started on the bikes, which are programmed to determine our individualized exertion levels by displaying colored lights that also flash on the leaderboards next to our names. This totally brought out my competitive side — and it made me push even harder to match or beat my sister, whom I pressured into coming.

With only five students, our instructor gave me tons of one-on-one attention, telling me to speed up when I was not keeping pace. (“Get in the green!” she shouted, pushing me to dial up the intensity.) At one point, she even surprised me by telling me to slow down, as I was exerting too much during my recovery.

After a few grueling minutes on the bike, it was time to switch things up. We moved to the floor, doing a series of exercises with our body weight. I started seriously regretting my lunch when I held that first plank. Then came lunges with resistance bands, then we planked again, with both feet hooked into the resistance band this time. At that point, I was shaking like a sweaty pendulum as I hovered above the floor and struggled to find my balance.

As soon as I started to get exhausted — or accustomed to — the workout circuit, we moved to the next surprise circuit. At the time, it didn’t feel like the happy kind of surprise. At one point, we were doing squat jumps on and off the raised platform, and my legs felt ready to give out. Of course I was in the red zone — maxed out. But we were not done yet, because then we did partner workout where I did a variation of burpees while my sister held planks until I was done. At that point, I was toast. But being accountable to my sister prompted me to hustle out of some sort of older sibling obligation — a tactic that turned out to work for me.

THE SWEATBOX FACTOR

“By monitoring every minute and second of our program in real-time, we can ensure that our clients have peaks and valleys during the entire workout,” says Munoz. The key to SweatBox is individualization: “I don’t want to put 23 people in a room and have them do what I’m doing, at my tempo, at my pace,” says Munoz. Instead, he wants to give people the tools to “quantify their own output and then make active decisions about when they need to work harder and when they want to recover.”

Munoz encouraged us to switch things up by integrating different interval sequences each time, and he stresses the importance of combining strength and cardio training in the same session: “If you just do cardio or just take a cycle class, you’re not going to burn as many fat calories all day, and during that class, as when you combine strength training and cardio,” he says.

His workout advice is grounded in science. According to a 2011 study in the Journal of Obesity, when you do aerobic workouts at a constant exertion level, the effect on body fat is “negligible.” But embracing a “high-intensity intermittent exercise routine” — which can feature high energy bursts on a spin bike, followed by lower-energy exercises like planks and short periods of rest — “may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercise.”

For the competitive among us, hitting your target numbers can be a reward in itself. After class, I checked in with Munoz to see if the quantified effort level I saw on the screen at the end of class — 84% of my max — is what I should have been aiming for.

“That’s high. That’s good,” he says, making my inner nerd swell with pride as if I just aced a major exam.

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7 High-Protein Meatless One-Pan Meals

High-protein and meat-free? Nope, those aren’t oxymorons. Vegetarian dishes can be hearty, wholesome and just as high in protein as those that contain meat. These balanced meals with nutrient-dense foods like whole grains, legumes and veggies will keep you full and satisfied. These recipes are jam packed with 15–30 grams of protein per serving and can be made in just one pan. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or simply trying new meat-free meals, these seven veg-friendly dishes are perfect for you.

1. SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP | MYFITNESSPAL’S RECIPES

Got some cans of black beans in the back of your pantry? Make this spicy vegan black bean soup from Dietitian Debbie Dishes. Serve with fried plantains, sour cream and/or chimichurri for a satisfying meal. Recipe makes 3 servings at 1 cup each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 527; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 46mg; Carbohydrate: 83g; Dietary Fiber: 28g; Sugar: 9g; Protein: 28g

2. LENTIL SWEET POTATO & SPINACH STEW | MYFITNESSPAL’S RECIPES

Savor meatless Monday with this lentil, sweet potato and spinach stew from Elle. Lentils are a great source of protein and iron for vegetarians and vegans, and they add so much body to this stew. The orange veggies add the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the spices. This stew can be made ahead of time and frozen. Recipe makes 4 servings at 1 1/2 cups each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 310; Total Fat: 0g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 602mg; Carbohydrate: 58g; Dietary Fiber: 13g; Sugar: 14g; Protein 20g

3. BLACK BEAN SPINACH QUESADILLA | MYFITNESSPAL’S RECIPES

Family-friendly black bean and spinach quesadillas make for a delicious and quick meatless Monday meal. This recipe, courtesy of “The Calories In, Calories Out Cookbook”, calls for black beans, baby spinach and mushrooms, but feel free to swap in your family’s favorite veggies. Recipe makes 4 servings at 1 quesadilla each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 370; Total Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 846mg; Carbohydrate: 44g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 20g

4. STUFFED BELL PEPPER EGGS | STEPS 2 NUTRITION

A handful of simple ingredients like eggs, salsa, spinach and onion are served nestled in a bell pepper shell then baked to perfection. This meal is low in carbs, too. Recipe makes 1 serving at 1 stuffed bell pepper. Nutrition info is for 2 whole eggs (yolk + white) and 2 egg whites, but you can modify it any way you want.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 226; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 370mg; Sodium: 509mg; Carbohydrate: 10g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 22g

5. BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA | MYFITNESSPAL’S RECIPES

Butternut squash is a powerhouse of vitamins A and C. Purée it and add to lasagna for a nutritious boost. Tip: Using no-boil noodles is a big time-saver, and they work best when lasagna is saucy so they can absorb the moisture. They appear puny in the pan when assembling, but they will plump up while cooking. To freeze individual servings, wrap in parchment or foil, then place in plastic storage bags for up to three months. Recipe makes 8 servings at 1 slice each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 309; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 38mg; Sodium: 513mg; Carbohydrate: 33g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 20g

6. CHEESY VEGGIE ENCHILADAS | MYFITNESSPAL’S RECIPES

These cheesy enchiladas from The Honour System have us drooling. Whole-wheat tortillas are stuffed with a savory mixture of ricotta, spinach, garlic and brown rice. To kick up the flavor, they’re topped with a spiced up cheddar cheese and salsa mixture before baking. In one word, yum. Recipe makes 6 servings at 1 enchilada each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 420; Total Fat: 22g; Saturated Fat: 12g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 52mg; Sodium: 797mg; Total Carbohydrate: 20g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 3g; Protein: 20g

7. POWER GREENS BREAKFAST SKILLET | MYFITNESSPAL’S RECIPES

Start your day off right with this veggie breakfast skillet. It’s loaded with dark leafy greens and sweet caramelized onions. Elle Penner, RD, notes it’s perfect for weekends or weekdays — just caramelize those onions ahead of time for a mouth-watering breakfast in under 10 minutes! Recipe makes 2 servings.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 285 ; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 271mg; Sodium: 357mg; Carbohydrate: 21g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 17g

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Stressing Your Resolution? Here’s Why You’re on the Right Track

Let’s be upfront: Hardly anyone follows through on their New Year’s resolutions. (So says the data.)

While nearly half the population sets one, less than 10% feel like they’ve followed through, according to recent research. To make matters worse, that same study lists weight loss and healthier eating as the Number 1 resolution people set.

That explains why, if you’re one of those people, you might be worried you’ve fallen off the wagon — it’s nearly March, which means we’re closing in quickly on 2017 being one-quarter over. Yikes.

But here’s some good news: Even though you might not yet be seeing dramatic results in your weight, it’s possible that your New Year’s resolution has moved you in the right direction. Your goal may not have been a perfect fit for you and your lifestyle or it simply wasn’t specific enough to keep you motivated long term, you might still on the right track toward improved health and wellness — you just don’t recognize some of the subtler signs.

Here are a few small ways to know you’re still on the right track when it comes to achieving better health.

1. YOUR ENERGY LEVELS ARE UP

If you’ve noticed a little extra pep in your step, it could mean that you’ve been eating more nutrient-rich foods or you’re drinking more water consistently since the start of the new year. Either way, keeping yourself well-fueled and hydrated can help you feel less fatigued. This subtle sign may be most noticeable between meals or during a midafternoon slump. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates or protein are often considered to be more sustaining, releasing energy slower as they take longer for the body to digest. As you plan your meals, incorporating these foods — along with other nutrient-rich options — can help you stay more alert and focused.

2. MEALS HAVE BECOME MORE SATISFYING

Whether your goal was to lose weight, to become fitter or even to eat more vegetables, meal satisfaction can play a large role in successfully achieving any of those outcomes. If your New Year’s resolution inspired you to incorporate more nutrient-rich foods into your day, then hopefully your meals have become more satisfying, too.

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READ MORE

> Your Quick and Easy Guide to Losing Weight in 2017
> 2017 Testing Your Sanity? Here Are 5 Ways to Cope

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3. IT’S EASIER TO MOVE

Taking care of your body means it should function the way it’s supposed to most of the time. If you’re finding that you’re less likely to get winded while climbing a flight of stairs or have an easier time keeping up with your kids, those also can be subtle signs that you’re moving in the right direction with your health goals. Of course, the more you keep active, the more likely you’ll be able to move your body with ease. What you eat can also support an active body, playing an important role in making sure you have the muscle and bone support needed to move through activities of everyday life.

4. YOUR TUMMY IS HAPPY

Your bathroom habits can tell you a lot about your overall health and well-being. If things are running smoothly down there, that may be a subtle sign you’re eating well. If your meal plan is incorporating plenty of fiber, you’re eating meals regularly and consistently, and you’re drinking enough water, your digestive health should reflect that. Eating foods rich in probiotics, like yogurt and kefir, have also been shown to support positive digestive health. Did you set a goal to be more physically active? Even activities like stretching and walking can help support good digestive health.

5. YOU’RE FEELING LESS HANGRY

Go too long without eating and your body will let you know that it’s not pleased. Blood-sugar levels drop, causing you to feel, well, hangry. If your resolution encouraged you to go no longer than four to five hours in between meals, you may have noticed that your mood has improved. That’s because your blood sugar is better maintained and you’re avoiding extreme highs and lows. Eating balanced meals throughout the day can help regulate mood, but exercise can also help by promoting the release of mood-boosting endorphins.

Resolutions are fun to set — they make you feel empowered, like you can start anew. But we all know they’re hard to stick to. By focusing on those subtle signs of success, you can stress less knowing you are continuing to make great strides toward feeling your best even when those big goals seem a bit out of reach.

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2017 Testing Your Sanity? Here Are 5 Ways to Cope

Understatement of 2017: There’s a lot happening in the world right now.

Have you already fallen off your New Year’s resolution plans? Found yourself going through something stressful in your relationship? Tough time at work? Or are you just generally stressed out because, well, there are things to be stressed about right now?

Regardless of what’s got you feeling like 2017 is one big test (I’ve been using #2017IsTestingUs lately), the reality is there’s always going to be something to push us a bit out of our comfort zone, and we all need to take care of ourselves if we want to make it through.

Last weekend, I met up with a friend for a lovely brunch and play at a local theater. I was in an Uber and running late when one of my best friends called and kept pushing me to talk about something that I just didn’t have the energy to go into. I blew up in a pretty irrational moment — not quite as intense as Kristen Wiig’s freakout at the bridal shower in “Bridesmaids,” but still bad. Like the kind where you hang up and ask yourself “What did I just do, and why did I do that?!” The kind where you have to call back, swallow your pride and say “I’m sorry, I love you, thank you for being my friend.” When I hung up the second time, I realized I was pretty wound up and not really acting like myself, but I had let myself get there. I had a lot on my mind and needed to chill the bleep out.

For context, I’m usually a calm person and pretty good about carving out some “Kirby time” throughout the week, whether it’s squeezing in a few yoga poses beside my bed in the morning or makinge breakfast and eating it intentionally. But I had a lot on my mind and I was clearly pretty stressed and wound up.

After the play — which, considering my mood, was appropriately called “I Wanna F—ing Tear You Apart” (I think it was a sign) — I decided I needed an evening workout to just sweat it out. So that night, I did all the things that bring me to my personal “happy place”: I did the elliptical and immersed myself in my high-intensity playlist. I ordered my fave Thai dish (pad woon sen), with some extra veggies on the side and I foam rolled and rolled and rolled, while listening to some more calm tunes and then took a looooong bath with epsom salts and lavender essential oil. And finally, I drank a lil mint tea with lemon and ginger before bed. (I should literally relax from within, too, right?) Honestly, with each activity, I felt myself calming down. It was exactly what I needed.

So maybe you didn’t bite your friend’s head off like I did, but maybe you’ve neglected your New Year’s resolution and are pretty bummed about it. If so, you aren’t alone. Only 8% of people actually succeed at a New Year’s ressie. On top of that, over 50% of Americans resolve to either lose weight/eat healthier/make self improvements or work out more often — so that means while you might feel alone when you fail, there are actually droves of people like you who want to step up their health and fitness game each year and are failing, which can be very frustrating. Or maybe you are just overwhelmed right now. No matter what’s stressing you out, here are some quick tips if you find yourself needing a lil “me time”:

GET OUTSIDE

Personally, I’m a huge fan of intense hikes, but even a simple walk in the great outdoors can do the trick to fight stress and improve your mental well-being. A study found that something as simple as walking outside can help improve the mood of someone who has recently experienced a traumatic event, like a serious illness, death of a loved one or divorce. So if you need a pick-me-up, lace up your sneakers and get outside.

MASSAGE

While going to get a massage is a nice treat (and I love a good massage), sometimes it’s just not practical. My self-massage routine involves a foam roller that I keep in front of the TV, so I use it all the time while catching up “Homeland” or “Being Mary Jane.” If you haven’t foam rolled before, check this out!

YOGA

Yoga always melts me into a nice mellow being. Last month, I tried something new and took a yoga class with Liz Arch, who taught us her practice of Primal Yoga.It’s described as “dynamic yoga and martial arts fusion style that merges Vinyasa yoga with the artistry of Kung Fu and the grace of Tai Chi into an athletic, heat-building flow, while focusing on alignment, balance, strength, power, and flexibility.”

And it’s every bit as unique as it sounds! In the class, Liz guided us through familiar yoga poses with a twist: at one point midpractice, she had us ball up one fist and use it to beat against our bodies. It sounds bizarre, but it felt great.

BE NICE

This is probably the easiest one on the list. Growing up, my mom always reminded me “it doesn’t cost anything to be nice to people.” So why don’t we do it more often?! You already know this, but it’s good to be reminded. When you do something nice for someone, whether it’s a compliment or volunteering your time, it can instantly make you feel better, so give it a try. If you like a random stranger’s leopard print booties, compliment them. Smile more. Let that car merge ahead of you. Their happiness and appreciation can help to pick you both up that day, even if just for a moment. Plus, kindness is actually good for your heart too!

DO YOU

Do what you love doing, whether that’s reading a good book, meditation, yoga, catching up with a friend that you haven’t connected with in awhile or some time journaling. Only you know what takes you to your personal happy space.

So carve out some you time.

If you are feeling great, more power to you! That’s awesome and I’m happy for you (insert praise hands emoji)! If not, I hope these tips help!

I’m curious. What do you do to stay sane in times of high stress? Feel free to post in the comments below.

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10 Great #TransformationTuesday Successes on Instagram

Ask anyone who has lost weight: There’s nothing more empowering than seeing how far you’ve come compared with where you started. That’s what makes the Progress Photo so inspiring for so many people — especially on Instagram. We’ve seen hundreds of folks hashtag #myfitnesspal on Tuesdays, so we’ve compiled a few of our favorites that make #transformationtuesday a cause for celebration any day of the week. (If you’re new to MyFitnessPal, check out our rundown of how to celebrate your success through the Progress Photo feature.)

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Check out MyFitnessPal on Instagram for motivation on living a healthier life each day, every day.

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DIET CHANGE + HABIT CHANGE = RESULTS

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