Healthy Habits for the New Year
DH and I did several chores around the farm this morning together.
We needed to replenish Daisy’s little barn with fresh hay. I climbed into the loft of the old, red tobacco barn and tossed down the square bales. We then loaded them into the wagon and pulled them to the cow barn (milking parlor) with a 4-wheeler. By the way, a good 4 wheel drive 4-wheeler is an invaluable tool on the farm. We unloaded the square bales one at a time and stacked them neatly in the little milking parlor located right outside Daisy’s field. 16 bales will last about 23 days, then we will need to fill the little barn with hay once again.
I fed Daisy. She gets fed twice a day. First I delivered her favorite grain and then I arranged plenty of fresh hay into her manger. Spoiled cow.
I jabbed Daisy with her vitamin shot while DH attempted to hold her still.
A 4 prong manure fork made cleaning her shelter quick and easy work. Once I removed all the manure and compacted litter, I covered the ground in her home with clean, dry bedding. Spreading fresh sweet straw in her home is always my favorite chore.
DH chugged around the farm on the tractor and I ran next to him opening gates as we went. We fed the sheep, let out the chickens, collected 16 fresh eggs from the coop and made sure everyone had water.
Lo and Behold
As I stacked my 8th bale of hay (weighing just under 100 pounds) I told DH how glad I was to have the work to do.
Not only do I love the involuntary exercise and unintentional strength training, I love that the farm FORCES me outdoors. I could crawl indoors in November and stay there until spring. That would not be healthy. We need fresh air. We need oxygen. We need trees. We need to move and get dirty and have something other than ourselves to contend with.
As I journey into the next season of life, I want to be responsible with my health. Take care of my family. And do the best I can.
Healthy CAN start with a farm BUT it Doesn’t Have to
Getting older doesn’t have to mean misery or poor health. I believe that. I have dear farming friends who are in their 70’s and 80’s and still running their farms. They are active, fit and good grief, I swear my friend Sonia is in better shape than I am. And she’s in her upper 70’s. Why is she in such good health? Well, she has about 100 goats and 50 sheep in addition to her horses, chickens, dogs, and guineas. She is as stubborn as a mule and as independent as they come. I suppose she will be running around the farm and working for another 30 years. She doesn’t show any signs of stopping.
Sometimes I think it needs to be forced upon you. I mean, I have another friend who is about the same age as Sonia and she has given up everything but the walk from her bed to the recliner. She’s tired and weak and in poor health.
Is she tired and weak because she sits in a lazyboy all day or is she in the lazyboy because she’s tired and weak?
When you have a farm that isn’t an option. The hay must be moved. The animals fed. The vaccinations given. The animals cared for. Every day it is something.
Whether you must nurse a sick animal, care for an orphaned animal, collect eggs, repair equipment, mend fencing, clean coops, milk, muck, mow, feed, water, worm, weed, sheer, vaccinate, plow, plant, harvest, or trim (hooves, nails, rabbit fur); there is never a shortage of things to keep you active on a farm.
Perhaps these ‘somethings’ are keeping us in shape and active when we otherwise would never consider eating farm fresh, going to the gym, jazzercizing, going for a run, or even going outdoors.
Healthy Habits for the New Year
If you don’t have 70 animals and a farm forcing strength training on you when it’s raining and 35 degrees outside, don’t fret.
You can still adopt some healthy habits with lingering power.
WITH OR WITHOUT THE FARM
Do you live in an apartment? Townhome? Suburb?
You can still start Healthy Habits today.
Before I share my eight favorite healthy living tips, I want to preface with – Don’t try to do all 8. When we try to change EVERYTHING at once we can easily be overwhelmed and we end up doing nothing.
Pick one or two that you can fit into your life and daily routine and stick with them. As those two habits become “habit” add another.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, y’all.
Juice Bar!
TOP 8 HEALTHY HABITS FOR THE NEW YEAR
- Chose raw dairy products if available (butter, cheese, milk, etc)
- Buy organic produce and meat if you can afford it
- Make juicing a part of your life. Even if you only juice a few days a week, it is worth it. We need LIVING food. Food that is raw and uncooked. Fresh juice (made at home with a juicer) is the best way to get the recommended servings of fresh fruit and vegetables. It is filled with healing antibodies, enzymes and will give you TONS of energy.
- Learn how to make bread. Freshly milled wheat contains over 40 vitamins and minerals, protein and excellent fiber.
- Eat home-cooked meals. It doesn’t matter if you grill it, bake it or have your 12-year-old make it. Home cooking is always a great choice. We stick with a simple: Main & a Side system to keep meals uncomplicated. Farm-raised (pastured, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, hormone-free) beef, chicken or pork is prepared and served with a fresh veggie (usually from the farm). This sort of meal is easy to prepare, guilt-free eating and so good for you.
- Put good things ON your body. What we put ON our bodies is important too. These are being absorbed by our skin. Use natural deodorant and no antiperspirant (aluminum-free). Consider making lotions and face moisturizes. I’ve been doing this for years. If you prefer store-bought chose a natural product. Remember, you are eating your lotion through your skin.
- Get outdoors and move each day.
- Make sleep a priority.
SUPERFOODS EVERY DAY
Superfoods are packed with vitamins and nutrients. I consume at least one superfood every day.
Some of my favorite superfoods
- An egg from a pastured hen. Not the “free-range” garbage from the store where 50 chickens are given 4 square feet of outdoor space.
- Juice – Freshly pressed with a juicer. It is easy to consume over 11 veggies and fruits each day when you can drink a concentrated version of them. So many of the foods we eat are dead or processed. Fresh juice feeds your body living food. Be sure to use mostly vegetables and only a piece of fruit to provide sweetness.
- Bread – Eating a slice of my homemade bread gives me peace that my body has been fed. Even muffins, pancakes, rolls and flatbread provides dozens of vitamins and minerals if they are made with freshly milled flour.
- Broth – Drinking homemade bone broth or stock is an amazing nutritional bump. Bone broth is simmered for long periods so the collagen, marrow, and rich nutrients from deep inside the bones and connective tissues are incorporated into the broth.
JANUARY 1 2020
It is a great day to start living your best life.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
You got this! There is a membership section of this little website for those who want to take control of their food and lose the junk. It will walk you step by step into a new life of real food and smaller pants. [lol]
MAKE A CHANGE TODAY
Members get breadmaking videos (updated December 2019!), free ebooks, homesteading tutorials, how-tos, and farm-living instructional videos. There are hundreds of real-food recipes, menu plans and tons of Premium content.
Like, tons.
To learn more about the memberships go here.
Start somewhere, anywhere – just start.
You’ll be glad you did.
Happy New Year!
XO,
Candi
