Body, Mind, Spirit

As a woman, my health and wellness has always been important to me. As a mother of four littles who’s 40, living a healthy lifestyle is even more important to me now, as I need the proper energy and mindset to keep up with their busyness and ever-changing needs. Over the years, I’ve learned that health and wellness isn’t just about staying physically fit and eating right. Although those are two very important aspects of our overall health and wellness, it’s also about maintaining a healthy combination of body, mind, and spirit.

Body

Staying physically fit has always been a normal part of my life. Being active isn’t a hobby for me; it’s a lifestyle. Starting my day with physical activity helps to give me the energy I need to tackle the day ahead. It also helps to produce natural endorphins, which can help to relieve pain, reduce stress, and help to bring about feelings of euphoria and general well-being; among other benefits. A few of my favorite activities that can be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors are running, spinning, going on walks or bike rides with the family, HIT workouts (high-intensity interval), and yoga! Living out of town, we don’t have easy access to a gym, so I prefer workouts that can be done anywhere at any time and with little to no equipment.



Eating healthy snacks like my homemade Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls also helps to sustain my energy throughout the day! (Recipe is below.) Don’t get me wrong! Although I consume generally healthy foods most of the time, I do enjoy my favorite cravings from time-to-time…in moderation, of course!

Ingredients:

3 cups Quick Oats

1 cup Peanut Butter

3/4 cup Honey

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)

1 cup Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips (optional)

1/4 cup Trilogy Health Seed Mix - Flax, Chia, Hemp (optional)

Instructions:

Combine ingredients together and mix well. Chill in fridge until stiff (about 30 minutes). Scoop with an ice scream scoop and form into balls. Store in air tight container in fridge up to 2 weeks! Enjoy as desired! (Makes 24-30 balls.)



Mind

As a working mom to four littles, I know how tough parenting can be and the impacts it can have on our overall mental health, especially with the added stresses and anxieties caused by a pandemic. Maintaining good mental health while parenting is just as important for our children as it is for us, as it’s been shown that the origins of many mental health problems lie in childhood. Family factors, including the quality of care that parents provide for their children, can make a huge difference to children’s early life pathways, for better or for worse. There are many ways to maintain good mental health, even during the uncertain times that we’re facing. One of my favorite ways to cope with the ever-changing stresses of life is to surround myself with the simplicity of nature and enjoy outdoor activities with the family.

Spirit

Equally as important as our body and mind are to our overall health and wellness is our spirit. To maintain good spiritual health, I find time throughout my day for prayer. Just as reading is to the mind and exercise is to the body, prayer is to the spirit. Not only do I start and end my day with prayer, but I find time periodically throughout my day to recenter my spiritual energy and focus. Incorporating prayer into our daily life can help us to live a more grateful and fulfilling life, which, in turn, is good for our overall well-being.



Body-mind-spirit means that our wellness comes not just from physical health, but from mental health and spiritual health, as well. To be “healthy,” we must give adequate and equal attention to all three aspects of our health and wellness, as they ALL work together and are equally as important to maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle.

Ashley Rae Klinger
Mrs. International 2020

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