3 Lifestyle Changes for a Healthier, Happier You #IamBiotic

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My life has changed in drastic ways over the last year. I went through a divorce, I made the decision to sell my family home and move, my daughter went from having a life plan of joining the Navy to getting engaged and deciding on going to nursing school instead...to say that the last year has been a year of transition and change is the understatement of the year. If you've been through a divorce - regardless of which side of the decision you were on - then you know that it can be devastating. I went a little crazy. I didn't take care of myself in the ways that I should have...but the crazy train of emotions and transition has come to an end and now I am on the road to recovery.

During my transition from married life to divorcee life, I managed to lose 30 pounds through a combination of diet and exercise. The problem with this weight loss is that even though I did it in a healthy way over the course of a year...I am still not really healthy. I am not fit, I am not strong, and I am not healthy in a medical way. I still smoke. I probably drink too much, I still have bouts of depression because everything in my life changed so monumentally in such a short time span...I am still not where I should be.

So I decided to change that. My divorce left me like a little caterpillar in its cocoon, and now it's time to complete the transition and emerge as a beautiful, healthy butterfly. This is not an overnight process because I am trying to become healthy mentally, emotionally and physically. However, while it's not an overnight process, it's not exactly a difficult one either. There are so many ways we can make ourselves healthier that don't require a lot of work, trips to the gym and therapist - there are small ways we can better ourselves every day without even leaving the house!

3 Lifestyle Changes for a Healthier, Happier You

Kick Your Bad Habits

The first thing I am working on to become healthier is to quit smoking. I've smoked cigarettes off and on for over 20 years. I made an appointment with a doctor and got a prescription for a smoking cessation aid, and I have already cut down and will be quitting - FOR GOOD - in the very near future. Part of the problem with smoking is that you associate it with certain things, it really is a habit - so you need to break those habits too. Now instead of taking an afternoon cigarette break while I am working, I walk my dogs. This is a dual benefit because not only am I replacing that negative habit, I am replacing it with a healthy habit - spending time outdoors, bonding with my dogs and I am getting exercise too!

Take Time to Relax and Recharge

I have been a frantic mess for most of the last year. My sudden and unexpected divorce left me reeling, and I did not manage my business the way that I normally did. Once I began to turn the corner and come out of the fog, I was able to concentrate on work again, but I was so far behind, and so worried that I would never be able to rebuild to the level where I once was. That left me panicky and unable to focus on the day to day tasks. I realized that I needed to change something; I needed to learn to CALM DOWN. I have begun learning how to meditate. I visited a small spiritual shop near my home and spoke to a spiritual healer about what I had gone through and what I needed help with, and she guided me to which music would help me relax and focus, special aromatherapy candles that would help motivate me while I worked, candles and essential oils to calm me when I was stressed, and which natural crystals and stones worked well for meditation. She also told me to get outside more, that being cooped up in my house was not beneficial to me relaxing. Sunshine and fresh air are apparently a great way to regain your focus!

I even attended a special guided meditation event! It's all quite foreign to me, and sometimes my friends tease me that I am becoming a hippy, but it's really helping me to learn to be a healthier, happier person from the inside out. It's helped so much that I no longer need Xanax on a daily basis to avoid panic attacks. I call that a definite WIN.

Take Your Vitamins and Supplements

I managed to lose thirty pounds through a combination of diet and exercise, but I learned during this process that my body definitely needs help to be physically healthy. There were times when I felt so sluggish and slow, like something was off. My frequent travel would disrupt my routine, I wasn't always regular (if you know what I mean), and I knew it was time to start taking vitamins, supplements and probiotics. I take a range of daily vitamins and supplements, ranging from Biotin to help my hair to Florastor® Daily Probiotics to strengthen my digestive balance and support a healthy immune system.

Many people use probiotics on a daily basis; to the point that we are always finding out about new brands and formulas as they appear on the market. I really like Florastor® Daily Probiotics for a variety of reasons, and it's no wonder because Florastor is actually the best selling probiotic worldwide! They're backed by over 60 years of use and research, and Florastor is the only probiotic brand with Saccharomyces boulardii lyo CNCM I-745, which helps restore your natural flora. Taking Florastor Daily Probiotics daily can even help maintain your flora balance while you are taking antibiotics - which I currently am due to a middle ear infection. Angeline suffers from chronic kidney infections and I suffer from chronic ear infections, so a probiotic is absolutely essential for us, as it's naturally resistant to all antibiotics.

Florastor Daily Probiotics also helps break down carbs and fiber, and it helps your body naturally absorb water and nutrients. I also like that it doesn't require refrigeration, and it's appropriate for everyone in the family, ages two months and up! It's also vegetarian, gluten-free and doesn't contain any GMO ingredients.