Hello, my friend!
I hope your weekend is going well. I’m sitting at Starbucks enjoying an iced blonde Americano and prepping for next week’s Bible study before my family and I head to the beach!
This week’s Top 6 consists of tips for your overall health, which starts in your gut, becoming more flexible, experiencing the goodness of God, protecting your vision, optimizing your time, and becoming more productive. I hope you find it helpful!
Do a Gut Check
I listened to this podcast interview between Rich Roll and gut expert Dr. Tim Spector about, you guessed it, gut health! The two talk about recent breakthroughs in microbiome science, the importance of plant diversity in your diet (best to eat 30 different plants a week!), and how personalized nutrition is revolutionizing the future of healthcare.
You can also watch the interview here on YouTube.
Go with the Flow
On Thursday last week, some mom friends and I planned to take the kiddos to a local public pool. It had been closed for maintenance the previous week, so surely, we thought, it wouldn’t be closed for a second week in a row!
Well, we were wrong. It was closed due to dangerously high chlorine levels. But rather than getting frustrated and letting the bad news sour the day, we took the lemons life had handed us and turned them into lemonade at the beach!
Of course, we weren’t entirely prepared for a beach day, but we had snacks, sunscreen, swimsuits, and two shade-supplying umbrellas; it was all we needed for a delightful morning spent splashing and sharing this special season of life.
There was a time, not too long ago, when plan disruptors like the pool closure would’ve sent me into a tizzy. A tizzy, I tell you! I would have pouted, complained, lived out the five stages of grief over the next thirty minutes, then gone home to continue stewing. Thanks to God’s work in my life, I’ve come a long way in the “Letting Go” department and do my best in life’s lemony situations to ask the Lord to take the lead and show me what to do next. When I feel myself growing anxious or angry, I know it’s because I’m wasting mental and emotional energy trying to seize control.
Breathe.
Let Go.
Go with the flow.
Go to the beach.
Stop and Smell the Coffee
I wrote a Substack post this week all about the huge answered prayers and unexpected blessings God has given my family and me recently. I hope it encourages you to reflect on how God’s been working in your life!
Get Outside for Your Eyesight
I read this recently from Dr. Andrew Huberman and feel it’s so important to share, especially in today’s society where so many of us spend so much time indoors and on devices:
“Strong data indicate that kids and adults should get outside at least 2 hours per day. Why? It can offset myopia (near-sightedness) & the development of myopia. Both the sunlight and far-viewing that occurs outdoors are important for this effect. If you’re on your screen and/or inside too much, you’re degrading your vision. Get outside, folks, and kids especially.”
Live the Pareto Principle Lifestyle
The Pareto Principle states that for many outcomes, about 80% of the consequences come from 20% of causes. Put simply, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect.
In a recent newsletter, James Clear applied the principle to the following areas:
Relationships. Who are the few people that have the most positive impact on my life. Spend more time with them.
Priorities. What are the few actions that have the most positive impact on my day? Prioritize them.
Learning. What are the few information sources I learn the most from? Focus on them.
Stress. What are the few sources that cause most of the stress and friction in my life. Eliminate them.
Go to Bed Earlier
I love this quote from physician and YouTuber Ali Abdaal:
“An hour before 9 is worth two after 5.”
Meaning: Generally speaking, we are way more productive in the mornings than we are in the afternoons. Therefore, prioritize going to bed earlier so you can wake up earlier and take advantage of that window of efficiency, energy, and clarity!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s email! As always, feel free to reach out to me anytime for prayer or with any questions you may have. You can reach me at diana.tyler86@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram at @dianatylerauthor. I’d love to hear from you!
Thank you, as always, for your support of my writing!
Fiction:
NEW!: Medusa’s Wish
Moonbow: Prequel to The Petros Chronicles
Age of the Ashers
War of the Ashers
Fate of the Ashers
The Petros Chronicles Boxset
Armor for Orchids (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
Orchid Unshaken (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
Orchid Unbound (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
NEW!: Orchid Unfading (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
Non-Fiction:
Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness
Perfect Fit Couples Edition: Workouts and Reflections for a Rock-Solid Relationship
Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness
Perfect Fit No Excuses: 15-Minute Workouts for Life’s Busiest Days
Immeasurable Fitness Challenge: 18 Days of Total Health for Spirit, Soul, and Body
Immeasurable: Diving in the Depths of God’s Love (a memoir)
Pour Me Out: 30 Days to a More Selfless Life