Health Beyond the Plate

Movement, rest, and remembering to touch grass.

We talk about food a lot when we talk about health, but lately I’ve been learning that how we move our bodies - and how we rest them - matters just as much.

After dinner we try to go outside. Sometimes we take a walk. Not a big, power-walk kind of thing. Just a slow loop around the block, enough to breathe and shake off the day. Sometimes we all sit on the deck and read. Sometimes we putter around the yard - picking up sticks, bikes, toys, or just playing and talking.

And when we don’t? I can feel it. The people in the house are more withdrawn individually. The screens are louder.

The Power of Simple Movement: Movement doesn’t have to mean a gym or a class.

It can be stretching while dinner cooks. A dance party while you clean the kitchen. A slow walk with your kids while they tell you about their day. Our bodies were built to move, and sometimes we forget that the simplest motions - bending, walking, stretching, breathing - are the ones that heal the most.

And here’s something I’ve noticed: when I move my body, my mood improves. Every single time.

Touching Grass - Literally

Last year, I made a quiet promise to myself to sit outside almost every night. No matter the weather.

So I’d bundle up in a blanket, bring a cup of tea, and sit on my porch for ten minutes. Some nights it was still and beautiful. Other nights, I was fighting off mosquitoes or the Michigan winter weather. I’ve even been known to sit out there with an umbrella to keep off the rain - or the falling acorns… But I showed up.

There’s something about the air, the sunlight, the sounds that just resets you. I’ll often sit outside and listen to music - not scroll, not multitask - just listen and breathe. It’s amazing how quickly your nervous system can settle when you let yourself be fully present.

As moms, we convince ourselves we don’t have ten minutes to spare. Don’t believe that lie. You can, and you should. Step outside for you. Feel the wind. Watch the trees. Take a deep breath of fresh air. Stretch if it feels good - I keep my yoga mat by the back door so it’s easy to grab and roll out whenever I need that moment.

That practice changed how I approached rest. It’s not always about stopping; sometimes it’s about reconnecting. With your kids. With your partner. With yourself.

Challenge: This week, find ten minutes to be outside. Breathe deeply. Move gently. Let yourself exist without a to-do list. That’s health too.