{"id":5187,"date":"2019-06-06T05:12:45","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T09:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=5187"},"modified":"2021-06-01T08:46:53","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T12:46:53","slug":"wake-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2019\/06\/06\/wake-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Wake Up!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Don\u2019t you just love how early the sun rises in the summer? It sets my mood to \u201chappy\u201d right away. Sunrise is the most peaceful time of day. Confession: I love getting up early in the morning, rain or shine. Oh my, more proof I\u2019m tuning into my mother! Growing up, I could never understand why she liked to get up so early in the morning. It still took me a number of years \u2014 post-children \u2014 before I realized I actually loved being up early, before the kids and everyone else. Not just because of necessity, but because I wanted<\/em> to.\"\"<\/p>\n

My workout partner doesn\u2019t need an alarm, and pops out of bed ready to listen to the news and talk politics, etc. That\u2019s not me! I don\u2019t naturally spring up from my warm and cozy bed. Sometimes I have a little negotiation with myself to get my legs over the side and sit up. If I do that much, then I will keep going. I \u201cwin” when I get up because I know all the compounding positive reasons I now love about getting up early.<\/p>\n

Five Reasons To Get Up Early:<\/h2>\n

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  1. It\u2019s All About Me:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>When the kids were little, early morning was the only time I had to myself. At that point, I just enjoyed reading the paper with my coffee. (You parents of young children can understand this!) Now, I get up early with more purpose. I meet my friend to work out (and solve the world\u2019s problems!). Doing this for myself sets my day in the right direction. If I didn\u2019t get up early, I wouldn\u2019t have time to meet up with her for exercise and bonding. Even on days she can\u2019t meet, I like to get in at least a 25-minute yoga tape. Some folks will use this time to meditate or get chores done, uninterrupted.<\/li>\n
  2. Better Sleep:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>It\u2019s weird to think that if I get up earlier I get better sleep. But it\u2019s true, and the reason is because I push myself to go to bed earlier than I used to. No more channel-surfing or reading into the wee hours. Going to sleep at a reasonable time is the first step to setting up my daily schedule.<\/li>\n
  3. Routine Is Key:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>I find that the natural routine of going to sleep early and waking early makes me feel more in control. I like feeling organized and when my routine is in place, I tend to be more efficient throughout the rest of the day. We all know life is going to throw us some curveballs, so if I can control some aspects of my day, I feel more secure and positive.\"\"<\/li>\n
  4. I Get More Done:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Again, it seems counterintuitive to think if I go to sleep earlier I will get more done. But getting up early in the morning is like \u201cfound\u201d time. I get a chance to work out and connect with my friend. By the time I get home, my energy level is super high, so I might water the plants or run some laundry and prep for dinner, all before anyone else has gotten up. The more productive I am early, the more motivated I am to accomplish my goals. By the time I get to work, I’ve already solved problems and checked off to-do chores. At work I can focus on the tasks at hand instead of allowing my home to-do list crowd my mind. Bonus: When I get in bed at night, I feel happier and more satisfied that I have led a positive and productive day.<\/li>\n
  5. I Eat Better:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>I\u2019m an \u201cemotional eater.\u201d When I\u2019m tired, I tend to be grouchy, less productive and negative. When I get like this, I crave foods that will give me quick energy \u2026 yup \u2014 carbs! I go for the sugary, high in saturated fats type of carbs like pastry and chips. They taste great in the moment, but then I become angry with myself that I have sabotaged my healthy weight goals. Ultimately, I crash and become grouchier. Not the cycle I want to perpetuate. Getting up early, and all the compounding positive effects set me up to make good food selections all day. Bonus: I have time in the morning to make sure I have all the healthy food choices I need, ready for the day.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u201cSleep is our friend\u201d is a favorite saying in our family. Getting good-quality sleep \u2014 and enough<\/em> sleep \u2014 is key to being able to function well. Waking early has become the cornerstone of my daily personal success. Plus, when I get enough good sleep, I\u2019m a much nicer person. (Just ask my kids!)<\/p>\n

    Wake up early! Choose to make healthy (and delicious) recipes like these:<\/h3>\n

    Find more breakfast-inspired recipes in your DinnerTime Recipe Box<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    \n
    Spicy Sriracha Baked Avocado Eggs<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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    Muesli<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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    Peachy-Keen Smoothie<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    \n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Start your day with this tasty dish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Perfect for breakfast or a late afternoon snack!<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

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    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    \u00a0Yummy, easy and nutritious with 17 grams of protein.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Don\u2019t you just love how early the sun rises in the summer? It sets my mood to \u201chappy\u201d right away. Sunrise is the most peaceful time of day. Confession: I love getting up early in the morning, rain or shine…. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5187"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9065,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5187\/revisions\/9065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}