Resources

This page has affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them. There is no extra cost, though maybe the occasional discount, for you. This helps me to continue to host this website and spend time writing quality content for Core 5. Thank you.

Eating: Meal delivery service: Hungryroot

Possibly the largest barrier to building healthier habits is lack of time. We are humans with lives after all! This meal delivery service, Hungryroot (affiliate link), is based in New York City and delivers to the 48 contiguous states. Their service helps you save time with meal planning and prep, grocery shopping, and recipe searching.

• Meals ready in 10 minutes or less.
• At the time I’m writing this (March 2023), they offer free shipping on orders over $70.
• Choose from a vast variety of foods and meals including dairy-free, gluten-free, and plant-based. Great for experimentation to see what works to get the outcomes we want for ourselves.

Hydration: Sturdy glass water bottles (with optional glass straws)

• Sturdy, high-quality bottles (affiliate link) made by Meshbottles.
• No plastic involved, just glass and silicon. Plastics can leach into water, making it taste funny and putting plastic into our bodies.
• Silicone wrap for gripping and protection.
• Investing in something simple like a water bottle can help us take the Core area of hydration more seriously.
• Optional glass straw, though I must admit I find their straws a bit wide to easily drink from.
• Feeling more energized, getting better sleep, eating less without sacrificing satisfaction to achieve weight loss, and good blood circulation to bring oxygen and nutrients to our cells are just a few benefits of hydration.
• A bottle is in the range of $20 to $30, discounts if you buy more than one, and signing up to their mailing list will get you free shipping!

Sleep: Wake up with light instead of sound

• Start the day more peacefully without flooding your body with stress hormones right away.
• Sound alarms that shock us awake can stress our bodies physically, which can increase blood pressure and lead to chronic stress, a pathway to all kinds of health issues including interference with our immune, digestive, and reproductive systems, increased risk of anxiety, depression, heart disease, and weight gain.
• Small steps to reduce a bit of stress here and there are hugely impactful for improving our health.
• Simulate waking up to the sun with using light instead of sound.
• There are lots of light alarm clocks out there, many selling for three figures, and I’m sure they’re great, but dropping hundreds of dollars on an alarm clock isn’t feasible for a lot of us. A company called hOmelabs sells one at a more reasonable price, around $24 (when on sale, as low as $13).
• Clicking on the “Get it” button below will take you to the hOmelabs website where you can check it out.

Stress: Reduce distractions when online: Freedom App

• Block certain websites, or groups of websites (like social media) for your choice of time. Very customizable.
• Options to pay monthly ($9 a month), yearly ($3.33 a month), or a one time payment to get it forever (I’ve seen it for $80 when on sale).
• Simple app, does what it advertises, easy to learn and use. Can schedule certain times of day to block certain websites so it’s automatic.
• Develop focus and attention which also benefits our efforts in other Core areas.
• Available for iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome, and Android.
• Studies show that focusing on one thing at a time increases productivity, happiness, and reduces stress.
• As a writer, it’s hard to emphasize how much reducing distractions positively affects my productivity. I use Freedom to keep me away from playing online chess and watching YouTube videos when I should be writing.
• Head to their website and get a free trial (affiliate link), no credit card required. At the time I’m writing this, the free trial includes 7 free blocking sessions.

Exercise: Perform Better

• Perform Better (affiliate link) is a company that sells exercise equipment, from jump ropes to free weights to treadmills to yoga mats. On their homepage, hover over “Shop” to see all of what they offer.
• Known for quality equipment and good customer service.
• Click on the link in the paragraph above to check out what’s on sale. Exercise equipment can be pricey, though occasionally really good deals can be found.
• Before buying anything, ask yourself: How will buying this help me specifically to achieve my desired outcome, and can I see myself using it for years to come?