Welcome to Waking Up Well, a column where we hand-select people we admire and ask them to share how they start the day. We think morning routines are a crucial part of an intentional wellness journey and we’re fascinated by the practices of our favorite figures.

Clinical nutritionist, celebrity health coach, and best-selling author of “Body Love” and “Body Love Every Day,” Kelly LeVeque is passionate about the science of human nutrition. This guides her practical and uplifting approach to wellness. We’ve admired her spirit for years, and keep up with her by listening to The Be Well by Kelly LeVeque podcast and following her latest recipes on Instagram and on her blog. Kelly’s clients rely on her to improve their health, achieve their goals, and develop the sustainable habits that make a healthy and balanced life. So, we jumped at the chance to hear what habits she incorporates in her own AM routine.

Since Kelly wakes up in Southern California with her husband, Chris, and their 3 beach-loving boys, a grounding and nourishing morning routine is essential for starting things off on the right foot (before the chaos begins!). Here’s how she stays focused with three little ones under five — from waking up naturally to her supplement staples.

5:30 a.m. | Natural wake-up & SPF ☀️

I’m naturally an early riser and I like to start my day before my little ones are up. So, I’m up first thing even without an alarm. I spend the first 10-15 minutes of my day freshening up and doing my skincare routine: A simple cleanse using One Skin Gel Cleanser (with AHA), Peptide One Skin Daily Cream & Eye Cream, and SPF is a must.

5:45 a.m. | Six phase meditation method 🧘🏻‍♀️

While the boys are still sleeping, I’ll use the quiet time to practice my morning meditation. I’ve been using the Six Phase meditation method for the past few years and it has completely shifted my mindset.

6:05 a.m. | Wake-up time for the little ones 🛌

My kids all wake up naturally, too — this is important for me. Bash (5) wakes up and gets out of bed between 5:45–6:15 a.m. Taschen (3) is up around 6:30–7 a.m. My youngest Julian (under 1) is up between 6–6:15 am.

6:15 a.m. | Tag teaming breakfast ☕️

Once Julian is up, I’ll take him downstairs with me to get him fed. I’ll fill up my 40 oz Yeti Tumbler with a packet of my favorite LMNT, take my supplements — We Natal prenatals and Seed DS01 — and turn the coffee maker on. 

Then, I throw some protein in the oven for breakfast — usually Force of Nature breakfast sausage or Fork in the Road chicken sausage — and start on eggs and smoothies while Chris pulls out school lunch supplies.

When all the boys are up, we sit down to have breakfast together. I always eat meat and eggs for breakfast if it is an office day.

6:50 a.m. | The boys pack lunch 🥗

The boys get some time to play together, and then they help us pack their school lunch. That’s typically leftovers from the night before, which consists of sliced steak, chicken, meatballs, or burger patties, paired with leftover roasted veggies and their favorite avocado oil-based dipping sauces from Primal Kitchen for some healthy fats. We use a kitchen tower to bring them up to counter height and display the protein, fat, fiber, and greens (Fab 4, iykyk!) for them to add to their own lunch boxes.

7:10 a.m. | Prep for a workout 👋

I’ll head upstairs to get myself ready. I’ll typically change into a workout set from Vuori, comb through my hair, brush my teeth, and head out the door.

Depending on the day, I either leave for a hot yoga class while Chris drops the boys off at school, or I drop the kids off and then do an hour of work at a local coffee shop from 8–9 a.m. and take a hot yoga class at 9 a.m. I am currently working on launching three new products this summer for Be Well by Kelly, including an essential amino acid blend, magnesium, and creatine, that I am so excited to share!

10:15 a.m. | Smoothie and styling 😉

I’ll usually whip up a Fab 4 Smoothie post-workout to keep me fueled until lunchtime, and get on with the rest of my work day. If I am on camera filming podcasts or recipe content then I’ll change into a cute top and jeans. I love Jenni Kayne for cozy sweaters AGOLDE for jeans, and The Great for fun floral tops. I’ll quickly style my hair using the Dyson Airwrap and put on some natural glam. What’s could be more SoCal than that?

Featured image courtesy of Kelly LeVeque. Additional imagery courtesy of Kelly LeVeque and Lalo.