This blog post needs no introduction this is the last part of the create healthy habits for 2016 series. I hope just because the end of January is nearing you haven't given up on living a healthy and happy lifestyle in 2016. Once I get this baby out I plan on sharing with you lots of workouts and healthy recipes and build upon all these tips I've shared with you.
1. Fad Diets and Bad Ingredients.
There is no secret high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, GMO, and MSG are bad for you. I know we totally can't avoid them, but we should continue to try and eat real food. Also be aware of fad diets, most are not backed by scientific data and end up being more harmful than helpful. Stick to a balanced diet or try limiting your portions. If you are trying to lose weight try having your healthy carbs (sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans, brown rice) in the morning or at lunch and try not to have them in the evenings. And remember to make good food choices and watch your portion sizes.
There is no secret high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, GMO, and MSG are bad for you. I know we totally can't avoid them, but we should continue to try and eat real food. Also be aware of fad diets, most are not backed by scientific data and end up being more harmful than helpful. Stick to a balanced diet or try limiting your portions. If you are trying to lose weight try having your healthy carbs (sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans, brown rice) in the morning or at lunch and try not to have them in the evenings. And remember to make good food choices and watch your portion sizes.
2. No More Sleep Aids
I used to be horrible sleeper..... It would take me a good hour to fall asleep every night and it was common for me to wake up in the middle of the night for an entire hour or more. Because of this I used to take ambien or tylenol pm a few days a week. I decided that wasn't a healthy habit and switched to something more natural so I started taking melatonin. But being pregnant I haven't used that, so I have come to rely on lavender oil to fall asleep. It has cut down my falling asleep time to 20 minutes. I can't say it helps keep me stay asleep cause I wake up every 2 hours to use the restroom right now... but it has really helped and it is the most natural way to go. If you are someone who relies on sleep aids, try switching to something more natural. I know many of our friends sell essential oils, ask them what you should be using. My hope is that I have now trained by body to sleep aid free and only rely on lavender oil!
I used to be horrible sleeper..... It would take me a good hour to fall asleep every night and it was common for me to wake up in the middle of the night for an entire hour or more. Because of this I used to take ambien or tylenol pm a few days a week. I decided that wasn't a healthy habit and switched to something more natural so I started taking melatonin. But being pregnant I haven't used that, so I have come to rely on lavender oil to fall asleep. It has cut down my falling asleep time to 20 minutes. I can't say it helps keep me stay asleep cause I wake up every 2 hours to use the restroom right now... but it has really helped and it is the most natural way to go. If you are someone who relies on sleep aids, try switching to something more natural. I know many of our friends sell essential oils, ask them what you should be using. My hope is that I have now trained by body to sleep aid free and only rely on lavender oil!
3. Limit Your Servings of Red Meat and Processed Meats
Limit your servings of red meat, try eating more fish or try going meatless. You should also think about cutting down on processed meats such as deli meats, hot dogs, bacon, etc... Processed meats contain high concentrations of salt, preservatives, and chemicals that can't be good for you. So try and limit your consumption of them to 3 days a week!
Limit your servings of red meat, try eating more fish or try going meatless. You should also think about cutting down on processed meats such as deli meats, hot dogs, bacon, etc... Processed meats contain high concentrations of salt, preservatives, and chemicals that can't be good for you. So try and limit your consumption of them to 3 days a week!
4. Have Technology Free Downtime With Your Partner
Put your phone down, put your computers away, and turn off the TV. My husband and I try at least once a week to sit at the dinner table with no phones or tvs and just have some good classic conversation. Someone got us these table topics cards a few years ago and we love pulling them out and doing a few of them. It is fun to see where the conversation leads and most importantly it is great to connect with your partner and have meaningful conversation sans any technology.
Put your phone down, put your computers away, and turn off the TV. My husband and I try at least once a week to sit at the dinner table with no phones or tvs and just have some good classic conversation. Someone got us these table topics cards a few years ago and we love pulling them out and doing a few of them. It is fun to see where the conversation leads and most importantly it is great to connect with your partner and have meaningful conversation sans any technology.
5.Congratulate Yourself Along The Way
You lost 10 lbs, go buy yourself a new top. You mastered a new skill or stuck with it for a long period of time (hopefully this will be yoga for me) treat yourself to a massage. You ate healthy all week, allow yourself to indulge in a little ice cream. You deep cleaned your entire house, celebrate with a glass of champagne!
You lost 10 lbs, go buy yourself a new top. You mastered a new skill or stuck with it for a long period of time (hopefully this will be yoga for me) treat yourself to a massage. You ate healthy all week, allow yourself to indulge in a little ice cream. You deep cleaned your entire house, celebrate with a glass of champagne!
The biggest thing with living a healthy lifestyle is to do it in moderation and not take everything so SERIOUS! Don't beat yourself up if you miss a few days at the gym, start again next week. If you went on vacation and ate too much make an effort the next week to eat really clean and workout everyday. Life needs to be enjoyed, and isn't intended to be lived so scheduled and restricted. Sometimes we see someones strict healthy lifestyle take control of their life, personally that isn't for me. I think the biggest thing is finding moderation to your lifestyle and try making healthy choices 80% of the time.
If you have a little time today read this article about the people from the island of Ikaria Greece where people live the longest. It's a fairly long article, but it explains to you what living a living a healthy lifestyle really looks like....
Cheers,
Jess
If you have a little time today read this article about the people from the island of Ikaria Greece where people live the longest. It's a fairly long article, but it explains to you what living a living a healthy lifestyle really looks like....
Cheers,
Jess
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