Healthy Living

There are a few things you can go....just little changes...that can help you to eat better and healthier. Here are a few suggestions.....please note....if you made a New Year's Resolution to eat better, it almost April! If you haven't started, then there is no time like the present!

This is what I would suggest.....

• Eat 3 small meals a day (like breakfast, lunch, and dinner) plus 2 snacks, one in the mid morning and one in the mid afternoon (which I like to call my after school snack even though I am not in school and am sitting at my desk).
• Include at least one fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack....French fries and the like do not count, even if they are the best thing since sliced bread.
• Speaking of sliced bread...eat whole grain breads, the white stuff sure is gooey and yummy but its just fluff and you body needs more!
• If you aren't big into eating fruits or veggies, then try to mix them in a smoothie. Carrots, Kale, and spinach are great add ons to a fruit smoothie and I hardly even notice they are there. Kale is a super food with lots of good stuff in it, so just throw it in an feel better. I have a fact sheet on kale I will have to post because it has lots of good stuff.
• For potatoes, substitute white ones with sweet potatoes....you will be surprised how easy it is to use them instead and they are packed with all sorts of goodness....and better for you...they even make great French fries, in fact I prefer them as french fries over white potatoes. I should probably post that recipe, I will sometime soon.
• Organic versus regular old produce. My husband read an article the other day from a nutritionist that asked him the question about which was better. He said most Americans get 7% of their nutrition from sodas....so really....just eat produce! While organic may have some benefits, its better to eat produce than drink a coke!
• If you are going out to eat to your favorite Mexican food restaurant.....eat something healthy and nutritious before you go....fill the void in your stomach so you don't eat as much. And, when they deliver your food, immediately ask for a "to go" container and take at least half and put it away. You are less likely to eat it if you cannot see it on your plate.
• Try to eat at home as much as you can, generally you will eat healthier there.
• Fill your home with nutritious and healthy foods, you are less likely to eat that bag of Cheetos if they are not there!
• My neighbor said his wife won't let him eat anything that ends with "i-to" and I think that is pretty funny, not Doritos, Cheetos, etc. Its pretty good advice. I love Cheetos but they are so calorie and fat full.
• Get forced exercise....park a little farther away, take the long way at the store, park on the other side of the mall from the place you are going (although that may cost you some money as you pass a sale.). Every step counts, so walk a little further.
• Find someone to get together with and cut up and prepare all your produce. I think its a fun idea to go buy everything and then get together and cut up all your veggies and wash everything so its ready to go! It will make your meal prep go quicker and you will actually use your produce more.
• Green bags--Get green bags or Tupperware or something that prolongs the life of your produce so that you aren't throwing away wilting lettuce.
• Buy groceries from a list that you prepared with your meals planned. It takes the hassle out of getting home and figuring out what to make for dinner.
• Try new things! Don't get in a recipe rut, branch out and look for healthier alternatives!

These are just a few suggestions but I hope they can inspire you or kick start you into some nutritional eating!

Stay dry, don't get blown away, or stay inside if its snowing...weird weather going on all over the place!

Love ya!

H