Four Simple Health and Wellness Tips

Have you ever stayed behind when your friend or a family member would be doing activities that you couldn’t do because you are carrying some excess weight? Your thoughts immediately go to “I can’t” go because you don’t have the physical strength and you feel like you’re a burden, not wanting to ruin their fun. Having experienced this situation years ago, I made the decision it was time for change. I decided it was time to focus on my well-being, and it was one of the best decisions I have made. I realized it’s time to turn my life around, live a healthier lifestyle and enjoy life.

Mastering emotional eating is a key step.  Do you turn to food for comfort or when you feel stressed, or sad?  It’s possible you can change this pattern as I have done. You don’t have to allow your busy schedule to make you turn to fast foods that are not healthy and have zero nutritional value. When you are on the go, it’s common and an easy choice to turn to unhealthy foods. However, there are no benefits to your body. Why not feel good, be around others and join in on the fun? Each small step that you make each day can make a difference in your well-being today and in the future.

Four Simple Healthy and Wellness Tips

1. Get rid of unhealthy snacks from your refrigerator, cabinets, and office. If you don’t have the food in front of you, then you will not be tempted to eat it.
2. Reduce the amount of fast and processed food you eat. Processed food is any food that has been altered in some way before its eaten. There are so many different processed foods and it is a challenge to avoid them entirely. If you eat a lot of highly processed foods, you risk having too much sodium, added sugars, and unhealthy fats.  It’s best to read the food labels for the ingredients and compare the information.  If you are going to eat processed foods, make it a point to have as little as possible.

Choose a healthier option with the lowest amounts of sodium and added sugars.

3. When eating out make smart choices. When eating out, choose restaurants that make food accommodations.  Communication is key.  I constantly change the item on the menu to the way I want the food prepared. Ask how the food is prepared, and if you can make substitutions. I especially like to order sauces and dressings on the side. In this way, you will control how much you add, and it reduces the calories.
4. Eat a healthy breakfast to start your day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For those of you who are on the run like me, time goes by quickly. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. I have a vegan Arbonne protein shake, each morning. The shake has 20 grams of vegan protein, plus 20 essential vitamins and minerals per serving. If you are not a fan of shakes, some good choices are low-fat or fat-free yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, cheese, egg or egg whites, or even sliced turkey or chicken breast.

  Create sustainable daily habits.  Over time you will see the differences. There are many simple options for getting started. If you are not quite ready to give up unhealthy food all at once, but you are committed to making a change, start by reducing the unhealthy food that you eat regularly.  To get you started here are some common foods/drinks:

1. Fried food
2. High sodium candy
3. Regular soda
4. High fat frozen meals
5. White flour

 

I recommend you choose one item to reduce at a time in order not to overwhelm yourself. When I started on my weight loss journey, my favorite food was French fries. I cut them out of my food choices. Another big change was to stop eating was white rice.  I realized I was eating these foods a few times a week and they were not nourishing my body and were very unhealthy. Making the change to incorporating healthy foods that have good nutrients is essential to maintaining optimum body function.  Start replacing unhealthy food with healthy foods.  Better foods will influence your brain and fuel your body giving you more energy. Challenge yourself to eat more vegetables, fruits and proteins, and other nutrient-dense foods.

Some of my favorite healthy foods are:

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green beans, Apples, Bananas, Black olives, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Grapes, Honeydew melon, Almonds, lean beef, Cashews, Chicken, Eggs, Fish, Flaxseed, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Pineapple, Whole Grain and Whole Wheat Breads, Whole Grain Pasta, Tuna, Walnuts, Low Fat Cottage Cheese, Low Fat Yogurt, and Almond Milk instead of Regular Milk.

Make one change in the food you are eating. Focus on daily good nutrition. Get the vitamins and minerals you need throughout the day, to help you feel better. Begin your commitment to lead a healthier life today. If I can do it so can you.

 

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