Smoothies are an easy way to get a lot of vitamins, unsaturated fats and fiber. They are both a great snack and also quick to make. You can use raw fruits and add ice or frozen fruits and add juice. Do note that if you use juice, it does add to your sugar intake.
It is possible to eat healthy and dine out. You will always eat the healthiest at home since, you control the ingredients that go in your food. Eating out is inevitable since it is a cultural norm. So here are tips on how to order healthy at restaurants.
Avoid appetizers
If you are going to a restaurant that has big portions, appetizers are unnecessary. Appetizers are a quick food item that restaurants put out. Quick food are usually prepared unhealthy (fried) and are a great way to add unnecessary calories. Now there are always exceptions. If they have something healthy like a antipasto caprese, then go for it.
Always oil and vinegar.
Stay away from restaurant prepared dressings. They usually have bad fat and a ton of sodium. You can make a healthy ranch at home, but restaurants usually make sauces with cost efficient ingredients. Ask for oil and vinegar.
*Tip- some restaurants pass off regular oil as olive oil. Purchase small bottles of olive oil and vinegar and bring it with you.
Don’t eat the bread.
Bread is made with a ton of sugar. Sugar turns into fat if it is not burned off. Also, white sugar is terrible for you.
Grilled is your friend or raw.
Stick with shrimp, salmon or chicken breast or a piece of steak that doesn’t have much fat.
Ask for no butter on your vegetables.
A lot of restaurants will automatically put margarine on their vegetables, that’s why it tastes so good. Use your oil, vinegar and pepper.
If you really want desert, ask for whip cream and fruit or a scoop of ice cream.
Salads may not be your best friend.
Cheeses, croutons (bread), bacon, eggs, all add on fats, which turn into empty calories.
If you want drinks, not all wine is bad for you. If you are looking for a low calorie drink vodka, soda is the winner.
Getting in shape doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact I spend less money when I stick to a healthy diet because I am not eating out constantly and spending money on booze. Here are tips on getting in shape on a budget.
Know how much you can spend each week on food and fitness. Gyms come with group classes, exercise machines and many times a free private training session. GYM Prices also vary. Crunch sells memberships as low as $10 a month. If you really want to build a skill like Yoga, it is sometimes better to go to a Yoga studio where the instructor will focus more on you. You can also find local community classes that are affordable. Some churches also offer free classes.
If you are a self starter then working out home should be easy. If you need motivation and influence a gym or class might be the best for you. Working out 3-4 times a week is ideal. If you can’t get away from the kids, walking or park activities may be the best.
Resistant bands are so easy and cheap. Yoga balls, medicine balls, and free weights are great investments. I can do a whole workout with resistant bands and a 10 lb dumbbell.
Check out different styles of workouts or do a workout for free with Youtube or Apps. Here’s a list of Apps you may like.
Cut back your meat intake if you are eating it more than one time a day. Chicken and Ground Turkey are healthy for you and are cheaper meats. Beans are awesome for you and are pennies on the dollar. Oatmeal is a great breakfast choice and is extremely inexpensive. You can also purchase-frozen fruits and vegetables to save money. It starts to get a bit pricy when you purchase Organic, but not everything has to be purchased organic. If I can’t afford organic strawberries, I don’t buy them. Friends and family members that are not healthy/clean eater actually spend about 3 times more on food than I do.
Their brand Danskin, has been around for forever. In the 90s I was purchasing it for ballet classes. You can also check the racks at your local Ross or TJ Maxx. They sell Nike, Adidas, etc. for a great price.
Turn your house into a relaxing space, by emulating your favorite spa. Use soft and mood lighting. Turn on your favorite relaxing music. Alexa usually has good suggestions.
Shiseido Infusing Concentrate is one of the best. Layering serums and moisturizer is a technique used in some cultures.
There is a trick that writers do to get them out of their writer’s block. It’s putting the pen to the paper without and objective….you will be surprised to what may happen.
Yoga gets you in-touch with your body and mind by connecting the two. Now a days Yoga classes are easy to find. You can find an app on your phone or a youtube video.
A warm soothing drink with great smells can do wonders.
Swedish and Thai massages are the most popular. Thai massages include stretching at the very end and is great for sore muscles.
In 2019, eating healthy is not hard because of the vast options that we have. The hardest part is re-training the brain upon what we should or shouldn’t eat. By now, we know that processed foods are not healthy for us and can lead to many diseases, but the accessibility still makes it an option.
Here are 10 easy ways to eat healthier today.
By now, we all know that artificially sweetened drinks are terrible for you (both diet and regular soda). If you still want something carbonated, try sparkling water that hasn’t any artificial sweetener and is free of artificial dyes.
Eat 5-6 small meals a day and eat on a set time. If you allow yourself to get hungry the bad temptations will be harder to resist.
Replace the second cup of coffee with green tea. It has a good amount of caffeine and it can also boost your metabolism.
Snacks are always marketed as easy access and quick food item. Why shouldn’t your fruits and vegetables be? Either food prep or purchase them in such a way.
It is low-calorie and an easy item to fix. Just make sure that it is good frozen shrimp.
Switch to brown rice over white rice. Switch to whole grain over white bread. Did you know that brown rice is whole grain and white rice is bleached and hard for your body to digest?
Allow yourself to have a processed meal. Unless you are on a restricted “diet” for health reasons, have 1 naughty meal a week, but plan it. Plan it on the for the holiday or the night you have dinner out.
Speak to your health professional first, but you will be surprised how a Multivitamin or Vitamin C can make a big impact.
If you have kids or others in the house that have the processed items, take them out of arms and eye reach. Out of sight, out of mind.
You can put fruits and vegetables in it or simply use almond milk.
