Get healthy today with any or all of these 6 simple steps featured today on MindBodyGreen.
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Let’s be realistic: “Being healthy” takes an honest balance of treating yourself well and living well. The trick is not being perfect, but striking a balance where you feel good.
So instead of cutting out every bad habit in your diet in one fell swoop (which is bound to lead to burnout), start slow and simple. The journey is more important than the destination.
Here are 6 super-easy ways you can eat healthy every day:
1. Don't keep junk food in the house.
If you're jonesing for ice cream, force yourself to get up off the couch and walk to the market to get it. I bet more times than not you'll be too lazy to do so and will end up getting over the craving. This is one instance where being lazy pays off!
2. Keep easy-to-pack healthy snacks with you.
When you're traveling or have a busy day ahead, do yourself a favor and keep your energy up with a snack that isn’t saturated with sugar, salt or other highly processed nonfood ingredients.
Good options: fruit, nuts (unsalted), veggies with hummus, almond butter, or a small piece of dark chocolate (70% dark or higher).
This way, your closest and most accessible food is already on the healthy track, and you'll keep your impulse decisions to a minimum when it comes to the next meal.
3. Drink water.
When you start feeling hungry, reach for a tall glass of water before the bag of chips. Often when you feel the first pangs of hunger, it’s because of boredom, stress or just plain dehydration.
By filling up on water first, you'll be less hungry and impulsive when it comes to what you choose to eat next and how much. Drinking water before you eat also aids in digestion, so your body will more happily accept your next meal.
4. Cook at home!
This is the easiest way to eat healthy. Hands down. Planning out and shopping for healthy meals ahead of time ensures that there are healthy options in your house and at work. Not only is it cheaper to eat at home, but much healthier because restaurants are likely to use more salt, oil and butter than you would at home.
5. Add more veggies to your plate.
Instead of the veggie side being an afterthought, make it the main event.
Most of us eat with our eyes, so make it appealing. Use spices, herbs, a variety of color and texture. Put some thought and flavor into it and you won't feel like you're missing out.
6. Kick off your dinner with a salad.
By starting your dinner with a salad, not only are you ensuring you're getting your veggies in, but once you get over the initial starvation factor, you'll likely make better entree choices or not indulge nearly as much.
When it comes down to it, staying healthy day in and day out isn't about mastering the newest diet or exercise, but practicing a little bit of mindfulness and thinking ahead.
Do you have any daily health hacks that you live by? Please share in the COMMENTS below!
