My personal top 25 Daily Tips for Healthy Living that I try to remember in my own life everyday!
1 The #1 biggest and bestest rule for healthy living – BE POSITIVE.
Positive people are happier, healthier, and live longer. Adopt the “glass-is-half-full” attitude. Always look for the bright side. Remember things really could always be worse. Be grateful for all you have today. Choose to not worry, and understand that happiness is not a goal, it’s a choice. You can be happy right now! Believe, have faith, and then, Just Do It!
2 Take the stairs.
Elevator buttons and escalator handrails are gross, and both contraptions are kinda scary anyway.
3 Walk everywhere. Walk longer distances, and walk more often.
- Drive straight to the back of the parking lot when you go shopping. There are usually plenty of spots further away, and you'll have no choice but to get a little exercise in for the day. At the store, mall, or in a shopping center, park on the opposite side of where you need to go. In a structure, go straight to the top and take the stairs from the roof, and don’t you dare take the elevator up when you’re coming back! (Bonus: you’ll never have to remember what level you parked on again!)
- When you go shopping, walk every single aisle. Speed walk past the cookies, soda, chips, and through any other aisle you don't need to browse.
- Don't drive to the Supermarket for just a couple items, grab a re-useable shopping bag and walk to the corner market. Not driving, and not using plastic bags are also good ways to help the environment!
- Take advantage of local conveniences – mailboxes, food spots, and other shopping.
- On your breaks and lunches, go outside, slip on your tennis shoes, and lap the building while you chit-chat, or munch, or just take in the fresh air.
4 Ride your bike.
It's time to check those tires and buy and new helmet! Whether gas prices are up or down, you’ll save $ome ca$h!
5 Look up healthy recipes.
Use the internet to look up a healthy version of whatever you have a taste for. Look up new things like vegetarian or vegan meals, you might see something that sounds interesting.
6 Stick to your list!
Write a list before you leave the house. As you place your items on the counter, give the cashier any item you know you shouldn’t have grabbed. No impulse buying or shopping-while- hungry, no giving in to the kids, no falling for sale items (you’re not saving money if you’re spending it). You can’t eat junk if you don’t HAVE junk to eat!
7 Snack healthy.
Find alternatives for junk. Instead of chips, chop up some carrots, or cut strips of bell peppers, slice some cucumbers, or make a bag of nuts or trail mix. Instead of a donut, eat a cup of low fat yogurt, a nice crispy apple, a juicy orange, or a bunch of grapes. The healthiest foods don’t come in a package. Do you have fruit trees in your neighborhood? Snack on what you pick. *Remember if you buy (or pick) organic, you’ll have to shop often and eat what you get within a day or two.
8 Eat less, more often.
Be sure you get 3 or 4 healthy, small to medium size meals a day. Use smaller dishes to psych yourself into feeling like you’ve had a big serving. Also, eat healthy snacks every 2 to 3 hours. If you wait to eat until you’re actually hungry, you’re more likely to overeat or give in to cravings. Instead, eat to fuel your body and maintain your energy, it will keep your metabolism going throughout the day.
9 Combo meals gotta go!
Just get the grilled chicken sandwich by itself. If that’s not enough, order the $1 side salad to go with it. As good as they are, french fries are bad. Always carry your own bottle of water or juice instead of buying soda. You’ll save more money this way than you will buying a “value” meal!
10 No fried foods!
Chicken is just as good grilled, baked, roasted, boiled, or broiled.
11 If you can, skip the pork and red meat.
Chicken sausages are delicious, fish is simple, and tofu can be quite yummy. Ground turkey is just as good, if not better tasting than beef. Can’t say turkey bacon is on point, but if you saw real bacon under a microscope, you’d never want it again. Trust me.
12 Read labels.
Do some comparison shopping not only when it comes to price, but also the nutritional facts! Compare Calories, Fat, Sugars, Sodium, etc. Don’t be fooled, just because something says “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free” doesn’t mean it’s good for you. To compensate, it may be loaded with other unhealthy things.
Here are some recommendations:
- Calories per day: 2,000 – Less if you’re a woman or overweight (1,500-1,900), a little more if you’re a man or underweight (2,100-2,500)
- Fat per day: No more than15g if you’re overweight, 45g if you’ve got a few pounds to lose, 55g if you’re an average female, 75g if you’re an average male. Minimize Saturated Fats and cholesterol, and stay away from and Trans Fats altogether. The other fats (Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated) are good.
- Added Sugars per day (non-diabetic): Women 25g (or 6 teaspoons), Men 40g (or 9 teaspoons). Added sugars are just that, added. Sugars in fruit and pure juice or from healthy carbs are not a problem. All else is added. Just one 12-ounce can of soda can be double the amount of sugar you should have for the entire day!
- Salt per day: 1,500mg (1.5g) or less for adults. This is like 1/3 of teaspoon – just a dash!
13 No HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup.
It’s in everything from juice to bread to crackers to condiments. If it’s in a package, it might have HFCS. Read the ingredients of everything you buy and start choosing products without this sugary stuff.
14 Ask for dressing, sauce, gravy, and toppings on the side.
A salad is good for you until you drench it in dressing. Just a few drops may actually do the trick! Stir or shake well, and it’s good to go. A baked potato is great until you top it with a dollop of sour cream and a scoop of butter! Try it with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper, chives, and 1/4 of the butter or cream you’d normally use. Start using spices and herbs more often to enhance taste.
15 Skip the dip and cut the condiments.
You probably won’t miss it much, and if you do, just dip once. I’m sure no one at the party appreciated your double-dipping anyway. And mustard, mayo, ketchup, bbq sauce, and “secret sauce” can actually add lots of secret calories, fat, and salt to your meal. You’ll hardly notice once you start using less and less.
16 Treat yourself on occasion.
If you go cold turkey on some of your favorite foods, you may be inclined to over-do it one day when you just can’t handle it anymore. Allow yourself a pass once every week or two – but follow the rules when you cheat (if that makes sense):
- Don’t do it if you can’t handle it. If treating yourself will only make you want to forget about eating healthy, don’t treat yourself until you’re ready to enact some will power.
- Save the best for last! Fill up on the healthy stuff first. Have one slice of pizza afteryour salad, or one scoop of ice cream after eating a fruit cup, etc.
- Cut it in half. Instead of the whole donut, cupcake, or piece of pie, just half will satisfy you all the same.
- Never eat from the bag! Grab one handful, close the bag, and put it away.
17 Think when you drink.
Coffee, plus sugar, plus creamer equals a bad way to start a healthy day. Energize your morning with some Orange Juice or Grapefruit Juice instead. Or, a cup of V8 Fusion, or even just a glass of water. You just may be surprised at how invigorating water can be. Substitute juice or water for soda throughout the day. Carry water around to remind you to stay hydrated. You’ll actually start craving water once you start drinking it more often.
Think when you drink – Part II - Dilute your juice.
Mix it with Carbonated or Seltzer Water. Sometimes you just want something fizzy for fun or to help you burp. It’s a great sub for soda, and it cuts the sugar in the juice. I often add just plain water and barely notice a difference in taste. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I recently saw on Dr. Oz that you can save 13 pounds a year if you mix 50/50! www.doctoroz.com
Think when you drink - Part III – Alcohol in moderation.
Anything that causes your body to violently try and get rid of it is obviously not good for you. Plus, alcohol is quite fattening! Yet another reason to cut back (along with some of the other side affects such as nausea and vomiting, passing out, liver damage, hangovers, &/or extreme embarrassment the next morning when someone tells you about yourself). Don’t you want to remember your memories?! Stop when you start to feel good. Drinking more won’t make you feel better, it’ll do the opposite. Oh yeah, and dying in a car crash is also bad for your health. So are DUI’s, and so is getting locked up for Vehicular Manslaughter. It’s easy to plan ahead, it’s hard to come back from the dead. Never drink and drive. Some of us need not drink at all. If you need help, the smart thing to do is go get it.
18 Do a fast or cleanse.
So you wouldn’t do this on a daily basis, but maybe every now-and-then. Do your research, ask questions, and choose one that’s right for you. Read and follow instructions carefully, and once you start, commit to finishing. You can look up fasts online and you can visit a vitamin store to find different types of cleanses. Most fasts and cleanses won’t help you lose weight permanently, the goal is to cleanse. And while I’m cheating and giving you a non-daily tip, I’ll slip in another: Keep up with your yearly Doctor and Dentist visits! So important!!!
19 Take the challenge.
The next time you hear, “Take our two-week challenge, “ or, “Try our product for 30 days,” go for it! The makers of Activia and Special K have challenged you, maybe your co-workers have a challenge going on, or start your own challenge among your friends. Challenge yourself to something that will make a difference each day, even if it’s small.
20 Move your exercise equipment into your Living Room...
…or wherever you watch television. Out of sight, out of mind. If your dumbbells, yoga mat, and Ab Roller are sitting right there next to the couch, you’ll have absolutely no excuse not to use them as you watch American Idol. Your favorite show will make the time on your treadmill fly by!
21 Find ways to make exercise not feel like exercise.
Make a playlist of your favorite songs and dance for 30 minutes everyday. Play really actively with your kids, or if they’re small enough, use them like a medicine ball (they’ll love being bounced around). Borrow that Wii Sports game your friend isn’t using (or maybe you’re the one not using it)! Even working out with one of your old tapes or DVD’s can make exercise feel like a fun activity. Start doing things you’ll enjoy that’ll get your heart going.
22 Explore the great outdoors!
Become more active in general. Get out and see just how much is under your nose. Driving ranges, tennis courts, basketball courts, parks, beaches, hiking trails…The world is waiting.
23 Partner up.
Get someone to walk, jog, or ride with. It’s harder to be lazy when someone is helping you be accountable. Join a team or league, start your own club. Make new friends, bond with old ones.
24 Set realistic goals and plans, be sure to follow-up.
Write down your goals for the next week. Also, create a meal plan. Keep a Health Calendar just for you to write every time you worked out, and every time you had an unhealthy eating day. At the end of every week, have you met your goals? Check your calendar for patterns. Stay consistent with re-evaluating and updating your goals and meal plans.
25 Don’t smoke!
Five bonus tips from a few of my favorite healthy HAPPINESSERS!
26 JACQUE COLLIER suggests eating vegetarian meals sometimes, using tofu and substitute meats. Make sure you maintain your balanced diet and get enough protein and iron elsewhere.
27 TOMIKO COCO BERRY reminds us to take our daily vitamins!!!
28 ALEXIS CHANDLER says to load up on fruits and veggies. The Food Pyramid suggests 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, and 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day. An easy way to accomplish this: 1 or 2 veggies with each meal, and a fruit or veggie as a snack, or combined with your snack in between meals. (A serving is a fist-full.)
29 MARSALAS MORNEY thinks being in good health is about being godly and being sexy. When you do good, you feel good, and when you look good doing it, you feel even better!
30 TY CAIN and JOSEPH MYERS know it’s important to keep your spirit in shape! She wants you to sing your heart out and smile lots! He says prayer and spreading love will keep you healthy. Things like stress, anger, depression, and unforgiveness poison your heart, soul, and body. They can manifest physically. Learn to relax, let go, enjoy life, and keep your relationships healthy. When you’re happy and healthy, and you have happy, healthy relationships, life is great!
