I know, we all want to be healthier. I also know it's incredibly overwhelming to put that into daily practice. We hear that you should do intermittent fasting to lose weight then turn around and read how that's not good for our bodies. We read that we should live a carb-free life but the next person says carbs fuel energy and it's needed to grow muscle. Where do we find the balance? How do we know what's right for us? I'm still learning that. Over the past few years I've decided to pay extremely close attention to my body and what foods irritate my stomach or my skin. I have a list of foods and ingredients I keep away from, even though they're healthy- because I've learned (and am still learning) how to fuel MY body. We're all different and I think it's important to have a balance but it is important that we're aware what we put into and onto our bodies. Store bought foods and restaurants are FILLED with chemicals and crappy ingredients and it's effecting us big time.. that's a whole other rant. As I've been learning about foods and ingredients, here are just a few SUPER easy tips to incorporate a healthier lifestyle into our every day. These are things I've been doing for a few years and is what works for me and my schedule. I hope this is a simple, practical tool you can use and not just more overwhelming information that you read on the internet.
1. Coconut oil substitute. I use coconut oil for everything- moisturizer to frying chicken to staining wood. It is the only oil I have in the house due to it's infinite health benefits, but also because it's one of very few polyunsaturated oils (look up the harm those can do to our bodies when used internally and externally).
2. Almond milk > dairy milk. If I could milk my own cows every morning, I would. That's about the only dairy milk I would choose to consume. Since dairy tends to cause inflammation in most people, it's an easy thing for me to want to substitute. Most nut milks or coconut milk contain crappy ingredients and fillers, so be sure to read your labels when choosing. The cleanest almond milk I've found in stores is Pacific Organic Almond milk. However almond milk is fairly easy to make on your own!
3. Freeze your spinach. Such a simple thing but I've found to so helpful. I put spinach in as many recipes that I can: smoothies, scrambled eggs, soups, taco meat, etc. I have found that it does not stay fresh for very long in the fridge and since it's not cheap, I freeze it and always have it on hand. I love that I can crumble it when it's frozen to eliminate chopping it up to add in a recipe. It cooks the same as fresh, so it's a win-win.
4. Cook a whole chicken (in the Crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or in the oven for approx 2 hrs). Making your own rotisserie chicken is significantly cheaper than buying one (or buying other cuts of meat) and is SO much healthier for you. Have you ever looked at the ingredients or the sodium in a store bought chicken? Not worth it. I love how much meat I can get from a whole chicken to shred and use for so many recipes, but I really love that I can boil the scraps and bones in water with fresh herbs to make my own chicken broth. This is a tip I learned from my mom and will do for the rest of my life.
5. Keep fruits and veggies on hand for healthy snacking. I'm away from home 60 hours a week, eating 2 out of 3 meals at work or in my car. On top of the, I also food prep for my man who's schedule is similar to mine. In order to make healthy choices I know I have to take the time to prepare. Every single Sunday (or Saturday) I chop fruit and veggies and store them in jars for the week (at least 5 jars of each). Usually I do cucumbers, peppers and cherry tomatoes for the veggies. This can be eaten on it's own, with ranch, or with hummus. For fruit, I pick what's seasonal or on sale (my go-to's are berries, pineapple, kiwi). I always buy apples and bananas too. Those are SO easy to eat on the go. I like to put them in my lunch to eat with almond butter at work or to have in my purse to eat in the car.
6. Speaking of work, one thing I keep in my snack drawer at work is sweet potatoes. I eat probably three a week and here's why: multiple nutrients, I like consuming my carbs prior to working out vs. at the end of the day, I can eat it as a side with just cinnamon or make it a meal by topping with almond butter and/or a banana. To prepare, poke holes in it with a knife or fork, wrap in paper towel, and microwave for 5 minutes. It's the easiest thing to cook and can sit in a drawer for several days without going bad.
Lastly, I want to say, KEEP IT UP. It is so so important that we fuel our bodies with clean and whole foods. As women, we're usually the ones responsible for buying the groceries, food prepping, and cooking. That means it's OUR responsibility to create a healthy lifestyle for ourselves and our families and form healthy habits in our kids. SO much of our sicknesses can be cured or prevented just by watching what we eat. I encourage you to take the time to read labels, learn how to cook a new vegetable, try making something at home first before buying it. I am so so thankful for a mom who taught me the importance of a balanced diet, but also taught me to bake the best chocolate chip cookies. Balance is key. You can do it!