Tag: Health Tips

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I’m asked questions, daily, about health. Some want to know how I’ve improved my wellbeing. Some wonder what I eat. Others are dealing with ailments and illnesses. They hope for healing and an improved quality of life.

Very few are willing to make the choices that I have made, that led to incredible changes in my life. However, that’s okay. People must make their own choices. Often, it takes being in a drastic situation to make a drastic change in lifestyle.

For those who want to shift their health gradually, or take small steps toward greater wellbeing, pick and choose through these 20 easy to implement health tips. Try one or two…or try them all.

20 Easy to Implement Health Tips

Keep a Well Stocked Pantry

One major way to avoid the fast food trap is to keep a well stocked pantry. At the end of a long day it’s easier to drive through Taco Bell rather than face the daunting task of figuring out what to fix at home, unless food is readily available. Your definition of a well stocked pantry may differ from mine, but good options include canned goods, pasta, marinara sauce, fresh veggies, spices, rice and beans. In minutes a healthy, wholesome meal can be prepared, saving money while improving health.

Cook at Home

Following on the above tip, cooking at home ensures knowing exactly what you are eating. There are no hidden additives or fillers or calories. I recently read an interesting Cambridge study that found that those who cook and eat at home at least five days a week are 47% more likely to still be alive ten years later!

Prep Food

Another tip for making meals quickly is to prep food ahead of time. You don’t have to spend all day Sunday getting ready for the next week. Spend an hour or two doing the following:

• chop veggies to have on hand for salads, stir fries, soups, veggie bowls and for roasting (cut a variety of veggies to uniform size, add 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil and spices of choice, roast for 40 minutes in 400 degree oven)
• wash and prep berries and store in refrigerator to use in berry bowls and to top banana ice cream, oatmeal or gluten free pancakes
• meal planning is a great way to make sure you are using the food you purchase and making the most of seasonal produce and sales
• batch cooking soups, chilis, sauces and rice dishes puts meals in the fridge ready to reheat and eat.

Use a Pressure Pot

This handy appliance is great for preparing healthy meals quickly. Brown rice cooks in 25 minutes. Keep cooked rice or quinoa in the fridge, ready to add to stir fries and other recipes. The steam option on the pressure pot perfectly cooks fresh veggies in minutes, creating a vegetable bowl full of goodness in under 15 minutes.

Cook with a Slow Cooker

Another great kitchen appliance is the slow cooker. Prepare a pot of pinto or black beans to have on hand for salads, rice and bean dishes and veggie bowls. A great, simple recipe for slow cooker beans: soak 2 cups of beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Add to slow cooker along with 1 diced onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 6 cups of water, 1 teaspoon chili seasoning and 1 teaspoon cumin. Cook 7 – 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high.

Use Smaller Plates

To help with portion control, use smaller plates and bowls. They look full when food is added, rather than using a large plate that’s half filled with small portions. It’s all about perceptions and beliefs. A full plate makes us feel better.

Is it Hunger?

Wondering if you are hungry or experiencing a craving? Think of eating an apple. If you are truly hungry, an apple sounds good. If it’s a craving, it doesn’t. Don’t feed cravings.

Stay Hydrated

Most people are chronically dehydrated. And the body can actually confuse thirst with hunger. To stay hydrated tote water in a fun water bottle. There are all kinds of playful or practical water bottles available. There are even apps that help you track your water intact, like Plant Nanny, which combines drinking enough water with a cute online game.

Keep Lemon Water in the Fridge

At home, keep a pitcher or jug of lemon, lime or lemon/lime water prepped in the fridge. Lemon water has many health benefits. It’s a great drink to start the day with. Sip 8 to 12 ounces right after waking, on an empty stomach, to help the liver purge toxins and to wake up the digestive system. Warm the water or drink it cool.

Eat Meatless Meals

Among health tips, this one is well known. Most people are aware of Meatless Monday. Try enjoying meatless meals two times a week, minimum. Build those meals around beans, lentils, brown rice, quinoa and vegetables. People who eat meat are more at risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Give the body and the digestive system a break. When you do include meat opt for smaller, leaner cuts.

Cover Your Plate with Veggies and Healthy Grains

If meat is on the menu, let it occupy no more than one quarter of that smaller plate you are using. Fill half of the plate with vegetables and the remaining quarter with brown rice or quinoa.

Eat More Whole Foods

Studies show that a whole food diet reduces the risks of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and cognitive decline. Even if you don’t choose to embrace a 100% plant based lifestyle, including more whole foods, more vegetables and fruits, has tremendous benefits.

Make Substitutions

Another easy tip is to switch this for that. Try plant based milks instead of dairy. Substitute gluten free pasta for wheat varieties and sugar free marinara sauce for spaghetti sauce with added sugar. When baking, exchange eggs for flax eggs (1 tablespoon of flax seeds plus 3 tablespoons of water. Let set for 5 minutes before using.) And Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise is a wonderful and healthy alternative to mayo. Make substitutions a game, knowing every little healthy exchange helps.

Carry Your Own Snacks

Headed to a birthday party or a football game? Carry in your own snacks. It is easier to resist sugar laden birthday cake or that absolutely no good for you hot dog if you have something else to eat. Take along containers of sliced apples or grapes, a bunch of bananas, nuts or cut up veggies. I’ve attended family birthday parties and enjoyed my own healthy goody plate while others ate cake and ice cream. I didn’t feel left out or deprived at all. My motto is, “Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.”

Grow Your Own Food

Create a small garden or a raised bed garden and grow your own vegetables. There is something magical about tucking a tiny plant into the ground, caring for it, and reaping the benefits of fresh produce. Start with a tomato plant or bell pepper plants, whatever you enjoy. These fresh vegetables taste better than anything you can buy, and they are so good for you. If you can’t grow your own, find a nearby farmer’s market to visit, for fresh produce. Just ask about GMO products and the use of chemicals and pesticides. You don’t want to consume those!

This was my snack plate, at a birthday party. I brought my own fruits and my gracious family provided additional foods that they knew I could eat.

Anti-inflammatory Juice

Try this delicious juice blend if inflammation causes pain in joints: Run through a juicer 6 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 cup fresh pineapple and 1/2 of a lemon. Add a 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric through the juicer or add 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric to juice blend. Bromelain in the pineapple combines with curcumin in the turmeric to create a natural anti-inflammatory that helps painful joints.

Make Juice at Home

Rather than purchasing juice, which can contain sugar or additives, create your own juice at home. There are so many vegetables and fruits that can be combined to make healthy and delicious juices. Try a combo of cucumber, apple and pear. Or juice together spinach, tomatoes and celery. I use this juicer.

Drink Celery Juice

Of all the health tips, I’d recommend this one for everyone: drink a glass of freshly prepared celery juice every morning, after the lemon water and before breakfast. Read about the benefit of celery juice here. This miraculous elixir is changing the health of people around the world. Celery juice began my journey toward improved health and led me to a plant based lifestyle. Anthony William has a new book coming out this month, dedicated entirely to celery juice and its benefits. Preorder it HERE.

Park the Car Farther From the Store

When out running errands, park the car farther from the store. Doing this multiple times while checking tasks off of the to do list provides mini walks throughout the day. It’s an easy way to get more steps in and we all know how beneficial walking is.

Find a Health Buddy

It is so encouraging to have a health buddy. Ask a friend or a family member to join you in creating better health habits or in coming up with health tips and practices of your own. Walk together, shop for groceries together, meet for meal prep or to batch cook or to chop veggies. Hold each other accountable. And be available to each other for encouragement, support, questions and victories. Celebrate each health improvement together…just not with cake!

Greg and my mom both joined me in my quest for better health. They are encouragers and they both shifted out of old ways of eating. As a result, both experience improved health and vitality as well. I’m grateful for their companionship on this journey.

It’s a Lifestyle

I hope these 20 easy to implement health tips encourage you to make small changes in your daily habits. These are not diet tips. Caring for health and well being is a lifestyle that continues on, not a temporary change with temporary results.

May these simple tips create the desire to learn more and become the healthiest version of yourself.

I’d love to hear about your health tips! Share them with me in the comments below.

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