Little Healthy Habits

Since we are on the topic of healthy diets, I thought I'd share a couple healthy habits I've developed over the years. Some of them are little changes, but I can tell have made a big impact on my health.

• H2O all day long
• I have always been a fan of water, but there would be days I would realize I didn't drink anything other than with my meals and those days I would just feel tired. I decided to invest in a couple water bottles (Camelbaks are the best! The straw makes me just want to drink it more lol) to keep at my desk at all times and when I'm at home I just keep refilling it and keep it by my side. Without much effort, I find myself drinking water more throughout the day and I just feel more energized! I also like to add some lemon from time to time to mix things up. 
  

• No more pop - swap for ice tea
•  I've made this swap a couple years ago and do not miss it much at all. There are times, I must admit, where I may succumb to a Dr. Pepper at Qdoba (they have no ice tea! Just really sweet lemonade, blah) for a little pick me up, but overall it's been a good habit to keep. I LOVE Honest Tea. It's not super sugary which I hate in some ice teas. 

 

• Add a little tea
• About two years ago I discovered hot tea and have grown to love it! I am a big fan of green tea and earl gray (especially in the AM). Black tea actually has more caffeine than coffee too - crazy! It's another way to add liquid to your diet without feeling overwhelmed with just water - and its a good way to warm up on a cold day like today! (note: we got about 12inches of snow today in good ol' Fargo..yay! lol)

• No unhealthy fast-food 
• I generally avoid all fast-food places and limit my restaurant choices to healthier options to avoid any bad temptations. Now, when I say fast-food, I mostly mean places like McDonalds (excluding their coffee...coffee will always be my weakness ha), Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC...places like that. The healthier fast-food places like Subway, Quiznos, and Pancheros I visit frequently. I notice now if I do happen to cave in for a Mickey Dees burger, I do feel like crap afterwards so it makes it less tempting to want one when I know the effect it has on my body. 

• Eat more often (healthy snacks of course)
• You're suppose to eat 5-6 small meals a day, right? Well, I've started to do this more recently and it makes a difference in my energy levels throughout the day. I've been good with starting with breakfast - even if it's just a shake or banana - then having small snacks available at my desk. I love the little FiberOne snack bars, greek yogurt (Fage with honey is amazing!! Love it more than Chobani!), and hummus with bread/crackers. When I would make a contious effort to eat more healthy snacks I wouldn't be starving by the time I would get home which was nice because then that also gave me more energy and motivation to hit the gym - which is another habit I try to keep, but when it's cold out it's a struggle to make the trip. ha 

There you have it. My little healthy habits. I encourage you to give it a try and see what it does for you.

chow, ;)
-hiD