With deadlines to meet, family to attend to, frequent dining out, late nights and early mornings, it’s easy to forget how simple it is to take control of your health. Time is the number one barrier to healthy choices in America. Last-minute decisions often lead to fast food drive thrus and pizza delivery. The key to staying healthy with a busy lifestyle is to plan ahead!
Healthy choices give you the energy you need to make you more productive and crush your day! The following healthy tips outline some of the simplest ways to enhance your everyday health, boost your metabolism, maintain a healthy weight, increase brain function and start feeling powerful from the inside out! Here are my top 5 healthy tips for a busy lifestyle!
- Eat Breakfast
- Find Time You Didn’t Know You Had
- Plan Your Meals for the Week
- Dine Out the Smart Way
- Fill Up Your Water Bottle the Night Before
Eat Breakfast
Eating breakfast is important for sustaining energy levels and aiding in blood sugar management. Avoid eating breakfast that is high in simple carbohydrates and added sugar. This just sets us up for a blood sugar roller-coaster.
Healthy breakfast ideas:
- Complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal and fruit
- High in fiber whole grain cereals, breads, and granola bars
- Rich in protein nuts, seeds, almond milk, low fat cow’s milk and yogurt, and eggs
- Healthy fats such as seeds, avocados, flax seeds, chia seeds, and oils like extra virgin olive and flax
Find Time You Didn’t Know you Had
Take 30 minutes out of your busy day to list out all the activities you did on a day-to-day basis from the previous week. What activities can you do away with? What activities are important? Are there any activities that aren’t productive that could be replaced with healthy activities like meal prep or exercise? Be honest with yourself and don’t beat yourself up. You may surprise yourself with how much free time you really have.
Plan Your Meals for the Week
Planning out your meals for the week can save you time at the grocery store and get you and your family eating more home-cooked meals each week. Start by choosing healthy recipes that your family loves for the upcoming week and make a grocery list based on those dishes. Then, find time to grocery shop for these items or utilize grocery pick up services. Finally, do some prep at the beginning of the week (like washing and cutting your vegetables) to make cooking each night a little easier, and don’t forget about the wonder of leftovers!
Dine Out the Smart Way
Dining out is inevitable sometimes. When ordering at a restaurant, look for words like steamed, baked, poached, roasted, broiled or grilled. These are usually lower in fat and calories than foods with words like fried, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, pan-fried, sautéed or stuffed. Aim for a colorful plate while eating out! If you notice your meal consists mostly of yellow/white starchy foods like pasta, fried foods, and mashed potatoes, ask your server for a side salad or colorful vegetables on the side instead.
Fill Up Your Water Bottle the Night Before
Fill a water bottle up the night before and set it in the fridge so it is ready to take with you the next morning. Count how many times you fill it up during the day. At least eight cups of water a day will keep your energy levels high, your hunger down, your digestion smooth and your concentration sharp.
