Fail to plan, plan to fail
So if you are serious about your health it's time to plan how best to achieve it. Sometimes we approach our desire to have a healthier life by focusing on what we should cut out rather than what we should include. Let's switch that and focus on what we should really be doing more of to see how we can begin to include the good stuff in our daily diets without it being a huge chore.
Think about what a healthy lifestyle means to you.
Some thoughts might be:
1) I need more sustained energy to take me beyond mid afternoon.
2) I need to enjoy what I am eating
3) Eating more fresh or raw appeals to me
4) It needs to fit in with my work and family rhythm.
Visualise your healthy lifestyle and write down the key elements of it.
You may have many more thoughts to add according to your aims.
10 Tips to build a Healthy Life Eating plan for you
1) Educate yourself on foods that provide more energy such as kale, salmon, spinach, fresh fruit etc
2) Plan your shopping to ensure that you have a constant supply of good things so that you don't slip back to bad habits when hungry.
3) Listen yo your body. Are you a sweet or savoury person? Once you recognise your leanings then you must provide alternatives to satisfy them. The key thing is not to ignore what your body is telling you. Listen.
4)Teach yourself how to make tasty, healthy snacks like granola and keep a supply with you wherever you go. Some quick and easy options are nuts, raisins, home made granola, chopped raw vegetables and herbal teas. Always have something on hand for emergencies.
5) Cook in batches. Don't just cook for one meal, cook a big pot and freeze some for later. This is really rewarding.
6) Shop in bulk for those items that you love and are continually buying. If you love oranges buy a box instead of a bag; if you love strawberries do the same.
Wash them, juice them and bottle it in your fridge or freezer. You could even freeze lemon juice in ice trays for future use. Strawberries and other soft fruit can be washed, chopped and frozen in zip lock bags in the freezer.
7) Recycle or purchase more suitable storage containers. Keep an eye out in the Poundshops and similar places for affordable ones or shop online for what you need. Glass is always best but start where its practical and use plastic until you can upgrade. Amazon is great for mason jars with lids. When you have your items properly stored, it gives you a buzz when you reach for them. Order in the kitchen!!
8) Set aside time for chopping and storing fresh items. You may want to chop all the fruit for smoothies then put them in individual bags for daily use. You can do the same with vegetables for juicing. I have saved a lot of money doing this as I sometimes found that the bell peppers or strawberries would be off before I could use them. Now I wash, chop and freeze as soon as I buy them.
9) Wash and chop lettuce, kale, cabbage and spinach for use during the week. Even when you buy the ready chopped versions from the supermarkets, take the time to wash and dry them and then transfer them to a ziplock bag in the fridge. It makes cooking, juicing and blending easy when life is busy.
10) You can also buy frozen vegetables for cooking to help you to include them throughout the week
A brief starter pack
Purcahse your oils, seeds and nuts in advance so that you have a variety to use. Eating healthy is not boring!
A starter selection of oils
Extra Virgin or Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Hemp or Flaxseed Oil
Nuts and Seeds
Flaxseeds
Sunflower, Pumpkin seeds
Brazil, Walnut and Almonds
Chia seeds
Vegetables
Cucumbers
Celery
Red bell peppers
Ginger
Carrots
Beet
Fruit for blending and juicing
Always keep a topped basket of fruit with avocadoes on your dining table for easy access and for eye candy. It's the best fast food there is!
A Healthy Life Eating Plan
A Healthy Life Eating Plan could look like this when you first start
- something green in liquid form (juicing) and in solid form (raw, stir fry or steamed vegetables);
- drink 2 litres water;
- good fats in avocados, seeds, nuts and oily fish; and
- enjoy a blended fruit smoothie.
There are examples for smoothies and juicing on this blog in previous posts, so do have a look for inspiration.
If you follow some or all of these tips, your transition to a Healthy Eating Plan will be much smoother. You will enjoy increased energy, greater concentration and sharpness throughout the day, the week, the month.
Visit me on facebook for smoothie and juicing ideas as well: Awesome Naturelles.
What other tips do you have?
I love a good share!
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