I am the farthest thing from a health nut. I do practice “moderation” the best that I can, but I will never have the willpower to say no to a Dominos pizza. You know?
That said, after getting pretty sick last year and facing a scary reality that (surprise!) I’m not invincible, I realized that I did have to prioritize my health. Sometimes I find articles about health and wellness to be incredibly overwhelming. One minute we’re supposed to be using coconut oil for everything and the next minute, it’s killing everyone (or so they say). I read up on the best practices, and instead of feeling inspired, I feel defeated. It seems like an impossible task.
Maybe if I ditched my electronics and moved to a cabin on a mountain, I’d be able to grow my own organic vegetables to live off of. But for now, there’s the real world– and all the temptations that come along with that!
This is NOT an expert post, but instead, a personal one where I share what I’ve found to work best for me. They’re easy ways that I’ve been able to incorporate healthy changes into my everyday life without it taking over my life. I thought it was good timing since a lot of us make resolutions at the beginning of the year to be healthier. Now that we’re halfway through 2017, it’s a good time to check in to make sure you’re living up to those goals you may have set.
SLEEP // I have found that the one thing makes the biggest impact on my life health wise is sleep. Getting enough sleep throughout the night is imperative. I used to be terrible about this, and that was a major contributing factor to getting so sick last year. When I was younger, I could get away with fewer hours, but not so much anymore. I set a goal to try to be wrapped up with work by 9:30 pm and to have the dogs walked and all of us in bed by 10. I read or meditate before falling asleep hopefully before 11. It doesn’t always work out that way, but starting with a goal makes it easier.
While I’m sure there’s legit science behind it, I can absolutely vouch for how I feel after a good night’s rest and how terrible I feel after a bad night’s rest. It sets the tone for my entire day if I wake up with a deficit.
WATER // Here’s another no-brainer, but this one was one of the more challenging ones for me to figure out. I knew I wasn’t drinking enough water for years. I’ve tried all kinds of tricks, and a lot ended up working (like lemon water and keeping cold reusable bottles ready to go at all times in my fridge). Once I got into the habit of drinking a lot of water though, I couldn’t imagine not doing it. When I’m at home, it’s the easiest to keep refilling glasses of water. And I try to stay on top of it when I’m out and about by keeping a water bottle in my car or tote. The more water I drink, the better I feel throughout the day. (And a bonus is brighter/healthier skin!)
MEDITATION // Are you sick of hearing me talk about meditation yet?! I just can’t recommend it enough. Instead of going on about it again, here’s my post from a couple of weeks ago. Bottom line: it’s a game changer.
LISTEN // Another super simple thing you can do is to listen to your body. You are going to know yourself the best. Trust what you feel and give your body what it needs. There are days when I crave fresh greens, and I make sure to get a salad or two during the day. If I feel lightheaded, I drink more water and sit down for a bigger meal. If I feel a little nauseated, I cut back on what I’m eating and go back to a simple diet that I know won’t mess with my stomach more.
Listening takes practice though. You have to be tuned into your body at all times and not just doing the listening when your body is in “crisis.” I try to measure how I’m feeling throughout the day while noting things that might cause little changes. Did a burger make me feel sluggish? Did that iced latte make me too jittery to focus in the afternoon? Was I satisfied for a long time after a grilled salmon salad?
Any easy tips you follow for a healthier life?
Buying healthier foods when I go grocery shopping! Which is a “duh” but whenever I go grocery shopping, I’m always tempted by so many things, so I need to keep this in mind for myself! If I don’t bring unhealthy food home, then I won’t be eating unhealthy food 🙂 Also a shower always helps me feel better mentally -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
Thanks for this, Carly! I always try to eat and live healthier, especially during the summery seasons when it’s bright outside! For some reason it always slips in Winter when it’s so cold – ha!
I hope you have a great Thursday,
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.co.uk
Water is so important! My body definitely improved a lot, in terms of health, when I started drinking my eight glasses a day. I’m so happy it’s a habit now and not difficult to achieve at all!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I couldn’t agree more with these ways to live healthier. I try to focus on the same things but of course, we all stray from our goals occasionally. This post truly couldn’t have com at a better time, I needed the reminder. Thank you!
Taylor | http://www.livingtaylored.com
I try to walk my dogs most days and do 20-30 minutes of Pilates every day. My biggest healthy eating tip is to stock up on fruits and veggies every week, with MORE than you think you need. I try to have 4-5 kinds of fruit and vegetables each on hand. It’s so much easier to grab a piece of fruit for a snack or put a quick salad together for lunch when you have the right options waiting for you. 🙂
Another thing I’ve committed to more recently is making sure I’m getting enough fresh fruits and vegetables! As much as I love pizza/fries/etc, I’ve really noticed a difference in how I feel when I limit junk. There’s definetely a “hill” to get over with comitting to taking care of your health, though. Great post, Carly!
Alex // preppybeancounter.blogspot.com
With water – La Croix is a LIFECHANGER. I know it’s very #basicbetch but when I’m just feeling a little something sweet and don’t want a diet coke I always reach for La Croix. I feel like I buy 2-3 cases a week! xo
Read “How Not to Die” by Dr. Michael Greger and follow his website nutritionfacts.org. Very clear way to understand what the “latest science is saying about your favorite foods to help you make the healthiest choices for you and your family.”
Love these tips– simple but so helpful! I also love cooking at home. I make an effort to cook at home at least 4-5 times a week (but still have a little fun on the weekends!) and I feel SO much better when I do. That way you can control what’s going in your food! xo Devon Seventeen Dresses
YES YES YES to the last one! I try my best to listen to my body and give it what it likes, not what it craves. Although, I never deny it ice cream ahah! Somedays I want meat, others I just want allll the veggies!
Katie | http://www.katieskronicles.org
thank you for sharing this post. i’ve been struggling with feeling motivated/excited about being healthy so it’s glad to know i am not the only one! <3 i feel like especially since it is bikini season and everyone is wearing crop tops (at least, in my mind) it can feel difficult to feel motivated. i love your blog! xo
Great tips Carly! It’s so easy to get caught up in the details of living a healthier lifestyle (how to make the best green smoothie, when to add chia seeds, etc.) that we can forget the basics!
Christina // http://www.thecaffeinista.com
I love these easy tips! It is so hard to go all in, I so practice the moderation tactic as well!
-Bridgette
http://www.justaroundtheneighborhood.com
I am so guilty of not listening to my body, i always push through and then regret it when i sit down and my muscles ache so bad x
First – bravo to you for starting to think about leading a healthy lifestyle at such a young age! I’ve learned, from doing the 30 Clean challenge many times (the30clean.com) that prepping my food twice a week – washing, cutting, roasting/cooking, etc and having healthy options in my fridge at all times is what the game changer is for me. Also – doing yoga at CorePower Yoga as many times as I can fit into my week – especially their Yoga Sculpt class!
I love all these points! I try not to pay too much attention to all the articles either. As with the coconut oil, one week they’re saying avocados are everything and the next they’re saying they’re horrible for your heart. There’s just some sources that I don’t read anymore because they’re not accurate. Listening to your body and staying in tune to your needs is definitely the way to go!
xo, Sofia
http://www.thecozie.co
I started to really make the effort to drink more water for skin benefits a couple months ago, but I didn’t realize just how much it was doing for the rest of my body until my hands started to feel crampy after not drinking enough one day! Little things like that really make a huge difference!
I’ve never tried mediation before – I feel like my mind what be so chatty but maybe I will give it a try one day! I agree about everything in moderation. If you deprive yourself too much you will end of going back to “bad” foods anyway. I also believe in listening to your body – when is craving something, when its full, when its too tired, what it has a lot of energy, etc. I am a huge believe in listening to your body!!
Kristin
http://www.tweedandlace.com
I too had a health scare a few years back, and it was a total shock to me. It made me look critically at my diet and a family member flew out to encourage me to cook, eat healthier and nurture my body, instead of throwing back a yogurt, an apple and a box of cookies for dinner! Since then I’ve moved and have gotten into some not-great habits. The East Coast doesn’t exactly have food as fresh and delicious as San Francisco! Anyway, I was having extreme swings in energy, migraines, and feeling very unmotivated to workout. It just felt like no matter how much effort I put into it, I didn’t look or feel different. So, I decided to do something. I’m about two weeks into working with a nutritionist and I absolutely love it! She’s less about counting and measuring food/your body/calories and is more about having you eat almost entirely veggies. Everyone nutritionist has a different style, so I wasn’t sure if she would be a fit for my personality, but it’s been such a pleasure! Just having someone who’s there for you and motivating you – and educating you, by the way – makes it feel different. If you’re looking for a little boost or a more drastic change, it might be a good idea for you. I am definitely NOT a health nut, and have rolled my eyes at trying brown rice pasta, but I FEEL so different! Of course, it’s all in moderation and my goal is to mostly get back into a more active lifestyle.
I’ll be sharing more about the nutritionist and my diet over on my blog soon too!
http://www.shessobright.com
I literally just wrote a post about this on my blog this week! People make being healthy sound so hard, but there are so many easy ways to stay healthy and practice self-care that can make you feel healthier.
I love these tips! Focusing on getting more sleep and working out more often helps me so much!
xoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com