The healthy, active lifestyle is an ongoing quest. Each day, we learn new ways to improve ourselves. While it can be overwhelming to adjust your diet and routine, there are small lifestyle changes you can introduce to make the process easier and more fun.
Go for a Morning Power Walk
Everyone loves to flex their glutes on the 'gram and show how much they can lift, but a seasoned trainer will advise you to start small—like a simple walk every morning. Wake up early, strap on your runners and go for a 20-minute power walk before work. You'll stretch your muscles, strengthen your bones and improve your mood. Even more, the walk will stimulate your brain, and get you ready to face a busy day. You can also switch up your morning exercises with some planks or pull-ups.
Spice Up Your Juice
Juicing has been all the rage lately and for good reason. It's an easy way to adopt healthier eating habits and help you consume more of your daily recommended nutrient intake. However, a key ingredient, which has been used in Asia for culinary and medicinal purposes for centuries, isn't included in a lot of great juicing recipes: turmeric. Rich in antioxidants, the bright yellow spice lowers cholesterol, improves your liver's performance and helps fight cancer, among many other benefits. Next time you're preparing a revitalizing smoothie, sprinkle in a little turmeric to boost your health.
Keep Active at Work
One of the biggest challenges to maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be the perceived (and real) confines of a 9 to 5 office job. Take every opportunity you can to infuse your workday with some activity, whether it's making the switch to a standing desk to keep you on your feet, or encouraging walking meetings. Lunch breaks are also an often overlooked opportunity. Take advantage of the warm weather and hop on your bike during your lunch break. Go solo or get a couple of friends together for a half-hour group ride. No only will it burn some calories but it will also help you get your daily dose of vitamin D.
Keep a Food Journal
A great way to kick your bad habits is to understand your patterns. With a daily food journal, you'll be able to track everything you feed yourself. You can pinpoint which foods made you feel energized and which ones brought your productivity to a halt. What's especially helpful about keeping a food journal is that you'll see what nutrients your diet is missing so you can plan your meals a lot more effectively.
Swap in Healthy Food Alternatives
Knowing what you should cut out is a lot easier than actually doing it. But a useful way to curb your appetite and get more proteins and vitamins is to make small healthy substitutions in your snacks and meals. We know vegetables keep you healthy: kale is definitely super, but endive, while not as popular, offers just as much nutritional essentials. The plant is enriched with vitamins A, C and K as well as iron and manganese. Instead of a wheat tortilla, use some endives for your next sandwich wrap, or enjoy the leaves with some grapes and walnuts for a healthy snack. And as much as sugar can taste oh so good, consider using natural alternatives like honey to sweeten your meals.
Living a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be as challenging as it might look. Smaller steps can lead to a big payoff. With a few tweaks to the regular aspects of your life, like meals and work breaks, you can create a healthier, fitter you.
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