Health tips of the week 11

So I skipped a week of healthy blogging (and in honestly, it's been Passover so I've also skipped a week of healthy eating myself with all of the matzah related meals and tons of passover friendly junk food and desserts I could have done without...) but anyway, my healthy lifestyle resumes today.



If you found yourself skipping a week or so of your diet or getting off the beaten track, here is how to get stable again.

- Go food shopping with a LIST and limit yourself.  Today the woman in front  of me in the check out line commented on how healthy of an eater I was by looking at my pile of groceries. I get comments like this a lot in the food store and it makes me feel good that people really look at my food choices and can tell they are good ones (even if they are not healthy eaters themselves). Make a list first, so you don't get off track by sticking random foods that your caloric budget and wallet can't allow for. If you eat dairy, get low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt. These are high protein and low fat foods that make good snacks, side dishes for meals, or smoothie additives. If you're a big yogurt eater, opt for Greek yogurt if you can.. it has much more protein in it and less fat, but no matter what, check your ingredients to make sure there are no additives and the ingredients are as close to natural as you can get. Make sure you get other healthy protein sources such as seitan or tofu (if you don't eat meat), hummus, nuts, eggs, canned tuna, fresh fish from the seafood section, and canned beans. If you love fruits and veggies try make half of your groceries fruits/veggies so your fridge will be filled with low-fat and low-calorie high fiber and nutrient rich foods. Don't forget your fruit juices and dairy/soy/almond/coconut milk for smoothies! If you want some grains, try for healthier options than bread and get a big container of plain oats that make a fast easy breakfast (and in which you can add fruits, natural sweeteners, etc.) and if you NEED bread, try sprouted bread in the organic frozen section which is a wholesome natural bread that is better for you and has more protein. The rest of the items on your list or that you give in to randomly adding in your cart should be "must haves" and if you splurge on any type of sweets or junk food, make sure the ingredients are natural. When it comes down to it, fat isn't as bad as artificial and processed ingredients.

-Don't give in to those cravings! If you are craving ice cream, try keeping individual yogurt cups in your freezer... they taste like sorbet or greek ice cream but much better for you! I also added a Yonanas frozen treat maker to my wedding registry.... it's an awesome contraption that takes frozen fruit and makes it into the constancy of ice cream! Frozen treats are also great for this increasingly (somewhat) warm weather we are having. If you crave chips or salty snacks, try snacks in small portions (try ONE serving size) or get natural chips with wholesome ingredients or sliced veggies with hummus. Just whenever you reach for unhealthy food options.. remind yourself WHY you want to be healthy and stay in shape to try to remain on track with your healthy lifestyle. Only keep healthy foods in the house (from the shopping experience described above), so you won't have the option to reach for something unhealthy in your fridge or pantry.

- Good luck. I know I try to make this stuff sound easy. I fail at my own rules all the time.. but it's all about having the will-power to get back up and keep going! Remember that being healthy isn't just a "diet", it isn't short term and it shouldn't be an inconvenience, when you form new habits and feel physically better, you'll realize being healthy is a LIFESTYLE. "Failing" or splurging once in a while is okay, as long as you keep your healthy habits a majority of the time. Keep with it!