Healthy Tips for Lazy Girls

Yeah, I'm not the number one person anyone comes to for health advice, BUT as I am getting older, I am more conscious over the way my body feels and how doing certain things affect it. So here is my list of tips and tricks to be healthier without too much effort. You're welcome.

FOOD TIPS

*Water! Drink it as much as you can. Let yourself have pop occasionally, but limit yourself. Some people don't like water, as it can get boring. I find the colder, the better it is so add ice! And if you are really bored, add a crystal light packet. No sugar and virtually nothing bad for you in it. Lemon iced tea is one of my faves.

*Don't chew sugar gum. It's unnecessary sugar, bad for your teeth, and sugar-free gum is just as sweet.

*Eat when you're hungry. Several small meals is better than a couple large meals. Don't let yourself get super hungry before you eat or you will eat everything in sight.

*HEALTHY SNACKS*

*One of my favorite, go-to healthy snacks is perfect if you have a sweet tooth. Cut up a granny smith ( or whatever kind you prefer) apple into slices. Dip in flavored Greek yogurt. (Creamier and more protein than normal yogurt! I like blueberry) OR make your own fruit dip...take vanilla Greek yogurt, add a teaspoon stevia, and a couple shakes of cinnamon. YUM!

*Hummus and pita chips are a healthier option than chips and dip and just as satisfying. Have an open mind! I would have never thought I'd like them.

EXERCISE-ish

*My room is upstairs so I'm up and down several times a day. Every time I am going up to my room or upstairs in general, I will skip every other step. A great way work those thighs.

*I love biking. I don't have gears on my bike so going uphill can be challenging. Especially after a long winter of being unable to ride, my body is not used to it. My trick to get back into bike shape is start out riding down the street. Every day go a little farther and soon you'll be riding miles!

*STRETCHES! It may seem weird, but it makes such a difference. Do simple exercises to strength your back muscles. From someone who has pulled a back muscle, it's important to have a strong back. It's so hard to describe without pictures, but some of my favorites are: getting on all fours and arching like a halloween kitty and laying like you're going to do a sit-up, but raising your pelvis instead.

halloween kitty 

this is FINE for beginners, just don't hold forever!

This one is really good too. You can def feel it in your back.

Wii fit yoga and strength training are really good to get ideas and learn proper techniques. I always enjoy a nice stretch. 

Keep in mind, I'm NO expert, but these tips have worked great for me. Don't worry about being perfect. Just focus on adding healthier options to your day.

"I don't eat anything with a face!"

A lot of hype is focused on eating healthier. Raw, vegan, vegetarian, organic, gluten free...you name it. And I'm NOT buying into it. It IS messed up some of the ingredients they put into our food. That's true. But we can eat the food around us without going to the extreme.

My biggest problem with all the hype is there is NO way in the world I would ever give up meat. Cheeseburgers, BACON, chicken, salmon (according to some is meat. but psh it's healthy guys)...I would never go without those. And dairy. I'm from Wisconsin. I love cheese, milk, butter. We have survived forever on meat. Did our very ancient ancestors live on plants? I think not! When people (ahem, mom) try telling me to stop eating meat, I just want to punch them. How could you give up such a beautiful thing? (People also like to rub their supposed superiority in your face/try to change your eating and it's just annoying)

It's good to limit your amount of unhealthy things. We don't have to eat it constantly Everything in life should be done in moderation. When you can, buy things you know where they're coming from. My dad has chickens and I much prefer their eggs to store bought eggs. You can taste the difference. He buys his beef from a farmer who strictly corn feeds his cattle. There is for sure a difference. In general, they add unnecessary hormones and antibiotics to things you buy in the store. I generally won't eat meat or eggs from the supermarket. That should be regulated, no doubt. Eat homemade whenever you can. You can control what you put in your food then.

I don't have anything against eating healthy, but some foods are just disgusting. (And I'm a grown up and can eat ice cream for breakfast sometimes if I want) My mom likes to add or substitute ingredients and try to trick us into liking them. It NEVER works. Ground turkey makes me want to barf. Chia seeds in my muffins are not acceptable. Almond butter makes me gag. Cauliflower mashed potatoes? Ew. Just give me some yukon golds please. Canned pumpkin is not a valid substitution for oil/eggs in brownies. I don't dislike certain foods because they're "healthy". I just have taste buds and flavor as well as texture matter to me. I can't eat something bad tasting just because it's healthy.

I drink more water daily than the average person, I'm quite sure. And I'm usually pretty good at making sure I don't eat too much when I'm eating something that's not good for me. I very, very rarely get fast food. I drink pop just as rarely. Seriously, all this crap about how we shouldn't be eating half the things we have always eaten drives me nuts.  We're ALL gonna die so just enjoy your life and don't gorge yourself. Unless it's Thanksgiving. Gluttony doesn't count then.

And if you don't eat meat or eat a restricted diet, DON'T act like you're better than everybody else. It makes you come across as a giant douche. #justsaying