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A healthy and balanced lifestyle is often talked about as our future goal. We all think that we will one day begin to make healthy lifestyle choices, that over time these choices will build up into several strong healthy habits, and eventually it will all turn into a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Although a noble intention, what many of us don’t realize is that by putting off this goal of “one day having a balanced lifestyle,” we are on track to NEVER accomplishing it. I’m sure at some point you have all said something along the lines of “This year is going to be different,” or “Diet starts Monday!”

Yet ask yourself, “Was that year actually different?” and “Did the diet really start on Monday?” The sad truth is that “one day” usually means “never.”

The good news is that you don’t have to wait until “one day” to begin, you can literally start today, right NOW, to make healthy choices. The beauty of living a healthy lifestyle is that making these small healthy choices won’t change or disrupt your life like you might think.

Here are 9 of the most simple things you can do TODAY to help you be healthy and feel better. You don’t have to do all 9, but pick a couple and try them out today! Spoiler alert… you might even surprise yourself by how easily you can become healthier and increase your enjoyment of life!

HOW TO BE HEALTHY TODAY

1. FIND A LARGE REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE AND AIM FOR AT LEAST 2 LITERS A DAY

If you don’t already have a reusable water bottle, try out the trend and get one! My person favorite water bottle that I’ve used over the years is my Hydroflask, but any reusable bottle will do!

Pro tip: Make sure that whatever bottle you get is BPA free, you don’t want to be drinking plastic!

Find one? Great! Now shoot to drink at least 2 liters of water (that’s about 8 cups) today. Try and drink often throughout the day. You’ll feel more energy, have better breath, clearer skin, and even better digestion!

2. ADD SOMETHING GREEN TO EVERY MEAL

Most of us aren’t getting enough greens in our diet on a daily basis. Make the goal TODAY to include something green in one (or all) of your meals. The darker and leafier the green is, the better!

To easily incorporate greens into your diet, try adding a handful of spinach to your morning smoothie, throwing in extra lettuce into your lunchtime sandwich, or enjoy a side salad of leafy greens at dinner. Green leafy vegetables provide important nutrients needed for a healthy body!

Pro tip: My favorite way to get greens into my diet is drinking a quick and healthy morning smoothie! Just throwing in fresh and/or frozen fruit, with some spinach, and non-dairy milk can make a stellar smoothie.

If you don’t know what blender is best for a smoothie like this, one of my favorites is the NutriBullet, as it makes cleanup a BREEZE (and you’ll be more likely to stick with it!)

I have to say, personal favorite blender by FAR my Vitamix! I am not exaggerating when I say I LOVE my Vitamix blender because it is high performance and allows me to make any kind of smoothie, soup, ice cream, etc. without having to worry if my blender is able to handle it. If you enjoy making blended foods, and are really committed towards your health goals, I highly recommend checking out the Vitamix blender!

3. CHOOSE TO MOVE YOUR BODY MORE EVERYDAY

Too often we have the best intentions to incorporate exercise into our routine, yet failing to plan ahead for exercise greatly reduces the odds that it is going to happen. Even if it is just planning a small walk around the neighborhood when you first roll out of bed, something is better than nothing!

Pro tip: Take some time first thing in the morning to just go outside. No obligations, no pressure, just you and nature… From there if you feel inclined and have the energy to take a walk or go for a jog, that’s great! And if you decide you want to go back to bed, that is completely understandable too. More often than not, by just putting yourself out there you will naturally WANT to accomplish your goal to exercise.

By making the choice to move more everyday, even if it’s just a little, you will experience an increase in your clarity, increased energy, and even improved sleep.

4. GET TO SLEEP EARLIER AND PRIORITIZE SLEEP

Speaking of sleep, did you know that the majority of Americans are chronically sleep deprived? In our fast paced society, many people try and push themselves to work harder and do more, but they push their bodies without adequate rest and repair. This is like driving a car and not filling it with gas when it gets empty.

I am still working on this one myself, as I am a night owl who loves staying up late. But when I have early morning class, or a morning shift at work, my late nights quickly turn from “fun” into “fatigue” and my body pays the price.

By making the simple goal of prioritizing sleep, aiming to get at least 7 hours a night, and attempting to go to bed earlier, your body will thank you tenfold.

Pro tip: If you don’t feel tired, try staying away from your phone and TV prior to bedtime. Science has shown that blue light from these devices actually TRICKS your brain into thinking it’s day time. Instead of instagram scrolling or youtube watching, try some deep breathing or light reading, you might just find it easier to drift off and get that quality sleep..

5. CRAVING SOMETHING SWEET? GRAB A DATE OR YOUR FAVORITE FRUIT

I don’t know about you guys, but for me I crave sweet snacks ALL THE TIME. Many people share this love for sweets, but feel disheartened when they begin a healthier lifestyle, as they have the false notion that you can’t eat sweets AND be healthy. Living a healthy lifestyle does NOT mean you need to get rid of sweet treats completely, instead just make healthy swaps!

Instead of going for a candy bar or a brownie, swap out for a healthier alternative like plant based dark chocolate, or your favorite fruit!

Pro tip: If you love the flavor of caramel, cookie dough, and brownies I encourage you to buy a box of medjool dates and give them a try. I am genuinely surprised by the amount of people who have never experienced the DELICIOUSNESS that are dates! Not only are they extremely high in nutrients (notably iron and fiber) but they also make the perfect snack to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Dates have truly changed my life, as they are the most versatile ingredient in my kitchen. You can use them as a base in smoothies to add a sweet and caramel flavor. They can be used to make desserts, my favorite being cookie dough date balls. They are delicious chopped up and tossed in oatmeal, adding sweetness and depth of flavor.. You get the idea, dates are awesome and the options are literally endless!

6. CRAVING SOMETHING SALTY? GRAB A HANDFUL OF NUTS INSTEAD OF REACHING FOR JUNK FOOD

Sometimes when the munchies strike, they strike hard. This usually leads people to reach for chips, fries, and other junk food.

The next time this salty mood strikes, instead of reaching for junk food, satisfy this craving with a handful of nuts instead! Any kind of nuts will do! A few of my faves are almonds, cashews, and mixed nuts.

Nut allergy? No problem! 

A great alternative to nuts to satisfy your craving for a salty snack are toasted chickpea snacks!

Whether you make these easy snacks at home, buy it from your local grocery store, or order them from online retailers, these snacks are a great source of protein and are perfect for when those munchies strike. My favorite brands of chickpea snacks are The Good Bean and Hippeas.

Pro tip: The best way to ensure that you are reaching for the RIGHT snacks instead of junk food is by making sure your house is stocked up on the good stuff. By keeping unhealthy junk food out of the house, you are avoiding temptation and will be able to more easily stick to your healthy lifestyle.

7. MEAL PREP FOR WORK OR CLASS TO AVOID FEELING HANGERY 

The fastest way to sabotage your journey towards a healthier lifestyle? Hunger. And what is even worse than hunger? Hanger.

As all of those Snickers commercials always say, “you’re not you when you’re hungry.” And it’s true! When you’re hungry, you couldn’t care less about being healthy, you just want something to eat!

The best way to solve this problem, is by being proactive. Make meals and snacks ahead of time, and freeze them in your favorite BPA-free containers so that when you need food, it’s just a quick microwave session away, and your healthy lifestyle plan remains intact!

Pro tip: You don’t have to go out of your way to prepare elaborate meals for your meal prepping, instead just make larger portion sizes when you cook and put the leftovers to good use!

As a full time student, I have to say that meal prepping has saved me immensely. Spending 12-16 hour days on campus, I have been to the very threshold of hunger pangs that make me ravenous. If I didn’t have healthy food prepared, who knows what I would’ve grab instead!

8. DON’T COMPARE YOUR PROGRESS WITH OTHERS

It is so easy to compare yourself with people who look like they have everything figured out (especially on social media), and suddenly you feel discouraged.

What you have to remember is that if you stay dedicated and consistent, you will get to YOUR version of healthy sooner rather than later. All it takes is having a plan, effort, and consistency.

Pro tip: I’ve found that if you are struggling with comparing yourself to others and becoming discouraged, taking a minute to remember your “why” really helps.

If you can re-connect with the original reason that you are making these lifestyle changes ~ whether that is to look better, feel better, or to just enjoy life more ~ it will help you stay true to yourself and your own progress. YOU CAN DO IT!

9. VIEW SETBACKS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH AND CONSCIOUSLY REFRAME THEM TO BE A POSITIVE

While on your journey to a healthier lifestyle, you WILL experience setbacks along the way. The trick is to not let these setbacks… well… set you back.

Pro tip: I have noticed that the most successful people always view setbacks as an opportunity to grow. The way they do this is by cognitively reframing the situation, and viewing it as a positive. By reframing EVERYTHING as a positive, you begin to train your brain to think “This is the best thing that could have happened to me, and will bring me something even better.”

By adopting this mindset, you will begin to notice that setbacks don’t affect you the same way that they used to, they now fuel you to continue on your journey even stronger than before!

The pursuit of creating a healthy balanced lifestyle is all about your small daily choices. By making these choices each day you will see a dramatic improvement in your mood, energy, and clarity. Will you be perfect each day? Of course not! But that’s life and it’s totally ok.

The most important thing is that you try. You try to make the healthy choice most of the time. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do it perfect each day. The more you try, the better you become, and the healthier you will be!

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