healthy lifestyle

4 Bad Eating Habits You Need To Avoid

July 2, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Eating healthy is essential to living healthy. But as much as most of us desire to have a healthy eating habit, sometimes the will power is lacking, and we find ourselves falling back to habits that negatively affect our health. Some of these habits we may already know about, some we may not. So, let’s take a look at some unhealthy eating habits that we need to put an end to.

Eating Late At Night

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This is one habit a lot of people are guilty of. Eating late at night contributes a lot to unhealthy weight gain and heart-related issues over time. It is always advisable to eat at least three hours before bedtime to allow for enough time to digest the food. Late-night eating can also lead to heartburns in the morning. A little trick that might work is to make a point of brushing your teeth earlier in the evening. This way, you may be discouraged from eating later at night after brushing. And if you’re struggling with heartburn, you can try relief medications such as Zanzole. Zanzole helps to control frequent heartburn by decreasing the amount of acid produced by the stomach. Visit https://www.zanzole24hr.com.au/zanzole-24hr/ for more information.

Frequent Snacking

Another habit most people are guilty of is frequent snacking. Whether it is munching on those high-calorie chips when watching a movie or digging into that delicious cake too often, frequent snacking mostly adds nothing but extra calories to the body. And unfortunately, this problem is not only limited to adults. About 66% of children in Australia below 16 years of age have snacks about two to three times a day. To fix this, purchase only healthy snacks and get rid of the cookies and potato chips that are not healthy.

Skipping Breakfast

There are a lot of reasons why nutritionists recommend breakfast as the most important meal of the day. However, our mornings can be so busy that we often forget to have breakfast, and thus, depriving our bodies of the essential energy and nutrients to start the day. Sometimes, you may not even feel hungry and decide to skip breakfast as a result. But without the needed energy to start your day, the chances are that you will be tempted to overindulge during lunch or supper. And next thing you know, you’re gaining unhealthy weight. To fix this, always have a healthy breakfast ready that you can take even on-the-go. Even when you’re not hungry, having a cup of smoothie, yoghurt, or whole fruit can make a difference.

Eating In Haste

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You’re late for work and running out of time, and so, you’re wolfing down your meal in record time. It doesn’t matter what it is you’re eating – whether a simple snack or a whole meal. Aside from the fact that you’re likely to consume more than you can, might leave you with very uncomfortable stomach issues. The fix: Always take smaller bites and take your time to chew your food. Drink a lot of water during the day as well as during your meal. Never rush through your meal, no matter how pressed for time you are.

Health Nutrition

Make Breakfast Into The Healthiest Meal Of The Day

May 19, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

Breakfast is, as we’re commonly told, the most important meal of the day. It gets our metabolism started, gives us the boost of energy we need to get through the morning, and, often, it sets the tone for how we will eat for the rest of the day. As such, if you want a healthy eating day, you need to have a healthy eating breakfast, as well. Here are some ways you can make sure you do that.

Link to Picture – CC0 License

Oat so simple

If you’re in a big rush, then you don’t want to spend too much time fussing around the kitchen. To that end, there are few foods simpler to prepare than a bowl of oats. Make it with skimmed milk or yogurt, add whatever fruits you want (with berries being particularly flavorful and nutritious) and take ten minutes to prepare it all. It’s a great way to get some whole grains into your diet, too.

Give your morning a smooth start

Another lazy and super convenient answer to your morning’s food needs is the faithful smoothie. All you need is a blender and the right ingredients and you’re good to go. To make sure that you’re getting the right nutrients, however, you should vary it up so it’s not always the sugar-filled fruit recipes we all love so dearly. Take the time to incorporate dark, leafy greens like kale and spinach, nut butter, seeds, and greek yogurt.

Tapioca for breakfast?

Tapioca-based puddings are often recommended as a light, gluten-free dessert, but did you know that they are also regularly used as breakfast food? In Indian households, tapioca pearls (or sabudana) are regularly had as a favorite breakfast snack. This recipe for sabudana khichadi can show you precisely how to make it a breakfast. It’s light, it’s vegan, and it’s very quick and easy to make once you’ve got the recipe nailed.

Keep it eggscellent

Like all of the other recipes here, a good egg salad for your breakfast is going to give you bot h a delicious and healthy start to the day. There are a lot of ways you can add some variety to an egg salad recipe, as well. You can serve the egg on avocado on toast, for instance, or simply use it to replace the chicken in a chicken caesar salad.

Pour yourself a cuppa

If you’re looking for something to drink alongside your breakfast, coffee isn’t all that bad for you. However, tea has an even more impressive list of benefits, not to mention a lower caffeine count (if you’re worried about your overall caffeine consumption.) It’s also full of immunity-boosting antioxidants, catechins, so it can even make you less likely to catch seasonal flus, colds, and other pesky bugs.

Hopefully, the tips above help ensure you start your day the right way. You want to make sure your breakfast contains all the energy you need but isn’t so calorie-filled that it weighs you down until lunch.

Thank you for reading!

Food Nutrition

Can You Make Healthy Food More Enjoyable?

February 12, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

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Eating healthily would be a lot easier were it not for the fact that a lot of the healthiest foods are considered by most of us to be the most unpleasant. For example, just imagine your joyful reaction on being told that chocolate is good for you … followed by the sheer horror when you realise that they’re talking about super-dark chocolate, the bitter stuff that you’d usually walk right past. And what’s the healthiest citrus fruit? It couldn’t be a zesty tangerine, could it? It has to be grapefruit; great for your heart and immune system, but an attack on the taste buds.

There is even a trope about foods that are like this: If it tastes bad, it must be good for you. And so, while most of us would rather be eating loaded fries or ice-cream sundaes, we make the smart, selfless choice and settle for the healthy option. It’s the correct option, even if it sometimes feels wrong. However, healthy eating doesn’t need to be this hard. As long as you keep in mind a few simple principles, it can be rewarding – and even tasty, at times.

1. A little seasoning goes a long way

One of the first steps many of us make when changing our diet for the healthier is to say goodbye to fries and other potato side dishes, and welcome salads to our usual rotation. It’s a smart choice – especially if you include healthy options like carrot and beetroot in your salads, doubling up on beneficial nutrients. What a lot of people don’t realise, however, is that salad needs seasoning – and will be no less healthy for it. A little salt and a pinch of black pepper will give any salad an extra dimension – as will a dash of lemon or lime juice.

2. What you eat, and how you eat it, are both important

When we are advised to make changes to our diet, it’s usually for the purpose of getting specific nutrients: avocados are loaded with a hefty nutrient profile, while cruciferous veg like broccoli and Brussels sprouts also pack a punch. These foods are also among the most commonly-cited foods people don’t like. However, you can brighten up avocado by serving it on toast for a tasty contrast between crunchy and soft, while this honey balsamic roasted brussel sprouts recipe will change the mind of even the most hardened sprout-skeptic. In each of these cases, the food retains is nutritious benefits, while gaining a new taste.

3. If you don’t like it now, give it a chance

The truth of the matter is that much of our distaste for the healthier foods to which we switch comes from unfamiliarity. Part of the reason it’s so common to find children who are fussy eaters is the fact that if they’re not familiar with a food, they assume they won’t like it. And maybe, the first few times they do try a food, they really won’t like it. Adults are just the same – it can take a few tries to get to enjoy some of the healthier foods out there, and that includes grapefruit and dark chocolate. But as your palate becomes more habituated to them, you’d be surprised by how much you can begin to enjoy a food you once disliked.

Trial and error is an important part of making the switch to healthy eating. But give those foods you “don’t like” a chance, and you may be surprised by what you learn.

Thank you for reading!

Fitness Health

Small Changes to a Healthy Lifestyle

February 10, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

The goal to be healthier is at the top of most people’s resolutions each year. It is also the goal the most people consistently give up on each year. A lot of times, the goal gets pushed to the back burner and then forgotten because people try to take on too much at once. If you want to be successful at being healthier this year, then try a couple of these small steps towards healthy living!

Water

One big way that you can improve your overall health is to drink more water. Most people don’t drink enough water and dehydration can result in headaches, skin problems, sleep problems, and eating more than necessary to name a few. It is easy to calculate the amount of water to drink each day. Take your weight and divide it in half. That number is how many ounces of water you should drink every day. The best way to stay hydrated is to get a reusable water bottle and keep it with you all day. Figure out how many ounces of water fit in that bottle and then track how many ounces you drink all day. Gradually work up to meet your new goal. You may be surprised at how much water you need to drink each day!

Supplements

Another easy way to improve your health is to take vitamins or supplements. A great place to start is to find a comprehensive multivitamin. Multivitamins are specifically designed for people of different ages and lifestyles, so find one that will fit your needs. If you already take a multivitamin, then you might want to consider adding another supplement like B12, kief or hash, or vitamin D. What is kief and hash? There is a lot of research and information online to help answer all your questions. Be sure to talk to your doctor before changing your supplement regimen too much.

Reduce Sugar Intake

Another big way you can improve your health is to reduce the amount of sugar you eat. There is a surprising amount of sugar in most beverages, so switching out soda or juice for water is a huge step in the right direction. You can also replace eating candy as an afternoon snack to almonds or other foods high in protein. These snacks will give you the boost of energy you are looking for while helping you keep your resolutions. The more protein, the longer you’ll feel full!

Exercise

Exercising may seem like a daunting task to take on at first, but remember you are focusing on small changes. If you aren’t exercising right now, then don’t jump into trying to run a mile every day. That is unrealistic and it isn’t sustainable. Start where you are and add a little bit at a time. Try doing a light yoga routine first thing in the morning. Walk somewhere you would usually drive. Take the stairs instead of an elevator if it is possible. Go for a walk on your lunch break instead of eating your lunch at your desk. Anything you can do to add a little more activity to your day is a fantastic place to start.

•What have you changed to live a healthier lifestyle?

Thank you for reading!

This post was a collaboration.

Health

The Foundations of a Healthy Lifestyle

February 7, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

When it comes to establishing a healthy lifestyle, there are many things that you need to consider in order to achieve stability and balance. Here are the pillars of a healthy lifestyle that you absolutely need to focus on.

Fitness includes physical, mental and even spiritual wellbeing. By balancing all three of these, you can strive towards a healthier you that can tackle any challenge no matter how tough or stressful it is.

Financial concerns can be extremely stressful, hence why it’s important to achieve financial stability as soon as possible. Fail to manage your money and you’ll find that it can be a massive source of stress that holds you back in life.

Relationships are important in life. Regardless if it’s friends, family members or a lover, nurture your relationships to balance your lifestyle.

Discovery helps you realize that there’s more to the world than the same few locations you visit on a regular basis–and it’s all waiting to be explored by you.

Purpose helps to give you motivation in what you do every day. Some people find purpose in raising a family, while others aim to improve their craft to have a greater impact on society through their work.

These are the foundations that we feel are crucial to living a healthy lifestyle. But in addition to this, it’s important that you understand what you should be protecting yourself against. As such, we’ve included a helpful infographic below that covers public health issues that you should be wary of.

Infographic: University of Nevada Reno

Health

What You Should Be Thinking About To Achieve A Healthy Lifestyle

August 22, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

Quite often seen as an impossible task, or something that requires a lot of commitment and hard work, is a healthy lifestyle. We all want to make sure we’re making the most of our time, and living a good, long life is part of that. In order to make sure we are achieving this, we need to spend a little time to take an active approach when it comes to our health. But it doesn’t need to be hard work. You will always get the people who seem to just naturally be healthy, however, they will be most likely be achieving the goal of a healthy lifestyle from making simple everyday choices.

Photo by Ella Olsson from Pexels

Have a look below at some of the things you can focus on to help achieve a healthy lifestyle without it becoming stressful or a constant worry:

Regular Health Checks

It should go without saying that regular health checks should be something that is high up on the list as a priority when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Although we don’t always like to hear that we’re not as healthy as we should be, we need a filling at the dentist, or we need help with areas such as our hearing, it doesn’t make it any less important. You should take the time to learn more about the importance of looking after your teeth, ears, and eyes. This is something that we need to do, not just for ourselves, but so we can set the right example to our children. If we’re trying to get them to look after their health, we need to be doing the same. If we have a problem with our teeth, even though we may be scared of the dentist, we have to bite the bullet, for the sake of our loved ones. And if your children have these concerns, you can point them towards resources such as Bright Smiles Pediatric Dentistry to help demystify the process. But this is something we can all learn from.

What You Consume

An essential part of a healthy lifestyle is the food and drink that you consume. It’s something that we deal with every day. We know it has a huge effect on our overall health. We will ultimately end up unhealthy, stressed, overweight, tired, and agitated if we don’t consume the right food and the right quantities. Look at areas such as:

· The Food You Eat – Try to make sure you are sticking to a well-balanced diet.

· Vitamins and Supplements- It’s a popular choice to use these to help achieve a healthy lifestyle.

· Alcohol – Try to minimize binge drinking.

· Water– It’s not a big secret that we need water to survive. We naturally consume water throughout the day, so it’s important to top this up as the day goes on.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is definitely a key part of any healthy lifestyle, but it doesn’t need to be a task that we all dread. The best way of achieving the goal of daily activity in your life is to stop thinking about it as exercise. Yes, that is much easier said than done, but making small changes like walking to the store, going for a family bike ride, or for a stroll up the beach, rather than lying down, means you won’t feel the pressure of exercising, but being more active. Try to think about:

· Being Active for at Least 30 Mins- This can be doing the housework, cleaning the car, walking to the store, or it can simply be an exercise video from YouTube.

· Find an Activity You Enjoy- If you hate running or swimming, don’t do them. Try a few things until you find one you like.

· Involve Your Family or friends- You are much more likely to achieve this if you have support, so get everyone involved! They need it, too.

•Are there any other hints and tips that you can share to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle? Please share them in the comments below!

This post was a collaboration.

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Personal

It’s My First Blogiversary!

December 11, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 9 Comments

Yesterday was a very exciting today — It was my blogiversary! (Although I am celebrating today)

I started blogging one year ago (December 10, 2013) mainly as an outlet to express my thoughts and feelings on the connection between physical and mental health. I was health coaching at the time and found that the people I wanted to help most were those struggling emotionally/mentally. I have this desire to “save” people who need guidance, mainly because when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 6 years ago, I needed saving. It was an incredibly difficult and lonely time. But I got through it. And now, I want to help everyone I can! I realize this is not possible, but even if I can help one person, it’s definitely worth it.

As my blogging progressed, I started looking at it more as a business than a hobby. I love writing — I’ve been journaling and writing stories/poetry since the third grade. My original major in college was journalism (I switched due to lack of jobs). So I joined blogging/fitness groups like Fit Approach (#sweatpink), I’m Fit Possible (which is no longer around), Fitfluential, and so many more. It opened up a new world for me!

Prior to these groups, I didn’t have many friends because I was (and still am) fairly new to LA. Even though it was online, it was great having a community of such wonderful people! I was involved with an MLM (multi-level marketing) for a year and a half prior, and even though I had lost my passion for it, I was afraid to leave. I didn’t want to feel like I didn’t belong anywhere. But these groups helped me leave, and I’m forever grateful! Plus, the opportunities I’ve had have been life-changing.

Now that my first year of blogging has passed, I feel like it’s time to step it up. I’m not totally sure how yet, but I’m excited to create it! Maybe it’ll be posting more regularly, or DIY/crafts, or printables, or how I manage bipolar with a positive outlook. Clearly I have many ideas! My mind is flowing with creativity — now to bring that to light!

Thank you to everyone who has helped make my first blogging year so amazing and memorable! I appreciate you all so, so much. <3