1. A HIGH POWERED BLENDER
The number of healthy items you can make with a blender are endless, including protein shakes, soups and sauces
2. FREEKEH (pronounced ‘free-ka”) THE NEXT HOT SUPER GRAIN
A versatile superfood packed with nutrition and health benefits with fewer calories than rice and three times as much fiber, plus protein and antioxidants.
3. DRINK 3 LITRES OF WATER A DAY
Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up 60% of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water e.g. carrying nutrients to your cells.
4. CARRY A HEALTHY SNACK WITH YOU
You’re running around doing errands and hunger strikes! Try apples with almond butter; peppers and bean dip; carrots with guacamole; edamame sprinkled with sea salt, or a simple hardboiled egg.
5. INCREASE YOUR DAILY DOSE OF OMEGA-3
1/3 of women’s deaths worldwide are caused by heart disease. It’s vital to make sure oily fish like salmon or mackerel, and avocado are part of your meal plan. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for human health but the body can’t make them and we have to get them through food.
6. READ 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE BY STEPHEN R. COVEY
It presents an ‘inside- out’ approach to effectiveness and the idea that change starts within oneself. Our character is a collection of our habits, and habits have a powerful role in our lives.
7. CONSUME ENOUGH PROTEIN DAILY
Protein is one of the three macronutrients that are required in our daily diet (the other two are carbohydrates and fat). It serves as the foundation for replenishing nutrients and boosting muscle growth. It is safe and within normal limits to consume 20-30% of your total daily calories from optimal sources such as lean meats, eggs and dairy products.
8. BERRIES FOR YOUR BELLY
Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries contain powerful antioxidants which may help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer, and boost cognitive function.
9. DO YOUR WEIGHTS FIRST
Experts say weight training should be done first because it’s a higher intensity exercise compared to cardio. Your body is better able to handle weight training early in the workout because you’re fresh. Cardio should be the last thing you do at the gym because it also helps your body recover by increasing blood flow to the muscles and flushing out the lactic acid that makes your muscles feel stiff and sore.
10. TRAIN THE RIGHT WAY
Enlist the help of one of your gym’s trainers – even just temporarily. By learning how to breathe properly and to do exercises the right way, you’ll get more out of a workout while spending less time at the gym.
11. WEAR A GOOD PAIR OF WALKING SHOES
If your shoes don’t provide the necessary support for the arches and heels, they prevent essential range of motion in the foot. When your feet are not able to function properly, other parts of your body must overcompensate, making it common to suffer from pain in the heels, ankles, hips and lower back.
12. EAT EGGS
Eggs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, high quality protein and good fats. A large egg contains 77 calories, 6 grams of quality protein, 5 grams of fat and trace amounts of carbohydrates. It’s important to realize that almost all the nutrients are contained in the yolk, the white contains only protein.
13. HOLD A PLANK POSE FOR 1 MINUTE
It may not look like much but the plank can’t be beaten for building strong abs from the inside out and you can do it at home. The most important element of a good plank is a neutral spine. If you do it right your body should form a straight line from your head to your toe.
14. HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Its wide-ranging uses include everything from curing hiccups to alleviating cold symptoms, and some people have turned to it to help diabetes, cancer, heart problems, high cholesterol and weight issues. As well, this vinegar could help remove teeth stains, whiten teeth and kill bacteria in your mouth and gums.
15. FLOSSING CAN HELP FIGHT DISEASE
Extensive research has shown that bacteria that flourish in an unhealthy mouth can harm the rest of the body, leading to heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illness. Flossing only takes a few minutes but will have a great impact on your oral health.
16. CARE FOR YOUR COLON
Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent in Canada affecting both men and women. Plain and simple, get tested with a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and focus on nutrition. If you’re prone to digestive issues, eat more high-fibre foods to promote better bowel movement. And increase intake of yogurt or a probiotic supplement.
17. SWING A KETTLEBELL
If you don’t have a lot of time try 15 kettlebell swings, 12 goblet squats and 9 burpees and do as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes. You can likely burn as many calories as running on a treadmill for the same amount of time – plus strengthen your back, butt and legs.
18. KEEP YOUR BRAIN FIT
Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s but researchers are finding that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain. Heart healthy foods, such as walnuts, have been shown to have positive impacts on memory and cognitive function. Or learn a second language, studies found that being bilingual strengthens the prefrontal cortex.
19. WATCH PROTION SIZES
Get out the measuring cups and see how close your portions are to the recommended serving size. Using smaller plates, bowls and glasses can help you keep portions under control. Use half your plate for fruits and vegetables and the other half for grains and lean meat, poultry, seafood or beans.
20. ERASE A NEGATIVE THOUGHT
Simply shake your head NO. It’s easy in the moment and research shows it can let go of negativity. Remember happiness is a constant decision. When choose to be happy, you’re stripping these negative thoughts of their power to affect you. When you choose to be happy, you choose to empower yourself.
21. SEE CLEARLY
Most sunglasses are designed to protect our eyes from the sun’s harmful effects. Ophthalmologists recommend that you wear 99% and above UV-absorbent sunglasses and a brimmed hat whenever you’re in the sun for long periods of time and take in lots of foods containing beta-carotene (Vitamin A).
22. GROW SOMETHING EDIBLE
Plant herbs in pots on the windowsill or cultivate garlic and asparagus, a perennial vegetable that keeps producing for decades. Encourage your kids, neighbours and friends to do the same. Odds are you’ll feel more connected to your food and to your community.
23. CHOOSE PROCESSED FOODS WISELY
The further food is from its natural state, the less nutritious it’s likely to be. You don’t have to make everything from scratch, but seek out lightly processed foods with a short list of ingredients (ones you can pronounce). For example, bread should contain flour, yeast and salt, not diglycerides and calcium propionate.
24. GO FOR QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
If we rethink what a healthy ‘full’ plate looks like we can afford grass-fed steak instead of cheaper, industrial-produced meat. We have unprecedented obesity but also unprecedented waste partly because we’re buying supersize deals which are either going to our waists or into the trash. We can shave pounds and save dollars by buying smaller portions of high-quality food.
25. BUY FROM YOUR BACKYARD
Source your meat, milk, vegetables, fruits and many other grains from local producers; it not only saves fuel and reduces your carbon footprint but also ensures freshness, keeps money and jobs close by, and fosters true food security, because basic necessities are produced closer to home. Seek out goods at your local farmers’ market.
26. CHAP STICK IT
The skin on our lips is very thin with the blood supply very close to the surface (which is why lips appear pink or red). Also, your lips don’t contain any oil glands, so they don’t produce natural oils like the rest of your skin. As a result lips tend to become dehydrated and chapped more quickly than the rest of your skin. Choosing a lip moisturizer is worth a little effort to help keep your smile soft and supple.
27. HOOKED ON SUGAR
How much is too much? Even one pack of M&M’s may be too much. The World Health Organization suggests that you get no more than 10% of your daily calories from sugar. Effects are not just cavities. If eaten in large amounts sugar can create havoc on the body and the list of possibilities range from obesity and diabetes, to Alzheimer’s and breast cancer.
28. GO AHEAD AND SNOOZE
Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind and more. So next time you can’t sleep don’t sheep count. Baaa-d idea. Try reading fiction instead, it may just settle your mind and distract you from other things. Or imagine a nice scene, like a future vacation.
