Tag: eating habits

3 Tips on Easing Yourself into a Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy living has become a new buzzword, and this isn’t such a bad thing. People are increasingly understanding the importance of watching what goes into their bodies, encouraging more physical activity and trying to drop bad habits. However, living healthy can be a challenge for many, especially after years of adopting and practicing unhealthy habits. For this reason, instead of doing a dramatic switch, it’s often best to begin healthy living gradually and make it more of a process. On that note, this article is going to help you ease into that process by sharing three tips on healthy living with you.

Begin Changing Your Diet 

One of the first things that you can do when trying to ease yourself into healthy living begins by changing your diet. Try assessing your current eating habits and writing them down. You can then look at the unhealthiest of the bunch and see what healthy eating habits you can replace them with. If, for instance, you notice that you skip breakfast every day, try putting a cereal bar in your bag the night before so that you can eat something even if you’re on the go. In the same light, if you notice you have a tendency to eat snacks that consist of empty calories throughout the day, consider surrounding your home and work desk with healthy ones instead. Some healthy snacks you can try include crispy chickpeas, avocado toast, apricot oat bars, spiced nuts, spiced almonds, baked tortilla chips, and oven-roasted kale.

Make Getting a Checkup Routine 

Aside from changing your diet, another way that you can ease yourself into healthy living is by making it a priority to get routine checkups. Nothing gives you peace of mind like knowing that all is well, and your body is functioning as it should. It is typically advised that you consider getting a checkup at least once a year. You can choose to go to your usual doctor or visit a hospital if you need to run specific checks. There are platforms where you can check reviews to ensure you get the best care as well as help others by choosing to review a hospital on platforms such as HealthSoul. You can also try asking friends and family if you can’t seem to find one on your own and see what they recommend.

Try New Activities 

Not everyone is naturally athletic or a sports enthusiast. If this is the case for you, going from never attending the gym to going seven days a week may be unrealistic. Instead, why not try finding an activity you enjoy and doing it with a good friend? This way you can get the physical exercise you need in a way that is enjoyable. Some fitness activities you may want to consider include dancing, training for an active vacation, going on a treasure hunt, or trying something new like horseback riding or skating.

Healthy living is something that you have to commit yourself to if you want to be consistent with it. By trying some of the tips mentioned above, you should find that it gradually becomes easier. Every day offers different challenges; however, by focusing on the end goal which is a long and healthy life, you should be motivated to keep going.

How to Expand Your Kid’s Eating Habits

Getting your children to eat new foods can be a massive undertaking. Sometimes, there is no reason why kids wouldn’t like a food, but to your child, there is logic in why mushy peas aren’t the same as normal peas. Therefore, when it comes to taking your child out to eat or trying to introduce new meals to mealtime, it can become a chore some parents try their best to avoid.

Persuading your child to take a bite can cause the most optimistic of mothers and fathers to lose faith. Yet there is hope. Rather than throw in the towel, it’s time to get inventive. Keep reading for ways to expand your kid’s eating habits.

Educate Them

Sometimes kids don’t like new foods because they don’t fully understand what it is or where it came from; rather than keep them guessing and remaining scared of putting something unknown in their mouths, educate them. Sit down and explain that sweet potatoes are such another variety of potato and that although they look and taste different, they’re not a scary alternative to the good ol’ faithful potato.

To give your kids a better understanding of certain vegetables, build a garden box and turn it into a vegetable patch where you can grow your own produce. Allow your kids to choose some of their favorites as well as integrating some plant foods they’re currently avoiding. Once they’re planted, have your kids help you care for them; let them water the vegetable patch and when the produce is ready and ripe, have them pick them from the ground.

You’ll find that once your children have a better understanding, they may be far more willing to try new foods as they will no longer seem as scary.

Slightly Tweak Old Recipes

Your child may love mac ‘n’ cheese, but this isn’t a nutritional and healthy food for them to eat plenty of; instead, you need to use the recipe as a base and slightly adapt from it. For instance, add spinach to the recipe, and once they enjoy the spinach and are no longer fearful of the green food, serve other spinach-based recipes. Again, this method can be used on kids who simply adore pizza. Instead of making (or ordering in) a pizza, use the ingredients and find a Pocket Change Gourmet pizza casserole. Another good tip is to add in the ingredients without them knowing; for instance, if your child loves cabbage but says they don’t like leek, add leek into the cabbage and you’ll find they won’t realize until you tell them.

Be a Role Model

How can you expect your child to eat healthy if you, yourself, don’t follow a balanced diet? If your child sees you eating burger and chips, then you’ll find you’re not setting a good example. Put down the chips and instead pick up an apple. Lead by example and show your children the benefits of following a varied and nutritional diet. Child are impressionable, and so having them watch you eat healthier foods can help form their mind-set on healthy living.

Four tips for setting up a healthy eating club

Do you feel passionate about the many benefits of healthy eating? Are you eager to convince other people to adopt your positive mindset? Do you feel comfortable socializing in a large group and talking honestly about your feelings? If your answer to these questions is yes, it may interest you to take it upon yourself to set up a healthy eating club. This is a brilliant opportunity for you to make a positive difference to your local community. If you are wondering how to make a success of your club, you should pay close attention to the following four tips.

Stay in contact with one another

If you do decide to set up a healthy eating club, it is important that you stay in touch with all of your club members. Supporting each other is essential if you are going to ensure each and every person achieves their goal. It may be a good idea to organize regular group meetings. Why not hire out a community hall or take it in turns to host the gatherings at your home?

Make the most of technology

In between meetings, your group should also be making the most of technology. This is a great way for you to encourage your members to confront their eating habits head-on. One idea is to get everyone in your club to buddy up. Then, each person will have someone to turn to when they are tempted by an unhealthy snack or an excessive portion size. Digital platforms such as snapchat will allow your members to send each other regular updates on the food that they are consuming. Alternatively, if you happy to share your journeys on a public platform, you could turn to Instagram or Facebook.

Provide plenty of helpful information

The next step is to provide your members with plenty of helpful hints and tips. Of course, you can do this via your digital devices, but you should also endeavor to give everyone physical copies of the information they need to know. Perhaps you could use an online brochure maker to create a useful handout. Your members can pin it to their family notice board or use a magnet to hang it on their fridge. In addition to this, you could design healthy recipe cards and striking posters that are filled with positive affirmations.

Educate yourself

Before pushing ahead with your plans to share helpful information, it is vital that you educate yourself regarding dieting and nutrition. If you are dealing with people who are struggling with their health, it is important that you aren’t leading them down the wrong path. Perhaps research local useful courses at your local community center. You could also meet with a dietician and pick their brains. In addition to this, you should evaluate your personal health and make sure that you are setting a good example. Taking these steps will come in handy when you are creating healthy eating plans, supporting the mental health of your members, and promoting positive approaches to measuring progress.