All of us wish that we could take the time to be a little healthier, I’m sure. There are some little things that you can do that take very little time to make your day as healthy as possible. When you are healthy, you feel good. And when Mama feels good, don’t we all? Here are some tips that I gleaned from a few resources, as well as some I threw in myself. Follow these and your day is sure to end with you feeling mega-great!
In the A.M.
- Wake up to natural light. Your body likes it. This could be as simple as waking to an alarm and then throwing open the blinds. You will definitely wake up faster with the natural light pouring in!
- Do some stretches to get your blood flowing- just a couple minutes is enough.
- Sit down and eat a nice breakfast, full of protein, whole grains, low-fat dairy and fruit. This will give you the energy you need to get your day started and take you through mid-morning.
- If possible, only have one cup of coffee so that you avoid a crash later on in the morning. If you have to have more than one, try one cup of regular and one cup of decaf.
- Get moving right after breakfast for at least 20 minutes. Just sitting there is doing nothing for you or your metabolism. Your nice breakfast will have given you energy to get up and going, so do it! 20 minutes of light to moderate activity will give you even more energy to start your day (this could be cleaning up the kitchen, taking the dog for a walk or running around getting the kids ready, too!)
- Eat a mid-morning snack. Pick from one of the recipes below, or just have a piece of fruit to hold you over until lunchtime. Going into lunch ravenous will only cause you to overeat, which in turn causes mega after-lunch crashes in the afternoon…not fun!
From noon to evening
- Eat a lunch rich in protein, balanced with veggies-a-plenty and a serving of whole grains or nuts. This will keep your mood and energy up throughout the afternoon.
- Be briefly active after lunch (take a quick stroll, go grab your mail upstairs, etc.)
- The after-lunch afternoon slump is brutal. Instead of falling into that slump, focus your attention on doing a different task than the one at hand or get up and walk around a bit. Also, some breathing and stretches will do the trick.
- Have a snack that is balanced in protein and carbs, such as one of the options below.
- Have a light dinner. Eating a big meal right before bedtime can make digestion more difficult and can lead to sleep problems.
- Instead of a rich dessert, have some herbal tea and some fresh berries with yogurt or a frozen fruit/yogurt bar.
- Get some movement in right after dinner by making a point to clean up the kitchen immediately after eating. By getting moving, you aid both your metabolism and digestion.
Late evening
- Try to hit the sack before 11 p.m. Those who go to bed later and wake up later have been proven to gain and retain more weight over time.
- Do some meditating or light yoga before going to bed to get into a relaxation state. Taking a warm bath infused with lavender is also a nice way to get your body into sleep mode. You could even rub some lavender oil on your pulse points to get the fragrance on you.
- Try to stick to the same routine every night- washing your face and brushing your teeth at relatively the same time. Your body will be trained to fall asleep around that time every night, making it easier for you to get some quality z’s.
SNACK RECIPES (one of these in mid-morning and one in the afternoon is ideal):
- Coconut Celery- Fill 3 celery ribs with 1 tbsp. peanut or other nut butter; sprinkle with 2 tbsp. each shredded coconut and dried blueberries
- Apricot Supreme- Slice open 4 dried apricots and stuff with 2 tbsp. low-fat cream cheese (I like the whipped variety). Top each with half a walnut or pecan
- “Peppy” Popcorn- Blend 3 cups air-popped popcorn with 1 tbsp. Parmesan and a pinch of cayenne pepper
- Yummy Yogurt- Top 1 small container of low-fat Greek style vanilla yogurt with 6 mandarin orange segments and 1 tsp. chopped pistachios
IN GENERAL…
- Try to get in about 30-45 minutes of cardio about three times a week, along with a few brief resistance training sessions (about 25 minutes per session is sufficient). Also, yoga at least once a week aids in strength, flexibility and balance.
- Never go more than three hours without eating something (healthy, that is!).
- Drink LOTS of water!
Just a busy working mom with two awesome kids, a wonderful husband, and a penchant for all things fun and healthy for my family!
