Living well and being as healthy as possible really doesn’t have to be as complicated as you’d think. You don’t have to live on rabbit food or be in the gym for six days a week. You don’t have to buy expensive equipment or even think about it all that much once you’re in the swing of things. If you incorporate healthy habits into your lifestyle you’ll do them without thinking, and be doing your body good with no extra hassle to you. One way to go about this is by implementing healthy swaps. … [Read more...]
Tip for success: Planning weekly meals (with free printable)
You know that you need to eat healthy meals, but life moves at fast speed, and those good intentions to make good food choices get more challenging as the day wears on. This is why it's so important to have a menu planned out before the week begins, and to prepare as much of the food in advance as you possibly can. So, how do you start? Have an eating plan in mind. Are you eating low carb? Counting calories? Paleo? Whatever it is, know what foods you can eat, and which to … [Read more...]
What’s in your water? Supplements that help your body.
There are so many nutrients and vitamins that our bodies need, and it's nearly impossible to know which one we aren't getting enough of, and which we need to work to get more of. For those of us that are trying to lose weight and get healthy, I want to encourage you to start adding a couple of supplements to your diet. Flavored Water: I start out with a flavored water. I like to use Propel, which is a Gatorade product, but there are plenty of others out there that are zero calorie, zero … [Read more...]
Breakfast Bowl
If you're looking for an easy, healthy, portable breakfast option, look no farther. Eggs are a breakfast staple, and they're pretty darn good for you, too. The average egg is about 80 calories, packed with protein and potassium, loaded with healthy cholesterol, and packed with vitamins D and B-12. I love making breakfast burritos, wrapping them in tinfoil, and sticking them in the freezer to grab as I head out the door. They can be easily heated up (minus the tinfoil, of course) before I … [Read more...]
Fast Food Friday: Panda Express
There aren't many fast food restaurants where you can get steamed veggies as part of your meal, which may be one of the reasons I really enjoy eating at Panda Express. There are actually several healthy meal options here, although some that you might think are healthy and low-cal are actually really high in sodium, so you'll want to pay close attention to what you're ordering. My go-to entree at Panda Express is the Mushroom Chicken. Sautéed zucchini and mushrooms with chicken and a light … [Read more...]
Breakfast: Cornerstone of weight loss
If you're not eating breakfast, you're skipping out on one of the most simple, cornerstone elements of weight loss. You've heard all your life that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and you roll your eyes and run out the door in the morning without eating anything, certain that the longer you hold off on eating, the more fat your body will have to burn to provide you with energy to get through the day. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Eating breakfast is important … [Read more...]
Fast Food Friday: Sonic Drive-in
Sonic Drive-in restaurants try to capture the essence of days gone by. If you don't look too closely, you might get a sense that they embrace a healthy lifestyle. After all, their servers bring your meal to your window while gliding around on roller skates or roller blades. After reviewing the menu, I'm gonna give you my bottom line assessment up front: Run away. Don't do it. Not even in a pinch. With very little effort, you can eat more than an entire day's worth of calories in one … [Read more...]
Fast Food Friday: Chick Fil A
Y'all, I was not born in the South, but I've said y'all ever since my middle school days. Two of my best friends growing up were twins from Texas, and they convinced me that y'all was gender neutral, way back before gender neutral was even a thing. I didn't realize until I moved to the South that I was a sweet tea fanatic-- I just sweetened it until I was happy with it, and my mom would chide me for adding too much sugar. You could say I just have Southern taste buds. That is not necessarily a … [Read more...]
Fast Food Friday: Panera Bread
Panera Bread recently announced that they're ditching all of the artificial stuff from the food they serve, and leaving behind just real, actual food. It's a great step in the right direction, and one that folks like me who want to eat healthy, but still end up eating out a lot more than they'd like, can appreciate. Add to that the fact that Panera recently compiled a list of low-calorie menu items-- and you can see why they remain one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite to … [Read more...]
Protein: How Much Do You Need?
You know there are three basic elements of foods that we should eat. Those are protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Most of us, I think, don't have much problem consuming enough fat, especially if you're eating an American diet. Ditto for carbs-- although not all carbs are made alike, so while you may be getting a good amount of carbs in your diet, if they're all simple carbs, you're not doing yourself any favors. When it comes to protein, we may not as easily get enough in our diet. There are a … [Read more...]