20 Simple Ways to Boost Your Optimal YOU Lifestyle
Many of us struggle to lose weight, get healthy, and find time for it all. Even if we do manage to lose weight, it is a trick to maintain a healthy weight. It’s tough to hold down a full-time job, wake up early and prepare breakfast, plan healthy meals for the day, remember to take our vitamins and drink water, train for a marathon and meditate each day…. Here’s the good news: you can add all of these things to your day if you want to, but you don’t have to fill your day with grand displays of health and fitness to experience weight loss, happiness and an optimum lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle is really made up of small things we do daily that add up to big results.
Here are 20 simple ways to add to your healthier, happier, optimal lifestyle that are seamlessly incorporated into your daily life:
1. Start each morning with a glass of lemon water.
You have just slept through the night without hydrating. The very first thing you should dive into as you awake, is hydration. Lemon water is a great morning hydration routine. Hydration helps enhance skin health, aid in digestion, promote mental clarity, as well as boost energy for your day. Now add lemon to your water, and you boost your immune system with Vitamin C and support weight loss with the antioxidants found in lemons. Have you ever rubbed a lemon on your hands to get rid of the smell of garlic or some other strong odor? This same remedy may apply to bad morning breath and is known to also helps prevent dry mouth.
2. Look before you eat.
Check calorie counts and serving sizes of what you eat. Most foods are healthy in moderation, but overeating increases weight fast! Be mindful of the foods you choose to eat and of each bite you take. Don’t eat just for taste or filling your belly. Eating according to the place, time, season, and your physical condition can keep your organs nourished and helps regulate the activities of your body, which leads to the maintenance of a healthy body weight naturally.
3. Start each day with something healthy.
Daily vitamins and a well-balanced breakfast fuel your body, workouts, and daily routines. Give your metabolism the jumpstart it needs to burn calories throughout the day. Plus, starting your day healthy usually means you are likely to consume less fat throughout your day. Research shows that breakfast eaters have a better memory and focus and are less likely to become overweight.
4. Socialize health-consciously.
Hanging out doesn’t have to mean eating out. Go on a hike or a fitness walk with friends instead! Look for friends that value health and fitness in the same ways you do, then create a tribe of friends you can rely on to experience a healthy lifestyle in your free time. You will grow to love this time with motivated friends because not only will you be learning, trying new things, looking and feeling better, but you will be amazed at your personal growth in your career, at home, and even in your finances! Save time, health and money on exercising more and eating less out.
5. Commit to workout times.
Working out is very important to your health. Plan other obligations around your designated workout time. Make yourself a priority. When you set a time, determine if you are more likely to stick to that time in the morning, lunchtime or evening, and stick with that time. Send yourself a reminder by email, text or alarm so you’ll never forget. Then when you get the reminder, do it right away.
6. Lay out your workout clothes the night before or put them in your car.
Plan ahead to save time and make sure you commit to a plan that you do own your own or with Trish Your Trainer. By setting yourself up for success the night before, you will not have to worry about being forgetful with morning mind fog or not able to adjust if something unexpected happens in your morning that throws you off your routine and eats up extra time. It is all in the planning….
7. Top your foods on the down-low.
Of calories, that is! Calories in creamy sauces and dressings really add up! Beware! You can skim calories with minimal deprivation. Watch portion sizes of any topping and try dipping. Instead of pouring dressings and toppings all over your food, keep it as a side that you simply dip your fork in from time to time for flavor. This alone will cut calories in half!
8. Don’t munch while you work.
It is easy to pack on unhealthy calories with break room nibbles, sweets on your desk, and afternoon meetings with catered snacks. Try skipping the bread and looking for high fiber snacks like fruits and veggies to get you to the next meal. Be mindful of your beverages at work as well. Just one bottle of sugar-sweetened iced tea can boost as many calories as a small meal. Stick to mainly water or fruit-infused water.
9. Take the stairs.
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is a simple way to get a little more physical activity in your daily life. It also strengthens and tones your legs and core as you climb! Take this habit everywhere, not just work. Staying in a hotel or shopping in a store with escalators? Try finding the stairs and skipping a stair on the way up…your glutes will thank you too! Sweat every day!
10. Get sunlight everyday. Play outside.
Vitamin D is essential for overall health and wellness and sunlight is the best source of this vital nutrient. Your aim is to get at least 30 minutes of sunlight daily without sunscreen. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it makes Vitamin D from cholesterol. The sun’s ultraviolet UVB rays hit cholesterol in the skin cells, providing energy for Vitamin D synthesis to occur. The best time for this exposure is between 11am and 1pm. You need Vitamin D to help you regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body.
11. Bring houseplants into your living spaces.
Houseplants bring oxygen into the room and help cleanse the air you breathe. Research shows that not only do they improve air quality in your home and office, but research shows they improve mood, problem-solving and creativity. Not to mention they add beauty and warmth to your surroundings. Pick plants that inspire you and make you smile!
12. Eat LESS from a box, can, bag or bottle.
That’s code for EAT CLEAN. Aim to only eat real food that’s made from whole food ingredients you would have in your own kitchen or could get easily at a local farmer’s market. And yes, this pretty much rules out most packaged foods from the supermarket. But don’t worry, the more you eat, the more you will LOVE the natural flavors that come with eating real, healthy, nutrient-dense foods!
13. Make half your plate Vegetables.
This is a simple habit for your healthy eating that brings attention to portion control, calorie content, and nutrient richness. As a result, you are naturally plugging in weight loss and control. If you can make veggies half your plate at every meal, count on healthier skin and hair, mental focus and better metabolism regulation….just to name a few benefits.
14. Stay positive…no matter what!
Never underestimate the power of POSITIVE. Make every day a great day and you will be healthy, strong and happy! Mindset is everything and you choose! It is as simple as recognizing negative thoughts as they arise and countering them with positive thoughts or affirmations that instantly change your mood, stress levels and demeanor.
15. Get enough sleep.
Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep nightly. What time do you need to get up? Simply count backwards by 7-9 hours to find your exact bedtime. Try to stick with the same bedtime and wake up time so your body can settle into a restful routine. Quality sleep starts with a cool bedroom and avoiding blue light after dark. Sleep is your time for your body, mind, and soul to rest and repair so it is every bit as important as your exercise and good nutrition habits.
16. Spend time alone.
Get to know yourself. Check in with how you are doing, feeling, and growing physically, mentally and spiritually. What do you want out of life? Are you on track? Live your most intentional life by taking private time for things like hiking, biking, running, writing, meditating or sitting in the sun. Alone time is where you make some of your best decisions and find your best self.
17. Don’t forget self-care activities.
Stress is proven to be harmful to your physical and mental health. Get to know the things, people, and places that trigger stress for you and manage the stress by doing calming things that help you relax and release stress so you can maintain healthy levels and live a joyful life. Anything from a massage to a Facetime call with your best friend, will benefit your ability to cope with inevitable stress.
18. Overcome your fears.
Fears hold back progress and keep you from living life as Optimal YOU. Notice, acknowledge and accept your fears so you can take steps to overcome them. You may have a fear of being alone so you could face that fear by opening new doors in your personal and career life that allow you to ease into being around people more.
19. Practice Gratitude
This simple act of practicing gratitude can be done anytime of day, in private or in public. There are many physical and mental health benefits that come with nurturing an attitude of gratitude. You don’t need to always be meditating for hours to practice gratitude. Some of the best ways to show gratitude start by a simple smile and a few kind words to all you meet!
20. Do what you love.
This is a no brainer but a challenge for many. First you must identify what you love and embrace it. Make time for what you love and value it. This simple element of healthy living often gets overlooked in our busy lives. Make sure you reserve time on your calendar each day to do the things that make you smile, laugh and bring joy...like listening to music, watching a funny show on TV, crafting, camping, learning a new skill, anything that makes your heart sing!
