Changing your eating habits and lifestyle can be demanding, yet finding people who inspire you and remain positive can help you in the long run without changing your mindset.
Changing your eating habits and lifestyle is not bad; it’s helping you improve your health from obesity, diabetes, and other diseases, for instance. Besides, it gives you great benefits like losing weight and better memory and energy.
I want to be able to help you create a healthy lifestyle by showing you these easy steps.
*Note: Some links below are affiliate links, which means I will make a commission if you click and buy. See my full disclosure here for more information.
• Water
Water is the number 1 thing our bodies need. Without water, for example, our bodies won’t function correctly and flush out the toxins we consume every day. In addition, water helps to keep the body hydrated. Hence, some people don’t like the taste of water, although you can find ways to add flavor without adding sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Infused water combines different fruits, vegetables, and herbs in water and gives you a natural flavor than sugar and artificial sweeteners. Here are some recipes I use for myself and my family throughout the week.
Infused Water Recipes
- Strawberries with mint
- Water
- Strawberries
- Mint
- Watermelon with kiwis
- Water
- Watermelon
- Kiwis
- Grapefruit with pomegranate and mint
- Water
- Grapefruit
- Mint
- Oranges with cucumber, mint, and lemon
- Water
- Oranges
- Cucumbers
- Mint
- Lemon
Infused water is beneficial because it boosts your energy and metabolism; moreover, it’s an excellent replacement for sodas and other sugary drinks.
• Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, if you are not hungry, you can always start with small meals that are quick and can give you something in your stomach, for instance. If you are not sure what, to begin with, here are these recipes that can help:
Breakfast recipe ideas
- Avocado with toast
- Avocado
- Toast of your choice
- Lemon juice
- Seasoning and herbs of your choice
- Green smoothie
- Kale or Spinach
- Lemon
- Pear
- Matcha Powder (Not required)
- Overnight Oats
- Raw Oats
- Milk of your choice
- Chia seeds or Flax seeds
- Sweetener of your choice (Ex. Maple syrup, Agave, or Brown rice syrup)
- Add some fruit or nuts of your choice.
When I wake up at 3:45 am every morning, I drink water first, then eat something small before a workout or get my day started because if I don’t, I get drained and have a lack of focus throughout the day, even if I am eating something later, so never skip breakfast.
• Lunch
Lunch is midday, and you’re going to be hungry even if you had breakfast and snacks in between. For instance, you probably would go to a fast-food restaurant and order something you’re used to. But, you decided to make a change. And now you’re looking for healthier options and want to continue eating more nutritious meals. Therefore, here are some great lunch ideas to start with:
Lunch recipe ideas
- A protein of your choice (Ex. Ground beef, ground chicken, or vegan meats)
- Veggies of your choice (Ex. Kale, spinach, broccoli)
- Whole grains of your choice (Ex. Brown rice, quinoa, or whole-grain pasta)
- Fruits of your choice (Ex. Strawberries, grapes, cherries)
- Grilled chicken wrap
- Grilled chicken
- Veggies of your choice
- Low-carb flour tortilla
- Low-calorie dressings (Ex. DIY Avacado cilantro dressing)
- Burrito bowls
- Rice or Quinoa
- Veggies of your choice
- Legumes (Ex. Black beans, white beans, or pinto beans)
- Low-calorie dressing
These are simple and will keep you full and satisfied until your next snack or meal. It’s always too good to have a big lunch during midday because if you grab something small, your hunger will start up again, and that’s when you’re eating everything in sight.
• Dinner
After working or having a busy day, it’s time to get home and figure out what’s the next healthiest thing to enjoy. For instance, here are some dinner ideas that can help you continue eating more nutritious.
Dinner recipe ideas
- Baked Chicken or Protein of your choice
- Sweet potatoes
- Zucchini
- Side Salad
- Roasted butternut squash soup
- Baked lemon pepper salmon
- Grains of your choice
- Veggies of your choice
• Snacks
Snacks are a great way to keep yourself full until it’s time for a big meal. For example, eating snacks will help you with more energy out of the day and satisfaction. Here are some healthy snacks to have with you throughout the day:
Snack ideas
- Make the trail mix of your choice
- Nuts of your choice
- Aired popcorn
- Low-fat cheese
- Low sugar yogurt
- Dried fruit
These examples are simple and don’t need to take all day to make. For example, I always plan out what I have on hand. Besides, if I don’t have it, I make a grocery list and meal plan for the week and start prepping every Saturday. However, if you are not sure how to meal plan, check out my other article here to get started on your journey.
Now that I went over to help you change your healthy eating habits from bad to good, let’s create a better lifestyle.
• Creating a better lifestyle
Creating a lifestyle can be tricky because you are used to doing the same thing repeatedly for years. Moreover, you are not willing to change anything except when you look at it, is it making it better for you or worse? Check out these tips below:
• Exercise
Begin working out at home with simple exercises like push-ups, windmills, and lunges. However, don’t overdo it because you’ve never worked out before or haven’t worked out in a while. You may also check up on particular starter workouts on YouTube.
• Waking up Early
Getting up early is a great way to start your day. For instance, you can accomplish a lot before going to work or having a busy day ahead of you. Besides, getting up early can help you establish better daily routines and increase your daily productivity.
• Eliminate distractions
Getting distracted can become frustrating, and it is hard to stay focused. However, you can make it easier by planning everything the night before, turning off your notifications on your phone, or scheduling time away from your phone or certain apps so you can focus on what you need to do throughout the day.
I admit I used to be on my phone often, and I’d miss the whole day. Hence, I use my phone’s settings to stay off my phone and find productive things to change my lifestyle.
• Find inspiration
Finding inspiration to keep going and stay on track is always good. For example, you can find inspiration to follow people on social media, TED Talks, blogs, friends, and family members. Discover things that will motivate you to keep pushing and not give up.
• Positive affirmations
I use affirmations throughout the day, mainly when I wake up in the morning. For example, it helps me stay positive, and when I start to feel unmotivated or about to feel negative, I either find a youtube video or, if I’m home, I grab the book that I read in the morning before starting my day. I love to read Black Pearls – Daily Meditations, Affirmations, and Inspirations for African-Americans, and you can purchase it here.
Another excellent way to hear positive affirmations are podcast. I love listening to podcasts when I have the time. I listen to mostly food, Spiritual meaning witchy stuff (Yes, I am into stuff like this), and storytelling. When I first opened up my podcast to listen to something, I came across a podcast about affirmations. However, I would not have guessed there are podcasters talking about affirmations, so I decided to click on the podcast called Think positive: Daily Affirmations and started listening.
While listening, Dachia was straight to the point, and it’s only for 2 minutes. For example, Dachia gives you affirmations to write down, so you can repeat them every day and ask yourself a question. However, check out her podcast if you are busy and don’t have time to listen to a long podcast.
• Change your attitude
Your attitude influences you and others throughout the day. Although a bad attitude and a pessimistic outlook can significantly impact your daily life, as well as the lives of others, for instance. First, acknowledging your triggers is the first step in improving your attitude. Secondly, think before you speak and find a solution without becoming upset and offended. Finally, take a step back and breathe if you’re about to explode because you don’t want to do that and also can’t let it go.
I must admit it took me a while to change my attitude. For example, I get very defensive when someone is trying to give me criticism, which isn’t bad; however, I still feel some type of way and am very defensive. For instance, a lot of it had to do with my childhood and being around lower-vibrational people. But over the years, I tried different methods that can help me change my attitude and mindset. Moreover, some worked, and some didn’t, but I’ve never given up, and I started reading more self-help books to change my mindset and be around more positive people.
Therefore, having a positive attitude will help you in the long run. For instance, if you really want something, start being more positive, change your mindset, and let the universe know you’ll get it, and no one will stop you. Finally, if you’re going to be negative, bad things will start happening, and you’ll always wonder why everything is not going your way.
However, if you need something to help you stay mindful, check out my other blog post that can help you meditate, plus help you change your attitude and way of thinking by clicking here.
• Better sleep
A study on CDC.gov shows that getting a good night’s sleep every night for 7 to 8 hours gives you better concentration and productivity. In addition, boosts your immune system, improves memory, and gives you a stable mood during the day. However, if you don’t get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep, you become more fatigued, have poor performance, and start developing chronic diseases.
• Find a new hobby
Having a hobby will help you manage stress, promote better health, and keep you from being depressed. However, if you are unsure what hobbies to try, you can look online at Pinterest, social media, and Google. Additionally, you can search your area and see what kind of activities they have.
For example, I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and out here, I always look for new activities to try on an app I found years ago called Eventbrite. For instance, you can search for anything like festivals, fitness, charities, family activities, and more. Additionally, they have free events and some cost money.
Conclusion
Finally, you know how to start a healthy eating habit and lifestyle; you should move from old habits to new ones. As I said, it won’t be easy. However, you have the tools now to start. If you are unsure and need guidance, you can message me, and I can try and help you get started.