10 Ways To Be More Healthy, Starting Today!

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Finding ways to be more healthy may not be as difficult as you think! The good news is that when you’re trying to tighten up your fitness and nutrition, it all starts with making small changes.

Before you know it those small changes become habits, which lead to lifestyle changes. And that’s the ultimate goal when it comes to being more healthy, right? Making it a lifestyle so you can sustain it!

Throughout my massive weight loss journey I continually focused on one small change at a time. Before long I found myself being referred to as “healthy” which felt strange, considering my terrible eating habits in the past.

Today I’m more healthy than I’ve ever been. I’m stronger, have a better relationship with food, am not overly-consumed with the number on the scale, and absolutely love exercise. It all started at day one, when I thought “Hm… I think I’ll try this for today…”

Over a decade later, here we are.

10 Ways To Be More Healthy

1. Start With Breakfast

It can feel totally overwhelming to think of changing everything about everything you put into your mouth throughout the day. But starting with just one meal is much more manageable. You can do this with any meal, but since breakfast is the first meal of the day, it may help in setting the tone for the rest of the day.

A good breakfast might include a solid protein (eggs, greek yogurt, a protein shake), a small carb (oatmeal, whole grain toast), and a side of fruit (strawberries, apple slices, or half a banana).

Here’s my recipe for Easy, Weight-Loss-Friendly Oatmeal

2. Drink More Water

Ok so maybe you’re not ready to carry around a gallon jug every day (more power to you if you are)! But being more intentional about drinking water is a great way to up your energy and metabolism. It may also help you feel a whole lot better, very quickly.

Start by drinking a good 16 ounces when you first wake up, and work from there. A good rule of thumb is to aim to drink half your weight in ounces of water every day.

3. Substitute Sugar

Sweets are my thing. I love them. I could give up most savory stuff if I could replace it with sweets. Buuutttt since that’s not a great way to be more healthy, I have to find what works for me.

The most powerful substitution I’ve made is using all natural, zero-calorie sweetener. This sweetener does not affect blood sugar levels and is not a chemical. In fact it’s made from a plant. I use it in my coffee, and in any baked goods.

You can also grab naturally sweetened candy bars. I love these. I keep a few on hand and just break of little chunks when I need something sweet.

4. Go For The Rainbow

Maybe you don’t have time to sit down and plan out exactly what you’ll eat every day for the next week. But making a conscious decision to reach for fruits and veggies instead of chips and candy can be a major game-changer.

You’ve probably heard a million things about “choosing non-starchy veggies” and “not eating too much fruit” and all kinds of rules and regulations. While there’s truth in some of this, in my humble opinion it’s better to eat veggies than not. It’s better to eat fruits than candy.

A great snack might be hummus with baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, and raw zucchini slices (yes, it’s actually yummy!). Even grabbing an apple or banana and throwing it in your bag is a great way to avoid the vending machine when the hunger pangs start!

5. Get Up And Move

I recently had a surgery which required that I sit or lie down for the majority of every day, for about two weeks straight. I could only get up to walk around my house or go to the bathroom.

At one point I got so stir crazy that I just had to find a way to move while I was siting there. I literally made a choice to move my arms up and down. I looked crazy. It wasn’t much. But even as I did the very little that I could do, I could feel the immediate changes in my body.

Every little bit of movement helps. There are so many incredible benefits from simply moving your body more! It doesn’t have to be complicated. Flip the perspective from pursuing rigid exercise that you hate, to finding ways to simply move your body more.

Going for a walk, taking the stairs, parking further away at the grocery store, doing squats while you’re cooking dinner, chasing your kids around the park. Anything that can get your blood circulating and your heart pumping a bit.

Try my 5-Day Exercise Challenge! An easy way to get MOVING!

6. Practice Self Care

Self care can manifest itself in so many ways, but it’s basically an intentional effort to preserve your emotional, physical, mental, and/or spiritual health. You do this by… (spoiler alert)… taking some time to care for yourself!

Waking up a little early and praying or meditating, enjoying your favorite cup of coffee, saying “no” to a social outing so you can stay in and relax, sleeping in, getting a sitter for the kids… whatever refreshes and recharges you specifically, is a win.

7. Make Protein A Priority

There are different theories about how much protein a person should consume each day, but if you’re looking for ways to be more healthy, it’s a good idea to make sure you’ve got protein in your daily diet. Protein fuels your body for life, and can help with keeping blood-sugar levels at bay.

You can go for lean animal protein like chicken, fish, eggs, and turkey, or you can grab a quality protein shake like this one. There are also incredible vegan options. This one is my go-to. It’s a little pricey but it is so full of superfoods and keeps me feeling great!

I try to make sure I have a source of protein at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as an afternoon snack. Protein can also help me feel less hungry, so that’s an added bonus for keeping snacking under control.

8. Download a Food Tracking App

Tracking your food can give you a better sense of what you’re actually eating, since often times it’s easy to eat mindlessly. You can jot things down on a piece of paper if that’s your jam, but there are also free apps for food tracking.

At first you may be surprised at how much more (or less) you’re eating! This is a good thing! It just means you’re able to see where you can make some changes. I like to use MyFitnessPal because you can tailor it to your needs and goals, and it’s FREE! 😉

9. Eat When You’re Hungry… Don’t Eat When You’re Not

There’s this whole process you have to go through in order to truly learn your body’s signals for hunger, thirst, tiredness, etc. But a great place to start is to focus on eating when you’re actually hungry, and choosing not to eat when you’re not.

This helps with snacking, and can help you keep portion sizes under control.

When you start to feel your tummy asking for food, get your head in the game and start thinking about what you can eat. Then… EAT! When you start feeling like you’ve had enough… stop and let your food settle.

Write the words “Eat When You’re Hungry… Don’t Eat When You’re Not” on a sticky note, and try to keep that approach in your mind for the rest of the day.

10. Eat Real Food

You want to find a way to be more healthy? Here’s a great pointer. Eat actual, real food. Try to avoid pre-packaged snacks, highly processed foods, and quick fixes. Grab actual food. Whole vegetables, like baby carrots. Full protein, like meat. Whole grain bread instead of a low-calorie option that’s full of extra chemicals.

Grab for real food. Your body will thank you!!

Well there you have it! 10 ways to be more healthy, starting today! Remember, every little change matters! Choose the healthier option.