With summer around the corner, the thought of bathing suits has a lot of people scrambling to get in shape. The great news is that it’s a lot easier than you might think to develop great habits that will keep you healthy this summer and many more to come.
One of the biggest obstacles we all face when trying to stay healthy are the bad habits we develop. With all the major decisions we have to make each day about our jobs and family, we often allow ourselves to function on autopilot when it comes to the more mundane aspects of our lives, such as eating and exercise.
Luckily there are some simple steps you can take that will make your life easier and allow you to focus on those important tasks at hand.
1. Pre-cut your vegetables
We all know how important fruits and vegetables are to our health. The problem is that they can be so time consuming to prepare. While a healthy salad might sound like a good idea for lunch, the time it takes to cut up all those veggies often drives us to faster, less healthy options.
By chopping up your vegetables ahead of time, you’ll be much more likely to make that healthy snack. One option to make this easier is to cut up all of your veggies the day you buy them and store them in containers. That way when you are hungry, you can just reach into the refrigerator and throw together a healthy meal with very little effort. You can do this for sandwiches, salads and all sorts of other quick and easy meals.
2. Bring out the fruits and vegetables
Let’s face it, a lot of us are grazers. While we may have the best intensions of eating healthy, it’s easy to fill up on small, fattening snacks throughout the day. Grazing all day may seem harmless, but it adds up quickly and becomes an unhealthy habit.
You can turn that bad habit into a good one by leaving fruits and vegetables out in visible places around your house. Even if you’re busy running in 100 different directions, you’ll be more likely to grab a handful of grapes, strawberries or carrots when you see them. These small snacks will satisfy your appetite while filling you up with healthy produce rather than junk food.
3. Have a back-up
We all know that a home cooked meal can be much healthier than take-out or processed foods. Cooking allows you to control what goes into your food and monitor your intake. The problem is that every extra step adds more work and takes more time out of your already busy day. To stay on track, you want to make things as easy as possible.
One way you can do that is to have a back-up of all of your favorite kitchen tools easily accessible in your kitchen. That way, if one of them is dirty you don’t have to take time to clean it before starting dinner. You just use your back-up and throw the dirty one in the dishwasher.
A must have back-up tool is a crock pot. Just throw in a bunch of healthy foods and walk away. What’s easier than that?
4. Keep your table clutter-free
Sure, we all find ourselves eating in front of the TV once in a while. After a long day at work, sometimes you just want to relax and watch your favorite shows. The problem is that it can quickly become a habit. Eating in front of the TV can cause you to become unaware of how much food you’re consuming, which definitely isn’t healthy.
By keeping your table free of clutter, you’ll always have a designated place to eat that you don’t have to take the time to clear beforehand. You’ll be more mindful of what you’re eating and it requires no additional effort on your part.
Besides, you’ll be allowing yourself to enjoy time with family and friends instead of tuning out in front of the television.
5. Arrange your kitchen for success
Sometimes you have to trick yourself a little to achieve your goals. This last tip is something that grocery stores have put a lot of research into. They’ve found that when premium items are placed at eye level and are easiest to reach, customers are more likely to buy them.
You can use this same trick in your kitchen. Place items you use most for healthy cooking in locations that are easy to access. That way you’ll be more likely to grab them. You can do the same thing with healthy snacks like bananas and apples. This trick may take a little effort initially, but once your kitchen is organized to work with you instead of against you your life becomes a whole lot easier.
Healthy living can take a lot of effort and willpower, especially if it’s not something you’re used to. Luckily by making these five small changes to your routine, you’ll make achieving your goals much easier. Over time, these tips will become habits and your healthy self will be relaxing in the sun instead of scrambling to get in shape.
Sources:
www.breakingmuscle.com
Image courtesy of niamwhan at freedigitalphotos.net
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