6 Simple Tips to get Healthy for Beginners

I can’t believe the holidays have come and gone! These past few weeks were great! The time was filled with family time and while I loved it, we were so busy! Family time means lounging and lots of FOOD; so much food! So now that the kids are back in school, I’m using this time to focus and improve myself!

One of the first things I made a goal to do was organize my house!  We kept doing “in with the new” but we were  forgetting the “out with old” part! It took a few days, but we got rid of major items (I was surprised how many broken toys, mismatched Tupperware we had! Oops!)  and I emphasized proper organization!  Be sure to check out the 5 questions that I ask myself to get my home organized!

Rose Gold Sneakers (on sale)//Black Leggings (under $25 and not see through)//Black Strappy Sports Bra (so cute and under $20)

Another current goal of mine is to be as healthy as possible! If I can be healthy, then I know I will be setting the right example for my kids and have more energy and a more positive mood. Just remember though: nothing happens overnight! Every day I give myself positive affirmations because I know we all want immediate results, but sadly that’s not how it works. My favorite thing to remember is you are paving the road to a healthier lifestyle one day at a time. The steps you are taking each day will add up and HUGELY benefit you in the future! Here are a few Simple Tips to get Healthy for Beginners. Yes, beginners can totally do this too! Remember to consult your doctor before starting a new diet or exercise plan.

6 Simple Tips to get Healthy for Beginners

• Drink More Water – This is one of the easiest tips I can give you! Did you know your body is composed of 60% water?  You are encouraged to drink at least 8 cups of 8 ounces of water per day or more. I like to use my Swell Water Bottle because it’s easy to drink water from all day and it fits perfectly in my car’s cup holder. Everything stays nice and cold and sometimes I will add in some fresh sliced lemon or cucumber to make it have a great flavor. I know I need to drink around 4-5 bottles per day. Water is great because it helps flush all of those gross toxins from your body and skin and helps your digestion stay on track which will reduce bloat and more. I also love to drink hot lemon water. There are SO many benefits to adding lemon to your water. I use this ceramic tea kettle to get my water super hot, then add a whole sliced lemon to it. I drink it at night or during the day when I want something hot. Water is also super important especially if you’re working out!  You lose water through sweat and going to the bathroom. Since the output is so frequent make sure to input water even more!
• Try Intermittent Fasting – Another one of my simple tips to get healthy for beginners is adding in fasting. I know there are a ton of dieting fads out there, but I like intermittent fasting because it’s not really a diet. I did research it before I tried it and there is really strong medical journals out there supporting its efficacy. It is more about time restricted eating, which has been VERY helpful for me. I personally like having this time window in place because it makes me more aware of when and what I am eating and knowing that once its 8pm, I am done. It has really helped me avoid calories from wine too. Drinking a glass or half a glass of red wine is sometimes what I like to do a few nights per week, but this has helped me stop that and either have it earlier in the evening, or just forgo it. I love that I am avoiding those unnesssary calories and sugars. What this fasting plan does is specify when you should eat, not what. There are multiple ways to fast, but I am currently practicing the 16/8 method. That means 16 hours are the hours that I do not eat (my fasting time) and I block out 8 hours of the day when I can eat.  My 8 hour window is usually from 12pm-8pm.  That allows me to drink coffee and tons of water until noon each day and then I break the fast with a protein shake or a grilled chicken salad or eggs.  I also like this because I don’t go to bed feeling extremely full.  I received SOOOO many messages on my Instagram @curlsandcashmere from women telling me how well they are doing with intermittent fasting in terms of losing weight, lowering their cholesterol and feeling more energized in general. That DEFINITELY motivated me to stick with it. My other recommendation is to make sure to the calories you intake are healthy most of the time and don’t overindulge during your 8 hour window. I do this about 6 days per week and have lost a few lbs already. Also, my belly bloat is noticeably down. 
• Avoid Processed Food – I know prepared food is generally more convenient, but yikes have you ever read the ingredients?! It’s likely that you’ll see the ingredients, but not be able to read or pronounce them! The saying you only fail if you fail to prepare is so true! In order to nourish myself and my family with good food, I have become the crock pot queen! It sounds funny, but it’s soooo true! I am always on the go between kid’s drop off or pick ups, family activities etc. so the last thing I want to do after being out all day is cook dinner. I always like to throw in dinner before I leave the house so we can come home to dinner already cooked! If I didn’t do this, I know I would be wayyy more tempted to grab Chick-Fila on the way home for the family and I don’t want to do this! It also saves $$$! One of the most simple recipes I do is just throw a few frozen chicken breasts into the crock pot with olive oil and yummy seasonings and cook on low for around 6 hours. By the time I get home, it is perfectly moist and ready to eat. I will add a salad and roast whatever veggies I have on hand and dinner is ready!  If you need ideas on what you can cook in a crock pot, be sure to check out my Pinterest curlscashmere as I have many yummy recipes pinned!
• Add in a Green Smoothie per day: Another great healthy meal replacement for me is drinking a green smoothie with an added healthy protein in it. The perfect, low-calorie meal on the go and I love that I am getting greens too! I LOVE my Ninja blender, it’s so simple to use and the portable cups are so handy! You can create all kinds of delish smoothies, but I always add greens and not too much fruit so I am not getting a TON of sugar. I like chocolate protein, but vanilla could easily be used. This simple meal could be prepped ahead of time and you can “cook” in 2 easy minutes! Simple and delicious. In my blender I put:
  • 1 scoop of Protein Powder (I like chocolate grass fed whey)
  • 1 large handful of organic greens
  • 1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds (Great source of fiber and protein)
  • 1 Tablespoon of PB Fit Powder
  • 3-4 Ice Cubes to make it a smoothie texture
  • Water (Roughly 3 oz.)
  • Sometimes I will add frozen fruit for sweetness, but it really doesn’t need it.
• Make Time to be Active – I know life gets overwhelming, I know (probably more than anyone) that after a busy day the last thing I want to do is work-out! I can admit that every time after working out I feel soooooo much better! It truly helps my mood too. I use to be an avid gym goer back in the day and even trained female clients. By back in the day, I mean college, which may have been almost 15 years ago. Crazy how time flies! I used to think I NEEDED to spend hours at the gym to get the perfect body but that was so wrong! All I was doing by working out to the extreme was exhausting my body and not giving it the time to replenish. Even just moving 30 minutes per day can help you! You can walk around your neighborhood or on a treadmill. Invest in a fitbit and count your steps. This is great reminder to get moving! We are fortunate enough to have a home gym at our house, so I like to go workout after the kids go to school and I spend about 30 minutes doing a combination of cardio and light weights.  There are so many apps and YouTube videos out there..I love BBG (Bikini Body Guide)and the Tone It Up girls. Lifting weights is a MUST the older you get because you are losing muscle mass every year as we age, which then slows your resting metabolism down. This is not what we want ladies! My dr. told me even adding in 30 min of weights per week can help add muscle, which will then speed up your metabolism. Winning!
• Avoid Stress & Sleep More – Easier said than done, right?! Stress can take a toll on the body. Stress affects health, blood pressure, diabetes, etc.  Also, I don’t know about ya’ll but when I’m stressed, I want to eat. Working out really helps my stress level. And getting enough sleep for sure. So, remember in order for a healthy you – you need to make the time to relax.  I did a previous blog post on How to Create a At Home Spa Day, it has tips on how you can treat yourself at home! Another thing that stress can affect is your sleep. I don’t know how many nights I’ve spent staying up stressing about things that were so minimal.  Did you know that if you don’t get the proper sleep that it can actually mess with your hormones, which in turn can increase your appetite and weight gain?!  By receiving the proper amount of hours in your sleep, it will help reset your body/metabolism.  I know it is hard to put the phones down, but it’s so essential! In my house, we try to not use any electronics after 9 p.m. By doing that it helps us not be distracted and begin to unwind and get ready for sleep. I also try to not have coffee after about 3 pm each day so I can be ready to fall asleep by 10pm. I usually wake around 6:30-7pm. Mama needs her sleep to feel energized and pour into our kids and my husband each day. Also, I pour a ton of time and energy into this blog too and I want to be my best self for you!
  

I know it can be so scary and overwhelming to try a new routine in your life, but I hope that these 6 Simple Tips to get Healthy for Beginners can help you get out of your comfort zone!  Even just trying 1 or 2 of these tips can help you begin a healthier lifestyle. I wouldn’t suggest starting all of them at once, so you don’t get discouraged. Remember, you don’t have to wake up tomorrow and become a fitness model, take your time, do what works for you! If you want to start by practicing a few of these steps, then slowly incorporate more of these tips in your life – that’s totally fine! It’s your body, don’t let anyone else determine what is best for you! Also, don’t let social media discourage you! You are beautiful, and you are strong!

Thank you for reading! I hope you have a fabulous new year and I hope you feel fabulous as well! Stay tuned as I will be publishing gift guides for Valentine’s Day soon! Subscribe here so you don’t miss any of my posts!

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