6 Easy Ways to Clean Up Your Diet Today

This year, I've made some changes to my diet in an attempt to better myself as well as an elimination experiment to confirm some things for me (I'm working on a whole, detailed post about what's been going on, so be sure to look out for it). I've always grown up hearing about healthy ways to do things as it was always very emphasized at home, at school and even at church and it never occurred to me that some people may not know about some of the basic things our bodies need for optimal health (I wrote about these things here). Today, I will just share some easy food switches you can make to help reach your health goals.

This post was updated in March 2022 from April 2018 and includes affiliate links.

Related: Spring into Health this Spring

 

Skip the sugary drinks and drink more water. Sugary drinks are delicious, don't get me wrong, but it's too easy to overlook the effects of sugar on your body. Skip the addictive substance, and drink water - our bodies need it anyway! I also really enjoy unsweetened herbal teas. The bottom line is that since our bodies are made up of over 70% water, it is absolutely necessary we drink it. It supports our systems and flushes it out. 

Add vegetables to your meals. Your mama was right - veggies help you grow strong! Eat your vegetables! Add a side of broccoli or opt for a side salad (or make it your main course!). You can start small, but add more vegetables to your diet. The best vegetables are the ones that are fresh and in season (or frozen from their season), but any vegetable is a great start. Fresh, nourishing food is essential! I love meals that are full of vegetables!

Choose fruit over sweets made with refined sugars and empty calories. Again, the side effects that come with sugary treats will harm you more than do you good. Choosing fruit when you have a sweet craving is a better choice than fatty desserts. Again, with the summer close, in-season fruit is becoming more readily available!

“It’s not hard to clean up your diet! Here are some easy tips you can start using today!”

TWEET IT!!

Pick steamed or raw over fried. I know, I know. Fried foods are so delicious - but they are really not good for you. Because of the added calories and health risks involved with commercially fried foods, it is best to avoid consuming them (or avoid when possible). If you must have fried, try oven frying or air frying at home for crispy food, but with less oil and the calories that come with it.

Make your own meals. I know it's fun to eat out, but save your wallet and your bodies by making your own food. When you cook or prepare your meals yourself, you have total control over what goes onto your plate. On top of that, it is also much cheaper to buy your own groceries. 

Related: Eating Cleaner on a Budget

Listen to your body. For me, when I eat dairy or other heavily processed foods, I'm noticeably more lethargic. Then again, I likely would not have even noticed had I not decided to cut it out. When I am intentional about drinking enough water and eating fresh foods and avoiding "empty calories" (calories that add no nutritional value), I feel my best - energetic and ready to go. Listen to your body - it speaks louder than you might imagine!

---

What are some ways you make healthy switches?

---

Running Essentials

I started endurance running when I was in high school. My family was extremely confused when I started getting up before the sun was out and pushing myself up hills and around the neighbourhood. My dad even made me carry a whistle and keep my keys in my hand just in case - but I only ever saw one other person on my morning runs. It was an old man who walked forward and then backward. We had an understanding.

This post contains affiliate links

I think besides the high of feeling accomplished after a long run, or pushing myself to my limits, my next favorite thing about running are all of the faces that begin to look familiar that eventually become knowing nods and friendly waves.

Now that self-isolation has me upping my running goals, maybe you want to try the same! Today I’m sharing some of my favorite running essentials for taking on the trails with me. Enjoy!

Related: Six Free Apps I Use to Track my Health

---

Do you run? What are some of your must-haves?

---

Get 10K Steps A Day (Even During Self-Isolation)

A few years ago, my husband  surprised me with a Fitbit for my birthday. While the competitive spirit in our house escalated a tad (all in good fun, mind you!), it definitely made me aware of my movement every day. I wore it to school every day, and it seemed that every time one of my students came to school after having a birthday, they were also sporting a Fitbit and we checked in on each other during the day to see where we were at. They sure motivated me, and I even started walking laps around them at recess! Such fun. 

Now, I don’t wear it nearly as much as I used to, but the habits it helped me to create have stayed. I realized how active (or how inactive, really) I was and I want to stay healthy. Movement is part of that!

I was always active and involved in sports and always absolutely love running (and went faithfully every morning!), but since getting a full-time job, my movement has decreased quite a bit. When I was in school, I’d be either playing sports, at the gym or running all the time, and got at least 5 days a week of activity. I do still try to exercise for myself at least 5 times a week but now I’m much more aware of how much time I spend unnecessarily sitting throughout the day. 

To be honest, this post has been sitting in my drafts for quite some time! Now that so many of you are working from home and maybe not getting as much movement as you are used to (or should be getting), I thought I would finally finish off this post. 

I’ve read that sitting and inactivity has been coined worse than smoking. Even the Mayo Clinic has quite a bit to say about it. 

I’m no step master, and a lot of my activity doesn’t even involve steps, but I decided to share some easy ideas for you to try and get closer to ten thousand steps a day.

Set a timer for every thirty minutes and get up and move!

Walk around the room while you’re reading, but maybe make sure it’s a clear space or look up once in a while, okay?

Walk around when on the phone. Kill two birds with one stone by calling up those you care about who are also stuck in their homes. Have a great, fulfilling conversation and check-in while wearing a track in your carpet! You can also do this outside.

Tidy your house. You’d be surprised how many steps you can get tidying your house or doing chores. I score large when I do laundry; going up and down the two flights of stairs really adds up when there are several loads to do!

Join a challenge. Fitbit is one easy way to do it if you’re using one to track your steps already, and there are so many apps out there that are social! Add some friends and set up a challenge! It’s easy AND fun! 

Walk or run in place during commercials if you’re watching TV. Just get up during commercials and get the blood flowing. Do a lap around the room or get some pushups in (not really steps, but movement!). 

Use a different bathroom. Maybe opt to use the powder room on the main floor if you’re working upstairs in your office or vice versa!

Perhaps you could even drink more water so that your trips to the bathroom are more frequent!

Speaking of the home office, think about a standing desk or even a treadmill desk! 

Park in the far end of the parking lot, if you need groceries, but don’t be unsafe. Make sure it’s well lit if it’s dark out and be vigilant as you are walking - even better if someone is with you. But practice social distancing!

Just go. Instead of asking someone to bring you something while you’re lounging, go and get it yourself!

Go for a Walk. Or a run. I left this for last since it’s so obvious! Get outside and get moving! Not only will your body thank you for it, your mind will as well.

---

How have you been getting in your steps lately?

---

Teaching or Blogging?

Question: Do you want to keep teaching or is your goal to make your blog a full time job?

Well, at this time, I definitely don’t see me making blogging a full-time thing. I do love teaching. I’ve always wanted to teach, so as much of a headache as it is sometimes, it really is a dream come true to be able to do so now. 

Because of my husband’s work as a pastor, however, we are prone to move around every few years. In fact, if you’ve been following along on Instagram and if you subscribe to the Good Intentions Guide, you know that we recently made a transition. I have started a new position in this fall teaching middle school math, which really excites me since I do love math!

If in the case there is no school where we move, I would definitely consider switching to blogging full-time if I could or had to. Blogging is a really fun and a great creative outlet for me and I enjoy it (which is probably why I go through the effort to keep Maple Alps running during the school year). If the opportunity arose to blog full-time, I would seriously consider it, though I wouldn’t want my fun hobby to become stressful because of the pressure to make an income... 

I have actually recently begun to extend Maple Alps. Maple and Math will be a branch of Maple Alps launching completely very soon aimed towards intentional teachers!

One thing I try to live by in my life is always making sure that everything I do glorifies God. Whether that be teaching children or serving my blog audience, I want Him to be glorified first and foremost!

---

How to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Traveling is an amazing thing. Seeing the world and experiencing different cultures and landscapes and places can be a good way to shake things up a little. Of course, when we shake things up a little too much, our body sometimes suffers as well. There is nothing worse for me than getting sick on a trip, or right after one. Here are a few things I do to keep myself as healthy as possible, even through the stress of traveling.

This post contains affiliate links

Eat As Close to Your Normal Healthy Diet as Possible

Don’t go from eating smoothies and kale salads to cheese fondue for breakfast every day for a week. I mean, you could, but your body might try to rebel and the results may not be pretty. I may or may not be speaking from experience. ;-) It won’t always be possible to eat your exact normal diet, but try.

Get Enough Sleep

It is definitely hard to get enough sleep during the holiday season or traveling. Friends and family may be in town, and parties are happening left and right. Do your best to get as much sleep as you can. I find that even a weekend of too little sleep leaves me feeling pretty awful and makes for a very long week. If you are traveling to a different time zone, you can use a small amount melatonin to help get you out of jet lag quicker. Note that melatonin is not a long term fix for sleep problems.

Choose Healthy Alternatives

While packing your own snacks is a health and money saver, when traveling for longer periods of time, it is often necessary that you stop for sustenance. Try to plan ahead by creating a meal plan for your vacation. The best thing for your wallet is finding a local grocery store to stock up on healthy foods and even meals. Of course, not everyone stays in facilities that allow you to cook your own meals, so thankfully, many fast food places and restaurants (and even grocery stores!) have started offering healthy options on their menus that you can take advantage of as well.

Drink Water

Water is so important! Staying hydrated will help keep you healthy! I pack my own water bottle and fill it up whenever there is an opportunity to so that I don’t have to buy giant, heavy, and often expensive, packs of water. Seriously, having to pay $4+ for a bottle of water is not fun when you are thirsty. I have actually experienced not even getting free water on a 6+ hour plane ride, so don’t assume you’ll get some on flights sometimes. If you do take a water bottle on a flight in you carry on, be sure it’s empty before you go through security. Yikes. By the way, you will also want to keep your skin hydrated with all the stress of travel.

MOVE!

If you regularly exercise (which you should be!), don’t let your habits go completely out of the window when you travel. If you’re staying in a hotel, there is a chance they have a fitness area where you can set aside some time to exercise. If not, Youtube is full of at home workouts that require no equipment and that cane be done in 20 minutes or less! Phone apps too. Walking will also help keep you active - especially when you have to sit for hours during the traveling process in trains, planes, and other automobiles. Just make sure you pack some good sneakers and gear!

Be Prepared

Be prepared for whatever conditions you will be facing. If you’re going to be having fun in the sun, make sure you pack a water bottle and sunscreen and a hat! Pack warm clothing for chilly weather. Borrow from hosts if you need to, by the way. We went to Canada and couldn’t pack our snow gear in our suitcases, so we borrowed from some cousins! Bring some immunity boosting vitamins and stuff to keep you clean. Pack a small first aid kit with some basic needs. You get the idea. Being prepared will help you stay healthy - or help you when you aren’t as successful.

---

What are some of the ways you stay healthy while traveling? Any other tips?

---