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!

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What are some ways you make healthy switches?

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More Sustainable Practices We Use and Some I'd Like to Implement

In this post a while back, I talked about some of our favorite low-waste practices. I’ve kept trying to add more sustainable habits into our everyday lives, especially now that there are three of us (well, four, including our firstborn cat!). None of these practices are going to singlehandedly save the planet, but our small steps add up. We want to make sure we are doing what we can to be better stewards of the Earth God has given us. 

Cloth Diapering

I plan to talk more about our cloth diapering journey, but honestly, this has been a great practice for our family. There are billions of disposable diapers taking up space in landfills and while it may seem that our contribution of approximately 1500+ diapers a year doesn’t help, I think if we all take steps we can make great strides of progress. And if you are concerned about the water and electricity usage when cloth diapering, doing it full-time, we only added 2 loads a week to our usual load and since our washers are very efficient you could compare it to the times a potty-trained person would flush the toilet! The math has been done.

We used the Esembly brand system, if you are interested (try it for 15% off by using this referral link)

Making Food

Trying to avoid foods that come in a lot of packaging really makes us make a lot of our own food. Honestly, though, foods that don’t come with nutrition labels are the best, so we know we are getting the nutrients we need this way too! 

One of my favorite sustainable food practices is saving my veggie scraps and making vegetable broth. It’s sooooo easy, tastes better than the store-bought stuff, and does not take much extra time at all. 

Cooking our own food comes with the necessity to plan properly, of course, so that there are no good excuses to eat out. 

Shopping Less

We shop as little as possible. Groceries and otherwise. This requires planning ahead so we aren’t running to the grocery store, but it’s worth it. Freezing things helps a lot with this, as does keeping stock of everything we have. It’s better for the earth, but saves our wallet as well! (Pssst: purchasing food you normally buy when it’s on sale and then shopping your pantry when you meal plan is a great money-saving strategy)

Related: Eating Cleaner on a Budget

Reusable Dinnerware 

We love camping, beach days, and picnics and we love that we’ve ditched disposable dinnerware and can keep enjoying these things sustainably. The Alps to my Maple got me the cutest picnic basket when we got married with, yes, ceramic and glass dishes, and we love busting that out. Otherwise, we have sets of washable dishes that we use when doing outdoor activities. With some planning ahead, it really is worth it!

Also, I started carrying around this great reusable utensil set with me! If we ever get takeout, or we need to eat out, it’s easy to opt out of the single-use plastic and to whip these babies out!

Period Underwear

I’ve talked about using a menstrual cup in full detail here, but period underwear is also a fan favorite! With the cup, it replaces pantyliners, and without, they are great alternatives to pads. I prefer the Thinx brand (you can get them on Amazon too!) but there are many out there. Bonus, they also have come out with really high-waisted ones too that were fantastic postpartum.

Plastic-Free Shaving

Get rid of those disposable razors and choose a plastic-free version. I haven’t found my favorite completely plastic-free shaver yet, but I love the Venus Deluxe (purchase on Amazon here). It has a heavy metal handle that seriously feels indestructible and works great. 

Some things I would like to incorporate

I’m far from being a zero-waste person, but I’m taking steps to get there. I just want to be transparent and maybe some of you can offer some advice in the following areas I would like to start doing! Some things I would like to start doing:

Get rid of paper towels

It’s going to be hard to convince everyone in my household to go for this one, but we already use reusable paper towel cloths (you know, those Swedish dish cloths). It’s just a matter of replacing them all in a way that makes sense for us!

Cut back on toilet paper

Postpartum, I realized how easy it would be to use a bidet (the TUSHY looks good), and honestly, I used that peri bottle much longer than needed (TMI?). It would really cut back on TP to go full-on bidet. 

Compost

Because we don’t have much of a garden, composting was not very practical for us. We do have a compost bin that gets picked up, it’s really just a matter of finding our flow and creating habits that work.

Sustainable Fashion

Fast fashion is so convenient for those of us in the western world. Even though I’ve started to, I would like to choose more sustainable pieces in the future! 

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What are some sustainable practices in your life? In what areas would you like to improve?

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Books I Read in 2021

Bam. The year started out crazy busy and I thought to myself, “there is no way I’m going to get my reading done this year.” So I set out with a book goal of 30 for the year. Last year, due to stay-at-home orders and being able to work from my home office, reading was easier to get to, but from January to May this year, it was a struggle. However, come July, I realized that I hit my book goal of 30! I am not exactly sure how it happened, but it did.

I’ll be doing more book review-type posts in the future because I read some really great volumes this year, but for now, here is the much-requested book list. Please note that this is just a list of the books I read; I didn’t necessarily find them all great to read...you’ll have to wait for my top reads to find out which ones I loved :)

I use a combination of Libby (free library app - you just need a library card!) and Kindle Unlimited (use this link to try it free for 30 days!)  to read so that I don’t collect more books than I already own and spend more money than I should probably save. I’ll link the books below (affiliate links that help us keep Maple Alps going!) as well so you can grab your copies easily. You can find some other favorites of mine in my Amazon Storefront as well!

By the way, if you want to be friends on Goodreads, you can find me here! I finally updated my account.

This post contains affiliate links

Nonfiction

// 1. “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?” by Mindy Kaling (get your copy on Amazon here) // 2. “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown (get your copy on Amazon here) // 3. “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi (get your copy on Amazon here) // 4. “What to Eat When You’re Pregnant: How to Support Your Health and Your Baby’s Development During Pregnancy” by Nicole M. Avena (get your copy on Amazon here) // 5.“Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” by Donald Miller (get your copy on Amazon here) // 6. “Business Made Simple: 60 Days to Master Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Execution, Management, Personal Productivity and More” by Donald Miller (get your copy on Amazon here) // 7. “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” by Ina May Gaskin (get your copy on Amazon here) // 8. “The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality” by Kimberly Ann Johnson (get your copy on Amazon here) //9. “My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress” by Rachel DeLoache Williams (get your copy on Amazon here) // 10. “Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really Is So Much More” by Courtney Carver (get your copy on Amazon here)

Christian Nonfiction

// 1. “I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman’s Encounter with God” by Bilquiz Sheikh (get your copy on Amazon here) // 2 . “Intended for Pleasure: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage” by Ed Wheat (get your copy on Amazon here) //3. “Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It” by Bob Goff (get your copy on Amazon here) //4. “Boundaries in Marriage” by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend (get your copy on Amazon here) //5. “Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been” by Jackie Hill Perry (get your copy on Amazon here)

Historical Fiction

// 1. “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr (get your copy on Amazon here) //2. “The German Girl” by Armando Lucas Correa (get your copy on Amazon here)

Baxter Family Series

// 1. “Take Two” (Above the Line, #2) by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) // 2. “Take Three” (Above the Line, #3) by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) // 3. “Take Four” (Above the Line, #4) by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) // 4. “Leaving” (Bailey Flanigan, #1) by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) // 5. “Learning” (Bailey Flanigan, #2) by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) // 6. “Longing” (Bailey Flanigan, #3) by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) // 7. “Loving” (Bailey Flanigan, #4) by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) //8. “A Baxter Family Christmas” by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here) //9. “Coming Home” by Karen Kingsbury (get your copy on Amazon here)

Christian Fiction

// 1. “Shelter of the Most High” (Cities of Refuge #2) by Connilyn Cossette (get your copy on Amazon here) // 2. “Until the Mountains Fall” (Cities of Refuge #3) by Connilyn Cossette (get your copy on Amazon here) // 3. “The Truth Seeker” (O’Malley #3) by Dee Henderson (get your copy on Amazon here) // 4. “Like Flames in the Night” (Cities of Refuge #4) by Connilyn Cossette (get your copy on Amazon here) // 5. “Counted with the Stars” (Out From Egypt #1) by Connilyn Cossette (get your copy on Amazon here) //6. “Shadow of the Storm” (Out From Egypt #2) by Connilyn Cossette (get your copy on Amazon here) //7. “Wings of the Wind” (Out From Egypt #3) by Connilyn Cossette (get your copy on Amazon here) //8. “Judah’s Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees” (The Silent Years #2) by Angela Elwell Hunt (get your copy on Amazon here)

Non-Christian Fiction

// 1. “Forever Wild” (The Simple Wild, #2.5) by K.A. Tucker (get your copy on Amazon here)
//2.“Everything I Never Told You” By Celeste Ng (get your copy on Amazon here) //3. “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng (get your copy on Amazon here) //4. “The Dutch House” by Ann Patchett (get your copy on Amazon here)

My Word for 2022

Two thousand and twenty-two.

When I was young, that year sounded far off, and somehow anything that far away had to mean there were flying cars as a standard. My car still does not fly, yet here we are.

2021 was a surprising year that entailed much. I quit my teaching job, read a few books, found out we were expecting (I didn’t think my word of last year, create, would manifest in that way!), traveled to five countries, gave birth, and all the while learned much about myself.

I’m really interested to know what this next year holds. I never know, and I’m always surprised, yet every year, I never fail to wonder. And what, pray tell, is this year’s chosen word?

Wonder

“wonder

1) a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
”

While growing a tiny human, while everything was new and strange, I never really stopped to wonder. I was too distracted by the lists of things I should or shouldn’t eat, do, or think (yes, think, because someone tried to convince me that any passing negative thoughts were somehow going to ruin my unborn child.).

This year, I want to reclaim that and wonder at the world. I want to see it in a new light - and I think with Baby Z, it will be especially fun to see things in her eyes - everything really is new to her! I want to stop and acknowledge and wonder at the beauty that is the life gifted to me.

Here are some song lyrics to a favorite song:

May we never lose our wonder
May we never lose our wonder
Wide-eyed and mystified
May we be just like a child
Staring at the beauty of our King

'Cause You are beautiful in all Your ways…

“Wonder” Bethel Music

Here is to a year of wonder!

And in case you’re interested, here are some other words I have chosen in previous years:

2021: Create
2020: Growth
2019: Bold
2018: Liberation

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Did you choose a word for 2022? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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My Favorite Pregnancy Products

I know I kind of shocked everyone waiting till about ready to give birth before saying anything on the blog. To be honest, I couldn’t believe it for the longest time, and on top of that, I was recovering from some very stressful things in my life. The thought of shouting this announcement from the mountaintops did not excite me, in fact, it did the opposite. My sweet husband was gracious enough to allow me that privacy for a long time before we let it out on social media. 

All that being said, I really was pregnant the whole time! Today I just want to share some of the things that made [honestly, an easy] pregnancy even easier. 

This post contains affiliate links.

Morning Sickness Lozenges 

These lozenges (affiliate link) really helped me out during my first trimester. I didn’t have just morning sickness. I had all-day sickness and it was horrid. What made it worse was teaching all day with a mask on. I was miserable. These lozenges helped a sister out. 

Boppy Wedge Pillow

This thing was seriously a lifesaver. Sleeping was getting so difficult, and in the summer it was way too hot for me to imagine buying one of those giant pregnancy, or body, pillows. The main reason I opted for this, however, was because we traveled for six weeks over the summer and I needed something small, portable, and still effective. Well, let me tell you: this was worth every penny. And it didn’t even cost that many pennies. I found it on sale, bought it out of desperation for $11 and I’ve loved it since (grab yours on Amazon here). 

Maternity Leggings

Since I wear mostly high-waisted pants, I grew out of them pretty quickly. Maternity leggings were the best. I got a pair from Fabletics (here’s $40 off for you!) for walks and Pilates, and a few pairs from Target for in-between. I seriously lived in them. Still do. (This pair from Amazon are comfy too) I preferred the over-the-belly ones because I found that the ones that sit under the belly irritated my skin after a while.

Wireless Bra

Turns out your belly isn’t the only thing that grows when pregnant. During pregnancy, the body is going through so much change, inside and out, and comfort was really necessary for me. I struggled with the mental and physical aspects of all these changes. Anyway, this wireless bra (grab one from Amazon!) was sooo comfortable that I bought a few. And for a few bucks, it was totally worth it. Of course, if you want to save pennies (which I always do), grab this nursing version so you can use them comfortably postpartum too. Of course, things may change again, so it’s up to you.

The Bump App

This app was great. I used a few, but this was my favorite for easy-to-read articles, checklists, and other tools for pregnancy. Tracking the size and having an idea of what I should be doing was great. Maybe I’ll write a separate post about alllllll of the apps and websites I ended up using since there really were quite a few I would check every day. 

Babylist

Babylist was so helpful. We did not expect to have a baby shower, so I was really just using Babylist to help me stay organized and on top of making sure we had the basics that we needed. It was really helpful that we made a list when friends and family started asking for our registry, though!

Electric Heating Pad/Hot Water Bottle

This was especially helpful when the growing pains or back pains were unbearable. If you use this, of course, be careful and don’t put it directly on your skin! (get yourself one of these from Amazon)

Compression Socks

I thought this was the dumbest thing ever, but compression socks were perfect for me. The summer heat did not help the swelling situation, and compression socks provided relief. They were also fantastic when I was flying - they are perfect for the plane (get these cute ones on Amazon today!) Of course, for swelling, staying hydrated also helped!

Belly Butter

I guess theoretically I knew that my belly skin would stretch, but had no idea practically what that would look like or feel like. It was the strangest to me as I expanded that my belly button no longer existed. Anyway, all the stretching can be physically uncomfortable (think, itchy!). This belly butter really helped with any itchiness and aided with keeping my belly hydrated. That, and a loooot of water. It’s amazing how much more water I had to drink! I’m not saying that this was a miracle butter that prevented me from getting stretch marks, but I was grateful for the relief it provided.  

Bio-Oil

I’ve loved bio oil for years (get yours here), so it was natural that I would use it during pregnancy (and postpartum) as well. I used this when I wanted something a little lighter feeling than the body butter. 

Journal

You may already know that I have kept a journal for almost two decades now, and pregnancy was no exception. It was good to get my feelings out on the page, and I know I will enjoy looking back on the memories!

1) Morning Sickness Sweets 2) Wedge Pillow 3) Wireless Bra 4) Belly Butter 5) Bio-Oil 6) Compression Socks

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Any mama friends out there have any favorite pregnancy products? Let me know in the comments!

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