Getting Healthier Without Hating the Process

I’ve noticed a trend lately among some of the potential clients I speak to about getting healthier. I keep hearing the same phrases. Proclamations like, “I don’t have time to get healthy” or “It’s such a process to eat healthier”. Does this sound familiar? If so, don’t worry, you’re not alone!

And I’m here to tell you that it’s really as simple as taking one step at a time to get on the healthy wagon.

Check out my 5 Simple Shifts to a healthier lifestyle below:

Crunch Attack: When the crunch comes a knockin’, choose raw veggies instead of chips. Buy them in bulk and peel and/or cut them when you get home from the store so that they are ready to grab when you get a crunch attack. I package them in separate little baggies and throw them in the fridge. Or just buy them pre-cut at the grocery store (chose organic!). I love pairing some sweet carrot sticks with some delish hummus for a morning or afternoon snack or trying new raw veggies like chopped jicama or kohlrabi with lime and a pinch of salt. Check out some more snack options here!

Keep on Truckin’: Jerry Garcia said it best with “keep on truckin’”. While the true meaning of “keep on truckin’” means to do your own thing, regardless of the obstacles, I think that a great way to interpret it as get up and get moving, no matter where you are or what you may be doing at the time. If you’re at work and deep into a project, try getting up and going for walk around your office building. Don’t let the obstacles of not having your perfect workout clothes on, or the fact that you left your iPod at home get in the way of moving. Choose a simple activity and start with just 5 minutes.

Cream or sugar with that?: Try to say no to the cream and sugar in your morning coffee or tea. If you are looking for a sweetener for your beverages, stevia or coconut sugar would be a great substitute. (Check out some other caffeine options here.) And instead of cream, try almond or hemp milk to “cream” up your morning drink booster. Better yet, make a switch from coffee to tea. Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m an avid tea drinker. My favorite coffee substitute is a guayusa tea offered from Runa teas. Try it and let me know what you think!

Would you like a bread basket to start?: We’ve all been out to dinner and as the waiter or waitress is coming over to greet us, we see a basket of bread and butter in their hands making it’s way to the center of the table. We know, as soon as we smell and see it, it is going right into our belly! So ask that they not bring the bread basket (check out my blog post on ordering smarter). We won’t fill up on the bread and we’ll actually be able to enjoy the food that we’ve gone there to eat in the first place. If you really want to be adventurous, ask to double up on your veggies and forgo the pasta side dish.

Dancing on My Own: OK, is it just me, or as soon as your hear a song with a great beat, you can’t help but sing along and maybe even bust a move? When Lena Dunham started shaking her bootie to Robyn’s Dancing On My Own at the end of GIRLS I couldn’t help but get up and dance with her. Why not make that simple fun a part of our everyday lives? Hop onto iTunes and download some awesome fun songs to just break loose with. Not only will this get some great exercise in, but it’s a stress reducer and will also increase the endorphin’s floating around in your brain and ill make you a much happier camper throughout the rest of the day. Check out my preferred playlist for rockin’ out.

Robyn – Dancing On My Own
Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines
Katy Perry – Hot and Cold
Florence and the Machine – Dog Days Are Over
Calvin Harris – Feel So Close
Daft Punk – Get Lucky or One More Time

Now, that you’ve read these 5 Simple Shifts, decide which two you’re going to incorporate today. Once you get those down you can add two more and so on! Now, I’d love to hear what you think! What are some of your sure-fire ways to get healthy?