Six Simple Short Cuts To A Healthier Life

Just the other day I was talking to one of my clients about how expensive and time-consuming it can be to take good care of ourselves. Making sure we get the proper nutrition, sleep, managing stress, healthcare, supplementary care (massages, physiology, etc.) and exercise all take time and money. It can be really overwhelming to try to stay on top of everything. But there are lots of things we can do to make living a healthier life a little bit easier, and most of them don’t take any extra time or money to do, instead they just take a little consideration and you’ll be enjoying a healthier life before you know it!

There is a reason I make my next dentist appointment the day I get my teeth cleaned and book my next hair cut while I’m still at the studio. If I don’t do it right then it’ll slip my mind and it’ll be a year or more before I think to make my next appointment. Something as easy as saying, “Yes, I’d like to make my next appointment now,” can be the difference between having something on that mental “to-do” list that you put off for ages, and something that is already taken care of for you. I’m pretty sure I was due for my eye exam last fall. And I still haven’t gone, not because I’m purposely putting it off, but because it just continues to slip my mind as something that needs to be done.

I wrote about meal planning just the other day, and as much as it’s important to meal plan and have groceries ready and at your disposal, it’s equally important to have some fast snacks and meal replacements you can grab for those days when everything is just go-go-go. I’ve been known to neglect this food category when shopping, and on more than one occasion have had to eat a carrot between classes because I just didn’t have time to make anything, and there were no other grab and go options available.

People. An actual carrot. Not cute little baby carrots, or carrot sticks, but a Bugs Bunny, sitting there gnawing on a carrot, carrot.

For a pre/post workout snack it’s pretty lame. They are so low in calories that one isn’t really doing much to help me at that point, haha. Since that fateful day, I’ve been getting better at making sure we have something a bit better on hand for when I’m running out the door and need to eat.

Premier Protein has come to the rescue on many an occasions in the last six or so months with their protein bars (chocolate peanut butter and chocolate mint are my favourites)

And more recently their pre-made shakes. Both products contain 30g of healthy protein which is often just the right amount to help me round out my day. The shakes come in both chocolate and vanilla (the vanilla has a new and improved taste!) and are low in fat and carbs (3g of fat and 4g of carbs), so I can pair a shake with a banana or some dried mango slices and be good-to-go for a second sweaty hour of Zumba on my double Zumba days!

It’s also great that the shakes contain 24 vitamins and minerals so you are getting an additional dose of nutrition at the same time.

I always advocate for people to get as much of their calories from actual food versus meal replacement drinks and bars but let’s be honest, that’s just not always possible. We are busy people, and grabbing a protein shake or bar is so much healthier for you than downing a bag of chips or nothing at all. And will get you a lot further energy wise than eating that one lonely carrot. ?

I’m a bath girl, showers are good in a pinch but I much prefer soaking in a nice tub of warm water. Not only does the hot water feel awesome on my sore muscles, but it gives me 5-10 minutes of quiet where I can reflect on the day, listen to a podcast or audiobook, and just chill. Sometimes I’ll even put on a meditation track and meditate while in the water. It’s lovely. If you are a shower person, try to extend your showers by an extra 2-3 minutes to just enjoy the water, heat and steam. Pair it with some deep breathing and you’ll come out feeling so much more refreshed.

I still find it very challenging to say I “read” a book if I listened to it, but studies have assured me that your brain doesn’t know the difference. I don’t know why, but I’m always in a better mood when I get out of the car after listening to an audiobook than I am if I’ve been listening to the radio. Maybe it’s because it’s like having someone read you a story, and who doesn’t enjoy that? For the longest time I listened to podcasts while driving, and still do from time to time, but I’ve decided that for me, taking the time just before/after I teach to listen to something that relaxes me, is better for my mental health than all the educational and business podcasts I tend to listen to, and it’s just lovely. I also really enjoy listening to them when out on a walk. Did you know you can borrow audiobooks from your library and through overdrive? Between that and podcasts you can get a whole lot of content for free. Heck yeah!

Well look at that. 😉 This goes hand in hand with the last tip! Exercise doesn’t have to be fancy, at a gym, or a sweat fest. There are so many benefits to walking both mentally and physically that adding a 30 minute walk to your day can really change your life. And the really awesome thing is that you can break up your time over the day instead of doing it all at once. Do you get a 10 minute break at work in the morning or afternoon? Go for a 7 minute walk. 7 minutes will give you enough time to grab a coffee or a bathroom break before you have to be back at your desk, but is long enough for a mental break and allow you to get some fresh air at the same time. Add a 10 minute walk on your lunch break, and a 13 minute walk after supper and you’ve managed to walk 30 minutes. Do that 5 times/week and that is an extra 2 1/2 hours of movement/week. Little bits really add up!

It’s always funny coming from a social media influencer to hear that you should unplug, but I typically do it from 9 or 10 at night until usually 11 or 12 the following day and limit how much time I spend on social media during the day. It’s easy to get drawn into the time suck, but you can get so much more done if you limit your access to 5 minutes every hour or two, and trust me, you won’t miss anything. You should also consider removing alerts from your phone. I only get alert for text messages, phone calls, and messages from my nutrition coaches, everything else is turned off. Studies have shown the alert sound on our phone can make our blood pressure rise just knowing there is something there for us to see. That is  insane. You shouldn’t feel stressed to know that someone shared a cat video on your Facebook wall that you haven’t yet seen or because Old Navy has sent you an e-mail. It will be ok. And trust me, it’s so freeing not to have your phone bleep at you constantly.

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I know these might not seem like big changes to implement, but those are the best kind. It’s the little tweaks we make to our day that add up to big changes. You don’t need to flip your life upside down to feel healthier and more relaxed.

I hope you try out at least one of these tips, and if you do, please let me know if you notice a difference in how you feel!