This year, one of the goals I have set for myself is to get more healthy. Since January, I've been researching and looking up steps I should take to get to where I want to be. It's now February, so I thought I would share the must-have items I've acquired and fallen in love with!
Some items are ones that I've been using for years, but others are a new addition that make it easier to stick to being healthy. It's so much easier and motivating to stick to a new lifestyle when you've got the right tools under your belt!
TEA
I've been drinking tea for literally my whole life, so this one is certainly not new. I love tea because there are thousands out there and they're so healthy for you too! In the mornings and just before bed I love having a cup of green tea because it's both soothing and helps me fully wake up. I recently picked up the coconut and mango flavour by Twinings and it's just as delicious as it sounds!
To make my tea a little bit more interesting and flavourful, I also love to add slices of lemon and ginger. Lemons have vitamin C and ginger is a great anti-inflammatory, and they taste lovely too! When I was down with the flu, I managed to get better in a few days by drinking copious cups of tea with lemon and ginger.
SUPPLEMENTS
To add extra nutrition into my diet, I've started adding flaxseeds into my porridge. When it's ready, I just add a teaspoon of flaxseeds and mix it together. At first I was scared it would have a strange taste to it but you really can't taste it at all, especially when you add the rest of your toppings to your porridge. Flaxseeds are great for digestion, fibre, Omega 3 and magnesium, and you don't have to just add it to porridge. It's great sprinkled on cereal or even in smoothies!
EXERCISE
This one isn't really an item per-say, but I really needed to add it in too. Exercise and I are not the best of friends, but I'm really making more of an effort this year! I decided that instead of forcing myself to go to the gym or go for a run, I would instead do a form of exercise that I actually enjoy. I've started doing yoga in the evenings and it's been so good for me! My back pain isn't as bad and I manage to sleep a bit better too. Yoga has been around for centuries and it's such a great way to keep in shape, so I'm very glad I decided to take it on board.
DAIRY-FREE MILK
I went dairy-free 4 months ago because I suspected I could be lactose intolerant and when I cut it out of my diet, I instantly felt better! I love Alpro's products, especially their milks and yogurts. I make my porridge with this and add it to cereal and tea too. My personal favourite is their coconut almond blend, but they have a lot more out there, like cashew, oat, rice, and soy. If you're thinking of going dairy-free you should definitely give it a go!
SNACKS
Snacks are so important to me, so finding snacks that I liked that were also healthy was a fun challenge! As mentioned above, I love Alpro's yogurts! (I'm not sponsored by Alpro, I just genuinely love their products. However, if anyone at Alpro is reading this... 😉). My favourite flavour is strawberry with banana, and peach with pear, but there are so many others out there. I also snack on fruit and nuts because they're always around the house. I'm so proud of myself for managing to ignore all the cakes and pastries we have and instead reaching for the healthy options! I also really love snacking on Nakd bars! The cashew cookie flavour is definitely my favourite!
I've also been enjoying turmeric lattes! A turmeric latte has so many benefits, such as being anti-inflammatory and containing anti-oxidants. I make mine by heating a cup of my dairy-free milk with a teaspoon of turmeric powder, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of ginger powder and whisking them all together over the stove until everything is combined. To add some sweetness, I add some honey or maple syrup and enjoy! If you have a sore throat, this will also definitely help!
My healthy lifestyle journey is still in its infancy, but so far so good! January was a good month for me to get started on this and I'm glad with the progress I've been making. Getting healthy isn't going to be an overnight success story no matter how much we want it to be. Taking it slow and taking everything one step at a time is the best way to go about it!
Is anyone else trying to get healthier? Tell me how it's going for you below!
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