health

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Ten

/ christinaparisi / 2 Comments

In the name of health, sometimes you have to make yourself do something even if you don’t want to do it.

As the momentum of the new year wears off, getting into the habit of making daily healthy choices has not been as easy for me as I would have liked.

I have to expect some unhappiness and frustration, though right?  If it was easy, I would have done it years ago. But now it’s time for the tough to get tougher as the struggle hits.

So rather than focus on the difficulty of breaking bad habits, I think I’ll focus on the new healthy habits that have already begun to settle in…

I rode my bike to the store for some things we needed today even though it was cold and the car was right there.

And then for a snack, I made dehydrated apple chips. I haven’t bought a bag of potato chips since I began this project and for me, that’s a big deal. (I friggin’ love kettle chips.)

I suppose that some things will come more naturally for me, like biking instead of driving, while other things, like quitting fast food fries, will be more difficult. That’s just part of the deal.

And discipline and strength have a ton to do with it.

I think if I summon these two things,  I’ll make it past the initial difficulty of breaking the bad habits that have become such a part of my life and replace them with the healthier ones that I want.

It’s a matter of staying strong. Wish me well as I keep moving forward… (and go another weekend without a glass of wine!)

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

 

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Nine

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Have Courage, Will Travel

 

I feel a bit like at an intersection.

One direction is the easy road.

The other direction, the not easy road.

I look both ways.

 

Life is choice and sacrifice.

The universe is the show.

Each day is another step.

I know which direction to take.

 

“Our lives improve only when we take chances and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.”

-Walter Anderson

 

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

 

 

 

 

 

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Eight

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There was a wine tasting at the restaurant I work at today. Typically, I love these because I get to taste and learn about really cool wines. But seeing as I haven’t had a sip of alcohol in a week, it caused me to pause.

For my purposes, I’m not quitting drinking altogether but rather limiting my intake. Wine had become an unhealthy habit when it should have been a treat.

I allowed myself to taste the wine today though. And boy am I glad that I did. (It was a delicious and interesting zinfandel!) But I will not allow myself to use that as a reason to come home and drink two more glasses of wine to relax.

I’m not saying that a drink isn’t a nice way to unwind. It is! But in moderation. Every now and then.

A rarity rather than the norm.

“Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains.”
– Democritus

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Seven

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Today, I’ve been quite absorbed with something I’m editing and haven’t given much thought toward food.

And it’s these moments that I realize I tend to make unhealthy choices.

I’ll typically grab something that’s easy like fast food or a slice of pizza but those are exactly the type of choices I’m trying to change.

I’m thinking I need a better plan for when I’m in a rush and/or don’t have time to prepare a meal from scratch…

Right now, I’m going to do my best to cobble something together quickly with the few healthy groceries I have in my fridge and pantry so I can get back to work but this realization that I need to better prepare myself by having healthy food available on the go is an important lesson learned. And I’d love any suggestions!

Healthy choices will not always be convenient. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still make them.

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

 

 

 

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Five

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Today was a little harder than the other four.

I was somewhat depressed, which I suppose goes hand in hand when trying to stop one’s vices, and intense cravings kept sweeping over me for some things I’m trying to reduce or eliminate.

I can’t say anything was wrong exactly but I felt a little down.

Then, as I was walking on the street toward work, I felt something on the side of my head. As I wondered, “What the hell was that?”my hand went to the spot and I soon learned exactly what it was.

Bird poop.

Granted, it wasn’t a ton but I think it’s safe to say that any bird crap in your hair is no fun. And it was a perfect addition to my day.

But then, as I thought about how great a glass of red wine sounded, I realized that these kinds of days are going to happen. There are going to be bad moments. And I can’t run to my vices at the first sign of them.

No, I have to remind myself two things:

These types of days are tests.

They are not reasons to give in.

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

 

 

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Three

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As I was planning the list of errands I wanted to do today, I thought about how I would often bike ride instead of drive when doing errands but haven’t really done so in a while.

I realized it’s because the weather has gotten colder. And the day’s sunlight has shortened. And well, it’s been raining.

And then I felt like laughing at myself.

Really? Am I that soft that I can’t handle a little adverse weather conditions while on my bike?

I did not want that answer to be yes so I bundled up and hit the streets. My husband came along for the ride and we got all our errands done. In the rain. On our bikes.

At one point, we talked about how exercise shouldn’t only be when it’s convenient. Since biking is one of my favorite forms of exercise, I asked myself if I was going to do it only when it was easy.

A problem I think I have with making exercise a part of my life is that I only do it when I feel like it. When it’s convenient for me. But that’s far from being a healthy habit.

Today was a step in the right direction though. (See the picture above. Me in all my layers.)

While I don’t plan on exercising every single day, I do plan on staying healthy and incorporating it into my week –  whether or not it’s convenient.

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

Make Healthy A Habit – Day Two

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I spent the afternoon with my two nephews, having fun painting and laughing and playing. And I adored every moment.

Well, maybe except one…

While I was hanging with them, my mother asked if I would like to take home a box of cereal bars that she had extra. My first reaction was “Yeah, I like those.” But then, as I reached across the table, I said, “Wait, I’m doing something for health and trying to not have fructose.” I quickly scanned the ingredients and yup, sure enough, fructose syrup was a main one.

And then it hit me.

To change daily habits, I have to be on them like white on rice.

I have to put my habits in check. I have to be conscious about the health choices I make.

I have to think about what I eat and what’s inside what I eat. I have to be aware with all decisions. I can’t do what’s best for my body on only the convenient ones.

I realize this is going to mean that I will not be able to enjoy some foods that I have grown used to…

Now, will I go to restaurants and ask for no fructose? No way. But will I use diligence to limit it? Absolutely.

So I passed on the cereal bars.

Tonight, my husband and I are going to have a steak dinner without drinking wine. For some, that’s no big deal. But for a wine lover like myself, I’m wondering what I did to deserve this.

Yes, I will have red wine again. But going a weekend without some should be no big deal. And a great dinner doesn’t have to include it EVERY TIME.

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit

 

**For the original idea, please visit here.

 

Make Healthy A Habit

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I want to change some habits of mine. Things like not drinking wine as much and eating food that is better for my body (damn those french fries!)

New year. New start. The road is wide open.

It’s no wonder gym memberships sky rocket after New Year’s. It’s a great time to hit the restart button. Start of a new year. You’re ready to go!

But… that passion at the start of the year is rather difficult to maintain and the once-crowded gym of January becomes a much-emptier one by February.

So, how does one keep the passion alive for change well beyond the start of the new year?

I don’t know if there’s one magical answer but I do believe it has a lot to do with consciously trying to change one’s daily habits and making the life-changing commitment to do it. Therefore…

Welcome to my next blog project!

My husband mentioned he read it takes three weeks to form a habit. I did a little research on that and learned it’s a debatable claim loosely based on the work of cosmetic surgeon, Walter Maltz. I’m going to give it a shot, nonetheless.

For the next 21 days, I’m going to attempt to make healthy a habit, one that will become a lifestyle for me, not a short-lived resolution. I want to eat healthier, decrease my wine intake and learn new ways to treat my body and mind better. I’ve been reading up on the Paleo diet and while I don’t plan to eliminate all grains and dairy, I am very drawn to the idea of eating food directly from nature and returning to a simpler diet of meat, vegetables and fruits.

I’ll be posting daily (though exact times will vary) about my three-week journey of trying to make healthy a habit and I invite you to join me. After that, I’ll be posting weekly about how my habits have (or haven’t) changed.

We begin now.

I took a Kundalini yoga class this morning to help put my head in the right mindset. And now, I’m off to my local Sprouts to stock up on groceries for the week to help me make better choices. It will be tempting not to swing through a drive-through after I’ve worked all day or reach for a bag of chips rather than carrot sticks when I want a snack but it will only happen if I begin the process now and make the commitment to follow through on it.

Here’s to success!

Make healthy a habit. #makehealthyahabit