habits

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 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 Six

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Today was all about experimentation.

Using healthier ingredients, I decided to make something new for dinner and something old.

The new was cauliflower rice.

While I think it’s a creative way to have a “rice”, I completely overused the coconut oil and the entire dish tasted of little else. Even my husband, who loves coconut, thought it was too much.

Sigh.

The old was something called panelli.

They’re a Sicilian dish I grew up eating – fried garbanzo bean dough – and absolutely delicious. Well…. when made right. Which I failed to do this evening. I’m still experimenting with recipes passed down and also from a cookbook and though they didn’t come out that bad, they weren’t anywhere like my mother’s and grandmother’s.

Sigh.

And then, I accidentally overcooked my shrimp.

It was not my night in the kitchen.

But you know what, that’s okay.

Experimenting is part of the equation when making changes and not everything is going to be like hitting a ball out of the park.

I tried.

And tomorrow is another day.

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 Four

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Out of all the things I love to eat, sandwiches come close to being my favorite of them all.

And I love having chips on the side. They’re the perfect supporting crunch for the delicious main star.

But they are so not healthy for me. And I know this. But I’m not okay with giving up one of my favorite side dishes (and yes, I know I just referred to potato chips as a side dish.)

So I thought about this. How can I still have chips with my sandwich but make them healthy?

Kale Chips.

They are so easy to make and you can adjust the spice level to your preference every time you make them.

I used this recipe from the recipe blog, Oh She Glows, and absolutely loved it!

Sometimes, it’s about finding new ways to make the things you love healthier for you.

And those kale chips tasted just as good, if not better, than any kettle chip I’ve ever had.

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