Рецепт Simple Swaps: Easy Healthy Habits for 2015
Happy New Year friends!!
I can’t believe that it’s already 2015! Time flies when you’re having fun….or baking a little gluten free bun in the oven.
This may have been the first time in a long time that I didn’t ring in the New Year with friends and bubbles. In fact, I was sleeping up until a few minutes before the ball drop – that’s definitely a first! 2013 may have been a little too fun!
Another first: I haven’t made any New Year Resolutions! I typically take a little bit of time at the first of the year to reflect on the previous year; what was good – what was bad – what could make my life better?
This year….I’m spending all my time looking forward, I’m sure we all know why. Plus, most of the things that didn’t go to well in 2014 (constant nausea for example) aren’t circumstances that I could have changed. Trust me – I tried.
However, I have let some of my healthy habits slip in the past couple months. So instead of making resolutions, I’m making reminders.
Healthy Habits I’ve Maintained:
- Sweet Tea Ban
Not easy for a Southern gal, but worth it for me! There are so many empty sugary calories in sweet tea and the more I drink unsweet tea with tons of lemon, the more I crave it!
- Water by the Gallon
I used to drink a gallon of water a day because I exercised so much; I needed the hydration. Now I drink a gallon of water a day because I’m growing a human. I’ve added coconut water to the mix and I’m convinced that being well hydrated makes you feel ten times better.
Plus I have a steady rotation of 24 oz. cups with straws that make drinking water super easy. Yes, I am often a lazy human being – it has to be easy!
- Portion Control
Honestly, this hasn’t necessarily been by choice - I literally have no room in my body to over eat. BUT I also haven’t felt the emotional urge to over eat which is huge for me. I have definitely battled with emotional eating in the past.
Healthy Habits to Bring Back
- Healthier Salad Dressings and Condiments
I LOVE condiments! Seriously. LOVE. Ditching Ranch Dressing a few years ago was really hard but it made a HUGE difference in my overall health and ability to lose and maintain a healthy weight.
Umm…do you remember when I realized that I was eating 520 calories in Ranch dressing alone?!? Just for one meal?!?
Sadly, my random pregnancy food aversions made salad nearly inedible for me for months. The only way I could eat anything green was by slathering it in Ranch. While I’m definitely not back to where I was before (slamming a bottle a week) I’m not happy with where I am.
So last week I started making this delicious Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette again and I bought the supplies to make a healthier version of Ranch for dishes that need a dipper. Yes, some dishes NEED a dipper!
I love the Organic Ranch Seasoning from Spice Hunter, but I will use Hidden Valley in a pinch. It’s loaded with MSG but sometimes I pick my battles.
I also didn’t buy anymore Ranch dressing this past week at the grocery store. There’s a lot to be said for making it less accessible. Laziness always wins out for me.
-Spaghetti Squash Swap
Eating less gluten free pasta is definitely a good thing for me personally: physically and financially. And I do genuinely love the taste of Spaghetti Squash. (Plus it is so darn good for you!) I fell out of the habit for tons of reasons: seasonality, 2nd trimester exhaustion, nausea, laziness…. But I do want to bring it back in to the meal rotation.
Two of my favorite Spaghetti Squash recipes:
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
- Getting Regular Exercise
Geez, I feel like Baby Ravelli is taking a lot of blame in this list, but this is definitely something that I have felt less able to do with pregnancy. In the 1st and 2nd trimester, nausea pretty much kept me out of the gym. I would manage to exercise maybe once a week but never on a regular basis.
I have been walking a lot more lately and even shook my legs out last week with a few minutes of light jogging. But I’ve completely dropped weight lifting and I miss it SO MUCH! I love the way building muscle makes me feel!
I don’t envision being able to bring weights back in before the baby comes but I can continue to walk and do some squats with just body weight.
At the same time, I know my body just needs more rest right now and I am totally okay with honoring that. I just want to be sure that I’m reading the signals right and not confusing a need for rest with a lack of motivation.
So there you have it! My reminders for the start of the year – Healthy Habits I want to be sure to bring back. What about you? Did you make any New Year Resolutions?