HEALTHY EATING TIPS

Chances are, if you’re here reading this, you are most definitely looking for ways to eat healthy, and easily, because you are just like us – busy, busy, busy! 

Don’t get me wrong, Zeshan and I absolutely LOVE being busy. I (Alycia) am a VERY motivated individual who feels really good crossing goals off my list. I love lists, I love learning, I love being able to achieve as much as I allow myself to and so does Zeshan.

This also means we need to get in place the best system(s) we can to make sure we are keeping ourselves healthy. Let’s face it, if we’re not healthy we can’t accomplish anything. So here we go – our helpful tips to HEALTHY EATING.

1. PRE-MADE SALAD IS A LIFESAVER

We live two blocks from a Trader Joe’s and are basically there every three days or so. And when we go, the first thing on the list is SALADS. Yup, salads. 

We have never been into pre-made salads. They were either seriously lacking in toppings or were just too darn expensive. So, if we wanted salad we would buy everything to make the perfect salad. 

Seriously, who has time for that? After cooking the chicken, cleaning and dicing veggies, boiling eggs, packaging it — too much!

And then we discovered Trader Joe’s salads. (can you hear the heavenly music playing in the background??)

Here’s WHY we love it! One salad is so big (which you can’t tell because the container is a normal size) that it’s two serving sizes – say what? AND, they are not lacking in cheese, veggies, meats, amazing dressings – they even have salads with quinoa and roasted corn.

2. SNEAK NUTRITION INTO YOUR FOOD

Just like you have to sneak veggies into some kids’ meals (my mom made zucchini bread and called it cake) we sneak things anywhere we can.

One of our favorites is COCONUT OIL in our coffee. Not only do we get the nutritional value, but our lips stay nice and soft at the same time. And if you weren’t aware of the benefits of coconut oil, let me tell you a few – can increase fat burning, can reduce your hunger, can raise good cholesterol, and the list continues.

Another one we love is putting LOTS of goodies into our smoothies. Too much fruit = too much sugar. So we make sure to pack in the spinach, fat free greek yogurt (for protein), chia seeds, and avocado. (This is also how we sneak it into Trudie’s tummy too!)

3. KEEP FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES ON HAND

We have learned that whatever we have in the house and is easy to grab, we gravitate toward. That’s because we’re busy and whether we’re on a call, writing, chasing Trudie or running out the door, we often grab on the go.

So what do we keep around the house? Things like chopped celery, peaches, plums, apples, baby carrots, fresh red and green peppers, peeled and chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries…

One day Zeshan had put out on the table a whole large tray of fresh veggies with hummus. We ended up eating the whole tray by the end of the day. It was amazing! We felt amazing, we were totally satisfied and it was easy for the taking.

If you want to do this while at work, just chop up some veggies the night before and throw them in a bag or Tupperware. Leave the container on your desk and when you get hungry, grab that!

4. WATER, WATER AND MORE WATER

I have a complete blog post about water – and not just how important it is to drink water, but also the quality of your water. (The things we didn’t know and now do.)

Your body is comprised of up to 60% water – so naturally, you need water! Keep it on hand, keep it in front of you – drink, drink, drink. 

We noticed that when we don’t have a large container of water filled and out on the counter, we forget to drink it. We grab coffee, get consumed in work and forget all about our glasses and glasses of water. 

Zeshan started putting a large container of water in the freezer at night, in the morning we take it out and drink it throughout the day. When we constantly see it sitting out, it’s a reminder to keep drinking!

5. WHEN OUT AND ABOUT DON’T DINE OUT

When we first moved to LA, we did A LOT of walking just to see what was around us and learn our new surroundings. In the beginning, all we brought with us was some water and a couple snacks for Trudie.

We quickly gained some weight because while we were out walking, we would stop at places to get a little snack, or we’d be starving and just end up eating a meal out.

Now, when we know we’re going out and we’ll be out for awhile, we go prepared. And that can be our veggies, a handful of granola, some grapes or some dried mango.

The main thing, always be prepared!

So there you have it – it’s EASY to have some healthy, SIMPLE habits that will keep you on track. It’s all about re-training yourself, becoming more aware and most importantly enjoying the journey.