If the New Year is beckoning you to become a health fanatic, then you might be a little nervous about how you’re going to afford your new resolution. Health food can cost an arm and a leg, especially if you plan on buying food that actually taste good. Not to mention, the cost of workout equipment, gym memberships and everything else that goes along with being health. If you’re thinking like this, then it’s time to calm down and make the health thing a reality. There’s a lot of ways you can enjoy getting healthy without ever having to spend an arm and a leg on the lifestyle. So, whether you want to lose weight or improve your quality of living, these tips will help you meet your goals frugally.
1. Embrace Water
One of the biggest favors you can do for your body is to drink water. A lot of people live on a diet of sodas, energy drinks, juices and other high calorie and high sugar beverages. This can do so much damage to your body, in the long and short term. Apart from adding calories to your intake, the sugar content alone can really knock your body out of balance. The diet versions of these drinks are worse yet, due to the chemicals known to cause damage in the body. Water is a great low calorie option, which is totally natural for us to drink. Although it might not have the exciting taste of sweet or carbonated drinks, it does help flush the system and get rid of the nasty toxins that don’t do the body in favors. Apart from hydrating, water also helps in many other ways. For instance, if you drink a glass before each meal it will stop you from over-eating. Drinking a glass when you wake up kick starts your metabolism while drinking a glass before bed helps prevent strokes and heart attacks. Even drinking a glass of water before a shower will help reduce your blood pressure. So, cut the calories this year by keeping water your drink of choice.
2. Don’t Overcook
Sometimes, it’s hard to plan for a meal for just one, so we often overcook. It’s just as easy to overdo it when you’re cooking for a family or large group of people though. Rather than going a little overboard on the meal, try to keep portion sizes in mind. You don’t have to cook enough for everyone to eat massive amounts. This only encourages people to take more than they need, which leads to weight gain and other unhealthy behaviors. Even if you plan on whipping up a big batch of food and eating the leftovers later, you may be asking for trouble. Often, leftovers go forgotten, which could lead you to waste a whole lot of food and money. One of the few foods you should make in bulk batches is soup, but make sure you pull out the portions you’d like to freeze before serving the meal to your family.
3. Start a Garden
One of the best things you can do for you, your family and planet Earth is to start your own garden. A lot of people are intimated by growing their own food, but it’s actually easier than you think. Of course, some foods are easier to grow than others, but you may find that the best thing to do is to try your luck at many different types of food and see which produce works its magic for you. Even if you don’t grow the foods you eat more often, growing food can still help you learn new healthy recipes based on the foods that do grow. You may also be able to sell or trade your excess produce, which will also work in your favor when it comes to saving money in the grocery department. The best thing about growing your own food is you know you don’t have to worry about extra chemicals, which can harm your family. Plus, when children know where their food comes from and actively help in the process, they’re more than likely going to eat healthy.
4. Cut the Meat
Although eating or not eating meat is entirely a personal choice, you can improve your health by cutting down on the meat you do eat. Eating a lot of meat can mess with your digestive system and cause you many problems in the future. This is especially true when it comes to red meats as they are known to cause problems, including stomach cancer, if you eat them frequently. Of course, sausage and other processed meats have also been linked to major problems. Fish and other white meats aren’t bad for you and have many health benefits, but one of the best things you can do for your system is cut down on meat altogether. This is a great way to save money too as you can easily have a vegetable stir fry or salad night to help keep your system feeling strong. You don’t have to dedicate every night to a vegetarian dish either, rather choose a night or two a week to give your body a break from meat. There’s lots of great vegetarian and vegan recipes out there, so perhaps this year you’ll find something you love.
5. Avoid Bad Oils
Oils aren’t exactly the best for your body, but all oils aren’t made equal either. There’s actually some oils that are designed to help your body function better. So, the best thing you can do is research before you plan your meals. Often, people tend to rely on vegetable oil and poor oils like Crisco to cook most of their meals. This can really harm the body and cause problems like clogged arteries and weight gain. Although deep frying food isn’t great for you in the first place, you can make the food a bit better by using oils like peanut oil to cook. Many people tend to use olive oil on just about everything too, which doesn’t work out in many cases because the oil is only meant to heat at a certain temperature. So, before you cook with oil, look around and see what options you have. You may be pleasantly surprised.
6. Walk/Run
Forget the gym, one of the key ways to keep healthy is to simply walk and run. Walking is such an important part of the day because it gets the body functioning properly without making you feel worn out. If you work at a desk job then you probably see the importance of walking after a long day of sitting. Try to plan out a 30 minute walk each day, so you can burn excess calories and even relax a bit. You can always add more time to your morning walks as you feel comfortable. If you do a lot of sitting, you should try to get up and walk for a minute every 20 minutes. This will give your eyes a break and help keep your body healthy. Running is a crucial way to stay healthy too. A recent study found that running for as little as 50 minutes a day can substantially help your body. If you’re not fit enough for running at the moment, then begin by running for a minute at a time while walking for a few minutes. This routine will help you move into a more consistent run that will help you lose weight while improving your cardio system.
7. 20 Minute Rule
Again, office work is becoming one of the biggest contributors to health problems. It’s easy to spend all day sitting on your computer and returning home to sit some more. However, this isn’t doing your body any favors. If you can, stand up from where you’re sitting at least every 20 minutes. Of course, this doesn’t work in places like movie theaters, but it is easy to do when it comes to sitting at work or home. If you want to get more out of the 20 minute rule then practice a yoga move, walk up and down the stairs or do pushups or sit-ups every 20 minutes. Another 20 minute rule to keep in mind has to do with the computer. Many spend hours on end on the computer, which is almost a necessity in today’s busy world. However, if you can, stare at something at least 20 feet away, for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. This will help prevent permanent eye damage.
8. Eat At Home
When it comes to food, the best place to get yours is straight from your house. It’s pretty much common knowledge that fast food isn’t going to do your body any favors. Even fast food salads can do a number on your health, which will leave you feeling bogged down and unmotivated when it comes to working out. Not to mention, most of these foods have addictive properties, which could leave you in more trouble than you think. Even sit down restaurants can cause problems in regards to your health, especially if the restaurant doesn’t let you know what’s in the food. When you cook from home you have absolute control over what you’re eating. This will allow you to alter your meals to suit your health, so you can get fit and healthy.
9. Portion Control
For many people, portions sizes are the main reason why they gain weight. It’s hard to know just how much you should be eating, especially when there’s lot of great items to eat sitting in front of you. One key rule here is to start the meal with a salad with light dressing, if any at all. This will ensure you get your vegetables for the meal and you begin to fill up. Drinking a glass of water before a meal can also help you with portion control as it will make you feel full before you overeat. Of course, keeping true to portions isn’t all that hard. Always remember that meat should be no bigger than the palm of your hand and starch should be no great than 1/4 of your plate. The rest of your place can be dedicated to vegetables. When you keep to these rules, you should find yourself losing weight and feeling healthier.
10. Active Hobbies
If you absolutely hate the gym and paying its fees, then you may want to consider transforming your hobbies into something that will help keep you fit. For starters, if you like any sports then that’s a great way to keep in shape. Everything from football to badminton can help you lead a healthier lifestyle without forcing you to pay a pretty penny. If sports aren’t your cup of tea then you might want to consider dancing, hiking, yoga or anything else that gets your body moving for some time. Some people even take to their gaming consoles to help keep them fit. You can easily buy workout routines like Tai Chi and other martial arts here, which allows so many to have fun while they exercise.
Keeping fit in 2016 will be one of the easiest and cheapest thing to do thanks to these simple tips. Before you know it, you’ll be leading a healthier lifestyle that will allow you to feel more confident about yourself as well as your ability to keep up with the challenges of the day.
