Tuesday 14 January 2014

• Eating my way to a healthier 2014 •

Quite simply, I don't do exercise. So I won't preach to you about being healthy under the false pretense that I am the 'Mighty Healthy One'. I've been there, done that, got the sweaty t-shirt, but the gym just isn't the place for me. And if you think I'm going running out in the wild...well I'm sure you've never seen a cross between a duck and an octopus before (waddling, flailing arms...you get the picture).

Instead of exercise, I have always adopted the healthy eating approach. Now I don't mean a diet - the only diet I've ever been on is the "see-food diet" - I just mean a change in lifestyle, or even a change in shopping lists.

Here are a few things that help keep me feeling and looking healthy:

1. Honey and lemon drink every morning. Boiling water, half a squeezed lemon and a teaspoonful of honey is the right way to go. The lemon cleanses, the honey is an antioxidant and great at fighting any nasties that might be lurking inside you (best one to use is Manuka honey, crazy expensive but worth it) and boiling water helps the water absorb into you as opposed to cold water. 

2. Walking. Ok I say I don't do any exercise, in fact I type this whole spiel about it, but I do try to go on a walk once a week. This is only usually a 10 minute walk though so don't get too excited. I go for a walk not for any weight loss/muscle gain purposes, but purely to de-stress me. I am a bit of a panicker so when I get stressed, I get really stressed. Walks help me to clear my mind. I try to leave my phone or any type of technology at home so I don't have anything on me, I can just walk and walk and take in the fresh air and the scenery around me.

3. Sweet potatoes. These are a God send. I try to have sweet potatoes at least once a week, either as a substitute for a normal jacket potatoe, baked with other vegetables or even mashed. They're a superfood so they're ridiculously good for you, and very tasty too. A bonus is that they don't contain any carbs - free food, yesssss! Can't get much better than that. I recommend giving them a go - swap them with normal potatoes and you'll feel much better about piling more onto your plate (take it from one who speaks from experience).

4. Blueberries. Or berries in general. Blueberries in particular contain more antioxidants than most fruit, veg and spices, claim to increase memory and prevent cancer, and thin your blood to prevent blood clots and heart attacks. So why on Earth do we not eat blueberries in every single meal? Because they're expensive, that's why. There is, however, a way around this. You can pick up frozen blueberries, or frozen mixed berries, from the supermarket (ASDA do them for around £2 - click here for a direct link) and add them into your diet this way. I really enjoy them in porridge (if you follow my instagram, there's usually a porridge/berry related post on there - ddiraimo92) and snacking on them straight out of the freezer.

5. Sleep. I used to think I was just lazy and needed my sleep, but I genuinely feel sick if I don't get 7+ hours. I was told I had Anemia when I was 16 and that's when it all started to make sense. But whether you have Anemia or not, sleep is such a crucial component of leading a healthy lifestyle. It goes hand in hand with water, walking, sweet potatoes, berries etc. You can have all of those things, only have 2 hours sleep and still not be a healthy individual. Now I know that some people work best on 4 or 5 hours sleep - and if that's normal for you then great, go ahead - I'm just talking about people who only get 2, 3, 4 hours sleep, feel rubbish because of it, and still don't manage to increase their sleeping time. For me, more sleep = more energy, more energy = more time to spend doing the things I love, so really it's a no brainer. It's just something to think about.

That's pretty much it! I'm sure I do tons of other things to stay healthy, but I make a conscious effort to do the above on a regular basis. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and it inspired you to make some healthy changes :)

Daniela

10 comments :

  1. How do you make your porridge look nice!
    I take a photo of mine and it looks awful lol

    www.chlotalks.blogspot.com

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    1. Hello, haha thank you, well with the correct lighting and angle I kind of muddle through! I think the blueberries also make it look nice :) Daniela x

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  2. This is too very good. I'm also trying to eat healthy this year. So far so good!
    Would you like to follow each other?

    Ayesha
    Defining Me
    Bloglovin|Google+|facebook|pinterest|Twitter

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    1. Hello, thank you, I think these little steps can be implemented so easily! I've followed you on bloglovin and google+ :) Thanks for commenting, Daniela x

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  3. Hi hun! I, probably with many others are wanting to get healthier, so this was a welcomed post :) Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. I am now following you on bloglovin! and blogger som if your not doing the same for my blog already please return the favor.

    Hollie x
    http://holliefurniss.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Hi, ah I'm glad you liked it :) I just think that these little steps can go a long way! And you're welcome, I love your blog. I'm also now following you on bloglovin and blogger :) Thanks for commenting, Daniela x

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  4. I didn't know that blueberries were so good for you! May have to go to the supermarket tomorrow :)

    Danniella x | www.famousinjapan.co.uk

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    1. Hello! They are so so good for you, I started implementing them into my diet about a year ago after reading the benefits! Daniela x

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  5. I love these blog posts, I'm going to try that lemon and honey drink most mornings. I hope it will do me good x
    http://kahneee.blogspot.ie/

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    1. Hello, ah thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes definitely have the drink - sometimes the most simplest of things can be the most effective! I love your blog by the way! Daniela x

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