Healthy Things Anyone Can Do. Even Me

As January is all about self-improvement, this post is the first in a short series that will cover money, healthy living, blogging, wardrobe planning beauty related self care and finding joy.  I'm finishing with joy as it's positive and making changes is easier with the odd treat on the way.

I'm going to include other posts along the way because there is only so much self-improvement a woman can stand!  (Yes, I am a blogger with an editorial calendar! I'm not good at following it).  I hope it's helpful and if there's something else you'd like me to talk about, let me know.

First up ... healthy living ... It seems the blogosphere agrees with me.  All the Linky posts I've clicked on recently have been about diet and exercise.  Unless they've been about blogging.  It looks like having looked at its navel, the blogosphere has decided it would like it to be fitter and more toned. It's that time of year ...

I want to keep the weight off and keep fit.  Here are some ways to do this in a healthy, productive way without a radical lifestyle overhaul.

• Start small.  Make small changes, like switching to wholemeal bread from white.  That way it won't seem so much of a challenge.

• Balanced meals.  Think about the nutrients going into your body.  Eat lots of fruit and vegetables and less animal, sugar, dairy and carbs.

• Drink more water.  Studies have found that sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're actually thirsty.  Anyway, hydration is good.

• Exercise.  A body that spends a long time sitting in an office needs to move, sweat and stretch. I do yoga when Rev T is safely out of the house.  I'm try to use the exercise bike for what it was made for rather than as a clothes rack.  I get off a bus stop early and walk.  I take the stairs instead of the lift at work.

• Eat breakfast.  Not eating breakfast screws up your metabolism.  The old saying, "Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner" is true.

• Don't drink your calories.  Wine and MochaChocoaLattes are full of tasty, empty calories. Damn them!  Substituting fizzy drinks for water also helps.

• Snack on fruit, not sweets.  Makes getting your five a day easier!  

• This one doesn't apply to me, but if it does to you, then Give up smoking.  Having chimneyed my way through university, then given up afterwards as I didn't have the cash to carry on, I realise that this is easy to say and so hard to do.

• Do what works for you.  Your mate may be loving the whole clean eating, paleo diet, but that may not work for you or fit in with your life.  The basic rule of thumb is to listen to your body and see how it reacts to what you're putting in (or not putting in).  But if you're giving it good stuff, then you should see positive results.

I know cupcakes aren't remotely healthy.  But it's a lovely photo isn't it?  Ah well

Any extra healthy things that I could try?

Sharing with all these great Linkys