It’s the little things in life that matter. Here are 14 little health tips you can capitalize on for improved health and wellbeing!
KIM’S HEALTH TIPS
- Add spices to any and everything! As I’ve discussed before, spices are nutritional powerhouses and we would be remiss if we were not using spices daily in our food prep and cooking. I mean here they are, little natural healing agents, sitting lonely in our cabinets! So be sure to show them (and your body) some love and add spices EVERYWHERE, EVERY DAY: cinnamon in your coffee; turmeric (plus pepper to help with absorption) in your smoothies; oregano in your eggs; garlic in your salads; thyme in your roasted vegetables.
- Eat dark chocolate to please your sweet cravings. Choose dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content for a rich taste and the highest antioxidant benefits and heart-protective flavanols. Aren’t you happy I’m telling you to eat chocolate??? 1-2 squares is a portion:)
- Choose wild blueberries rather than regular blueberries when available. The wild ones contain great amounts of phytochemicals. Find them in the freezer section at Costco or Walmart. Perfect to add to smoothies or yogurt parfaits.
- Invest in a Vidalia Chop Wizard. I am obsessed with this gadget! It’s inexpensive (around $25) and will LITERALLY shave off numerous minutes of your food prep. Use it to chop veggies for: salads, homemade soups, homemade tomato sauce, chili, virtually ANY dish with vegetables in it. Which hopefully is MANY in your repertoire! And it’s helpful for sneaking veggies into places where they may not belong 😉
- Combine unfiltered extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar to create a marriage made in heaven. Unfiltered olive oil is a less processed, more flavorful oil. And when balsamic vinegar is AGED, it becomes sweeter, less acidic and a bit thicker. Look for an acidity of 4% instead of 6%. Your daily salads will thank you.
- Reduce the sugar in homemade baked goods. It’s always nice to bake something sweet for your family to enjoy. Keep in mind that when you bake a traditional cookie or cake recipe, you can almost always reduce the amount of sugar the recipe calls for by about half. You would be surprised to see that reducing the sugar does not ruin the taste, especially when the recipe also calls for chocolate chips, fruit or dried fruit which add additional sweetness. The less sugar we eat, the healthier we will be. So start to get your tastebuds used to enjoying foods a little less sweet.
- Spray your measuring cups with cooking spray when recipes call for nut butter or honey. This little hack will make it easier to get every last drop out of the measuring cup while making clean up a breeze.
- Use ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal instead of whole flaxseed. Flaxseed, which can be added daily to your diet or to your baking, contains healthy fats, Omega 3 fatty acids, and fiber which can help your digestive system be more “regular”. But be sure to purchase ground flaxseed, as grinding it helps to release more of the benefits.
- Swap out sour cream for plain yogurt in recipes. Any recipe that calls for sour cream can be made using plain Greek or regular yogurt instead. Yogurt contains less fat, more probiotics and higher protein content than sour cream.
- Make banana n’ice cream. If you’re not making this guilt-free dessert at least once a week, get on it!! This is your GUILT-FREE ice cream. I promise you will NOT miss regular ice cream. You can find a recipe on this blog under “Desserts” in the “Recipe” tab.
- Discover nutritional yeast. We are totally obsessed with Nutritional Yeast in our house. It adds a wonderful tangy, zingy, cheesy flavor to salads and popcorn. Nutritional yeast is vegan and gluten-free. It contains vitamin B12 and is a delicious cheese substitute for lactose-intolerant people or those who are looking to minimize dairy.
- Make sure your almond milk contains calcium. When choosing almond milk at the grocer, be sure to check out the Nutrition Facts label first. Your almond milk is a great place to obtain your calcium needs, but many brands do not contain very much of this bone-building nutrient! Look for a brand that has at least 30% of the daily value, such as Almond Breeze.
- Another reason to lose many hours of your life wandering around Homegoods: It’s the best place for foodie finds! Next time you are there (probably will be tomorrow–really?? AGAIN??) check out their section of wonderful oils, vinegars, spices, pastas, sauces, snacks, coffees, teas, etc. But leave some for me, please!
- Contact me to become a healthier eater and a healthier person! I have a plan that is not only enjoyable, but it works. My clients have changed their habits and experienced great success losing weight, improving their health and feeling great because of it. It’s easy and enjoyable. No reason not to.