Important Daily Habits of Healthy People
Ever secretly coveted that waif next to you on the train in her LuluLemon garb who just looked so effortlessly thin, gingerly sipping on her green smoothie? Wonder how she does it?
Here’s how those in the Essence health tribe maintain our habits:
- We Snooze: We recognize how sleep is both extremely delicious and essential to appetite control. When you don’t get enough sleep, your hormone levels of a chemical called leptin, which regulates appetite, is dulled. You are then prone to overeating, plus you’re grumpy and sleep-deprived, so you may turn to food to revitalize you.
- We Eat Breakfast: There’s so much evidence that starting your day with a solid healthy meal inspires you to keep up the good work. People who eat breakfast are also less likely to compensate by over-eating later in the day. Smart breakfast eaters always include a complex carbohydrate, like a fruit or plain oatmeal, plus a clean protein, like an organic egg or organic almond butter.
- We Snack: We recognize that we require fuel throughout the day and sometimes meals just aren’t sufficient to fill in the gaps. Smart noshers always have a fruit and some nuts or a clean protein bar stashed in every handbag, office drawer, or even your car. We snack to curb us over until the next meal, prevent overindulgence, and as an opportunity to get more fruit/veggies in our diets.
- We Drink: Water, tea, and even coffee! We hydrate to make our skin dewy, our lips moist, and our tummies happy. We don’t like to mistake hunger for thirst, either. We spice it up with things like green tea, black, high-quality coffee seasoned with cinnamon, and sparkling waters.
- We Indulge..Moderately: We don’t let guilt rule us. We realize that dessert is sacred and that we select our indulges wisely. We won’t waste it on some grocery store cake in the office; we’d rather savor every bite of an artisanal pie made with local fruits and grains from a bakery.
- We Move: We recognize that exercise in the name of burning calories is not fun and creates a culture of guilt. We run, jump, play, swim, and dance. We realize that movement is about strength, mobility, flexibility, speed, and endurance; NOT a compensation for eating.
- We Prep: You’ll never catch a dietitian without a weekly idea of what she/he has in store at home or in the office. See here.
- We Invest: In the ONLY nutrition experts: the registered dietitian. NOT a health coach, a trainer, or an “integrative nutritionist” with an online degree. We know that we can’t do it all without a health PROFESSIONAL’s advice. The Essence tribe knows that registered dietitians are a wealth of knowledge, support, and innovation when it comes to food, nutrition, and feeling your best.
Essentially Yours,
Monica