FILL your diet with a wide variety of colors!
apples, tomatoes, kidney beans, cherries, oranges, apricots, paprika, lemons, eggs, bananas, spinach, broccoli, kale, blueberries, blue corn, blue potatoes, blackberries, egg plant, black beans. and more!!
that way, you’re technically not restricting yourself but just focusing on foods you need to eat for a healthier you.
did you know that music can enhance your workout? it can lighten up your mood, help you find rhythm, motivate you, and more. so here is a workout playlist that gets me going! sorry if some of the songs are old :P but all of these songs are good - trust me!
what songs am i missing??
if you eat right, train hard, and get enough sleep, you’ll get the results you want.
1. fat free foods
i’m not saying fat free foods are bad. i mean i eat plain fat free yogurt all the time. but you should be suspicious of most foods that claim to be “fat free”. fat free means that the food doesn’t contain any fat so instead of adding butter, or oil, or other fat sources, what do you think the companies add? more chemicals, more sugar, more fillers, and etc. sometimes fat free products have more calories and are worse for you. so next time, make sure you read the ingredients!
2. smoothies
smoothies are “healthy” because they contain fruits, right? not quite. some smoothies can be healthy if they use the right ingredients but most are not. most smoothies use fruit juices with added sugars, ice creams, sugary yogurts, and etc. if you want to buy a smoothie to drink, check the ingredients before hand or ask the people at the counter what goes in the smoothies!
3. greek yogurt
i love me some greek yogurt! they’re a great protein source - if you choose wisely. i mean all greek yogurts are technically a protein source but some are not “great” because of their sugar content. yes. i’m talking about the flavored greek yogurts. sure not all may be bad but most are. most of the sugars in the flavored greek yogurts are not natural sugars so if you want to have greek yogurt, go for the plain and add your own fruits, honey, and more!
4. sugar free foods
similar to fat free foods, sugar free foods have chemicals, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols and sometimes, sugar free foods are just as bad or worse than the regular ones. so again, read the ingredients and make the right decisions!
5. trail mix
nuts, dried fruits, seeds, a little bit of chocolate: healthy right? ehhhh. in most trail mixes, the fruits are coated with sugar and the nuts with salt. and not to mention other high calorie add ins like m&ms, chocolate chips, and more. so look fore ones with naturally dried fruits, seeds, unsalted nuts and etc. or just make your own!
6. granola
granola is kind of like trail mix. with the right ingredients, it can be very healthy but most granolas have their fair share of calories and fat thanks to a large amount of oil, sugar-coated fruits, chocolate / yogurt chips, and etc. so look for granolas with whole-grain oats, no HFCS / hydrogenated oils, and little sugar + fat. but still remember, PORTION CONTROL!
7. “whole wheat”, “bran”, “high fiber”, and etc.
just because it says “whole wheat”, “bran”, “high fiber”, it doesn’t mean its good for you. they may just contain a little bit of whole wheat flour, or wheat germ, or chicory root. read the ingredients or go for foods that are 100% whole grain.
8. energy bars
some energy bars are worse than candy bars with their sky-soaring sugar contents. on top of that, they’re really processed and calorie dense so don’t rely on energy bars and pack other more natural snacks instead. if you must have energy bars, read the ingredients & nutritional info!
9. vegetable chips
yes they’re vegetable. but they’re fried. i mean you can have vegetable chips but don’t go to town with them, thinking they’re better than regular chips. measure out a serving and just have that much!
what do you think?
i hate it when people tell (more like force) me what to eat and how to eat unless i asked for help. i like being in control over what goes into my body. what about you?
1. eat small portions often
notice how i said small portions often not big portions often. if you’re used to eating 3 meals a day and you want to eat more frequently and speed up your metabolism, you have to cut down your meal portions. if you just add snacks on top of what you’re already used to eating, you’re probably going to gain weight. and eating small, healthy snacks in between meals will keep you satisfied until your next meal.
2. eat breakfast. no excuses
within an hour of waking up, eat breakfast. if you’re not hungry right when you wake up, wait a little and then eat something. eating breakfast can prevent binges later on because you’re more satisfied throughout the day. also, you’re more likely to eat double the calories at lunch when you skip breakfast so eat breakfast! no seriously.
3. go for low density, high volume
low density, high volume means that the food has a lot of water content and is low in calories. For example, apples, watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, and etc. you can eat “more” for “less” calories.
4. up the fiber
veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, and more! fiber will help you feel full faster and for longer because the body processes a fiber-rich meal more slowly. aim for about 25g a day.
5. protein, protein, protein
people often overeat because they’re so hungry because they skipped a meal or they didn’t have enough food beforehand. if you incorporate protein into meals and snacks, you’ll be more satisfied for longer.
6. eat slow
i know, i’m guilty of eating really fast too. but in order for your brain to recognize that you’re full, it needs at least 15~20 minutes so if you eat slowly, you’re more likely to eat less
dirty thirties #1. yeah that’s right. #1. that means there’s more dirty thirties coming your way!
30 burpees
30 squats
30 tricep dips
30 pliés
30 leg drops
30 lunges
30 mountain climbers
30 box jumps
repeat 2~3 times.
i hate dirty thirties when i’m doing them. but love them afterwards.
being healthy - everybody has a different goal whether it’s eating healthier, losing weight, increasing fitness, and etc. and sometimes, getting support is hard and without support, this journey can be very difficult.
i’m very lucky to have support from my family and recognition from my friends. when i say that i have support from my family, i mean my mom prepares different meals for me most of the time (done my way), we don’t go out to eat frequently, my grandma makes modifications to certain dishes, and etc. and when i say i have recognition from my friends, i mean they offer to workout with me sometimes, don’t ride me about eating healthy, don’t care if i choose not to eat certain things at certain times, and etc. i mean support makes my life easier!
so here are some tips, hoping that they will make things easier and more successful!
parents
1. let them know about their goals and MAKE SURE THEY KNOW how important this is to you
2. do your part. for example, for dinner, volunteer to make a salad. or volunteer to roast veggies. there’s always something you can do.
3. don’t force it on them. you can’t just expect your family to start eating egg whites and fruits for breakfast and eat grilled veggies and lean meat for dinner.
4. go easy. ask if they can buy 100% whole wheat bread instead of white. ask them if they can have more veggies or salads with dinner. baby steps. baby steps.
at first, my parents were sometimes annoyed by how picky i was with what i ate since i basically nixed anything “bad” from my diet. it was tricky especially when we went out or when we went on vacation. but honestly if i gain weight and eat crap, i feel like crap, i can’t study as well, and don’t feel good about myself. now that they know how important being healthy and fit is to me, they don’t just not mind but actually help me so much!
friends
1. again, let them know your goals and why your’e doing this
2. ask if they want to go workout with you and if they do, MAKE IT FUN. i usually get a lot of no’s but i also get a lot of yes’s!
3. ask if they want to try your food. show them that healthy food can be very delicious! for example if you order something that they’ve never seen before / not used to like tempeh, tofu, kale, and more, offer them a bite.
4. be cool about it. when my friends ask me if i want fries, i’m like nah. if they ask why i just say “i don’t really want it” or “it’s not the best for me” or something like that. being healthy and making healthy choices is not something to be ashamed of but something to be proud of. for example, i haven’t had real fast food in YEARS. and when i tell that to people, i say it with pride.
6. they don’t accept you? then reconsider your friendship. i know that’s hard. when your friends don’t like how you’re so “healthy” and “workout all the time” and stuff, you can’t just be like “ok, you’re probably not my real friends so i’m just gonna make new ones”. it’s not that easy and it doesn’t work that way. but if no matter how hard you try they don’t seem to accept you, then please do consider your friendship!
and if you still can’t get their support, please know that I’m here for you guys always!
if you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, i’m sure you’ve seen skinny water pop up here and there because i love them! but i haven’t given you guys an official review yet so here we go :D
but first, what is skinny water? from the website, “Skinny Water®, [is] a great tasting, multi-functional, one-of-a-kind beverage. Skinny Water® proudly contains zero calories, zero sugar, zero sodium and zero preservatives. Packed with vitamins, electrolytes, and anti-oxidants, Skinny Water® is the perfect addition to an on-the-go healthy lifestyle.”
they use natural flavors and colors found in fruits and vegetables so it’s not artificial!
anyways, they offer various flavors such as “acai grape blueberry”, “lemonade passionfruit”, “pink citrus berry” and more. and each flavor has different purposes. for example, the raspberry pomegranate flavor is for “crave control” and acai grape blueberry is for “hi-energy”. i love it! i’ve tried almost all of the flavors. yes i have. i mean, i gotta make sure they all taste good right? and they do! they’re not too sweet; they have a subtle sweetness. also, the flavors are spot on!
my favorite flavor?
the blue raspberry. i took the picture with my favorite one in the middle - duh! honestly, after a hot sweaty run, an icy cold blue raspberry skinny water does the trick!
and guess what? unlike some fancy drinks, they don’t cost you your whole wallet. i even went to cvs to check it out myself.
see? yes. it is affordable. and it is so worth the money. i don’t buy a lot of drinks. i just have a very few specific ones i buy all the time and skinny water is one of them.
go check it out at their website: http://www.skinnywater.com/ or their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/skinnywater. they’re very active on their facebook page too so stay tuned for giveaways, announcements, and more!
yes. i love skinny water.
do you guys get support from parents & friends on your health journey? or do you guys have a hard time getting it? would you guys perhaps like some tips? i’d love to help!
yummmm! get a delicious, high protein start of the day!!!
ingredients:
-3 egg whites
-1.5 cups of chopped veggies (e.g. mushrooms, onions, broccoli, peppers, etc.)
-pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
directions:
1. get a small / medium frying pan. if it’s not non-stick, grease the pan with a dab of oil / spray
2. put the heat on medium~high and cook the veggies
3. when the veggies are done, take them out, set it aside, and lower the heat to LOW
4. mix 3 egg whites with a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
5. put the egg whites into the (same) pan and spread the cooked veggies on top
6. get a piece of aluminum foil and cover the whole pan (just put it on top so the steam doesn’t get out)
7. when the whites are set and the bottom is light brown (about 4~6 mins), separate the whites from the pan and slide it out onto a plate
8. top it with your fave sauce (e.g. tomato sauce or sriracha) and devour!
recipe courtesy of mama song :D
