Ballerific Health: 5 Simple Steps Towards a Healthier Lifestyle – blogged by: @proudlylauren

With all the information we have on health, diets and fitness, it’s easy for something as simple as living a healthier lifestyle to seem more difficult then it should be. Every trainer swears he has the answer to the perfect body, every dietician promises the perfect diet and all of it costs an arm and a leg. I’m here to tell you that living healthier is not that hard nor is it extremely expensive. By incorporating these simple steps, living healthier can be easily attainable and affordable.

1.     Dedicate at least thirty minutes a day doing something active

The American Heart Association encourages people to get active for at least 30 mins a day to prevent heart disease. This doesn’t have to be a full blown gym workout, but a quick run, quick squat workout etc. that can be incorporated into your already busy day. If you need any ideas, a google search for quick workouts will give you exactly what you need. Not only will it prevent heart disease, but get you in shape as well.

2.     Drink a half a gallon of water a day

Drinking water helps you feel fuller, which helps curb your appetite, and prevent you from over-eating. Water has also been proven to clear skin, remove toxins, and increase energy. Get a half gallon water bottle, and carry it with you everywhere you go so you wont forget.

3.     Eat on a consistent schedule

This can be the typical three meals a day, four small meals, or five small meals, whichever works best for your budget and schedule. A consistent meal schedule helps control cravings, stay fuller, and avoid binge eating at random moments in the day. Once your body gets used to the schedule, it’ll become easier to avoid cravings outside of those times, and help you stay on track.

4.     Cut out snacks and soda

We all know the empty sugars from snacks and soda aren’t good for us, yet we can’t seem to give them up. That’s because we don’t really know the appropriate, healthier snacks, to replace them with.  Google snack substitutes, and you will find better snacks to eat: fruit instead of chips, water instead of soda etc.

5.     Allow yourself one day to pig out

Diets go bad when people get tired of strict diets that eliminate everything, and pig out on the food they miss like snacks and sweets. So to avoid binge eating, allow one cheat day a week, to have all the bad foods you want. A cheat day will motivate you to stay focused on the other days, and save your cravings for your one designated day.

Don’t forget about your health just because it seems too difficult or too expensive. There are plenty of ways to stay fit, and lead healthy lifestyles with simple changes to your current habits. Incorporate the above steps into your life, and I promise you will see just how easy and affordable being healthy really can be.