Notice this isn’t titled how to be skinny, or how to lose weight. So let me be very clear, I am in no way a health professional. I am in no way saying these methods are all you need to be healthy. However I do know a few things about how to eat properly and drink what you need to and ways to find the supplements you should be taking; All be it through trial and error but here we are. A couple years back I started to take my health way more seriously and in the spirit of just trying all the things….I have learned a LOT in a short time. So buckle up, grab a (healthy) snack and here we go!
- First on the list is Water
Hate the taste of water? Grab one of these water infuser tumblers from amazon and load that baby up with all the fresh flavors you love. Or you can find a cute motivational one like this one. Personally I’m totally fine with any type of water, even tap, but I know some people struggle with drinking it instead of other beverages. My absolute number one tip for water drinking is this, a 1:1 ratio. Any type of drink I have other than water, I drink equal parts water to set it off. So if you drink a 12oz can of cola, find a way to drink 12oz of water. Apply that to any other beverage you drink, then to finish off the day, drink one more 8oz glass. I personally start my day with a glass of water before I drink anything else (usually coffee) and that helps to kind of get me started. Technically you’re supposed to have half your body weight in ounces a day…so let’s say you weigh 100lbs…50oz of water is what you need. It’s not as scary as it seems and doing this little hack won’t make it feel so awful if you absolutely hate water. - Next up we have Protein
I didn’t really learn the painful lesson of not having enough protein until after I started working out on the regular. I thought it was only for those people that wanted to bulk up and be massive, which I was very uninterested in. When I started noticing I was exhausted or didn’t feel well after a good hard workout I did as any top rate smarty pants would do and I googled my symptoms. What I found is all the ways doing ANY exercise can deplete your body of the nutrients it needs just to do common activities. The number one thing that replenishes our muscles and the nutrition we’ve lost after exercise is protein. Now I’m not about to get into all the ways you can get protein…shakes versus meat versus bars or anything but here is the protein shakes that I use and have loved. Great flavor, decent price, all natural protein source and most importantly I don’t feel like sleeping for 12 hours after a workout once I’ve had one of these shakes! - My favorite on this list Healthy Fats
Fat in food is what gives it that delicious, savory flavor that makes your mouth water when you think of certain dishes. My number one all time favorite healthy fat? AVOCADO…one of God’s gifts to our world is those beautiful green, oddly shaped little pieces of fruit. They make everything I can think of taste better. Now I’m sure some may disagree so let me tell you a few other surprisingly healthy fats. Cheese, dark chocolate, whole eggs, fish, nuts, chia seeds, extra virgin olive oil and a few more which you can read about. Overall there are a ton of delicious foods that actually have some really great health benefits for your body and some even feel like indulgences which is the best of both worlds. The main thing with fat is to eat it in moderation, so be careful how much you intake. - Very important to every diet, Supplements
I didn’t become a crazy supplement lady until I worked for a doctor who sold them and I got to see and experience for myself first hand how they change lives and diets. Most people don’t realize that our food is so heavily processed in order to meet the demands in grocery stores that the nutrients are completely depleted from the food. In other instances we cook out the nutrients in our microwaves and make eating veggies totally useless. We have processed meats and frozen steam-able veggie bags that are delicious but worthless to our bodies. Check out this simple quiz and find out what vitamins you need in order to replace the nutrients we lose. You don’t have to purchase them from the company though. I found out what I needed according to this quiz and found my own really good, cheaper versions of them (thankfully they’re not sponsoring this). Supplements are how we get the ACTUAL nutrition that we need from what our foods don’t provide for us. If you’re like my husband and have a home garden you’re likely getting great nutrients as long as you’re not using things to enhance the growing rates. Overall, we all need some boosted nutrition health here and there so find the method that works best for you. - Find ways to make exercise fun
I recently discovered my love for kayaking and fishing. Both are enjoyable things for me to do but also require physical activity. Doctors will always agree that we need at least 20-30 minutes of SOME type of activity daily. That doesn’t mean it has to be killing yourself in the gym or something you don’t enjoy. Keep trying some different physical hobbies until you find one that you love, and most importantly don’t beat yourself up over the ones you don’t. - Prioritize your mental health
More important than trying to stick to a diet or health plan is our mental health and how we feel about ourselves. By the time we’re 20, most of us are very familiar with the food pyramid and how much of what we’re supposed to get in a day. We know the basics when it comes to food and nutrition but even if you’re not diving in and learning all about health and nutrition, you probably have a general idea of what’s healthy and what’s not but you also have to do what is going to keep you mentally strong. Some days I feel like crap and all I want is comfort food. So you know what? I eat it! I eat the ice cream and carbs because at the moment it’s what I feel my body needs. I know that sounds excessive but the number one thing is listening to your body which includes the days your body is telling you to rest and telling you to do something you enjoy. The key is balance.
One of the things I say to myself (several times a day) is “Is this something that future Camille will thank me for or be disappointed about?”
This means is the food, action, thought or decision in any way something that future me is going to be happy that I did? Is eating that pint of ice cream something I know I’m going to feel okay with in an hour or am I going to beat myself up and feel awful about it later? At the end of the day friend, you have to make the choices that are right for YOU and above are just the choices that work for me and in total honesty because that’s what I believe in…most days I feel really great about these choices. Of course I have my failures and my slip ups, but overall I’m growing and working really hard at becoming the best version of me possible and my prayer is that you’ll join me.
And that’s a wrap. I hope you feel a little inspired. Maybe today is the day you’ll start to change your lifestyle or maybe you’re even further along than me and have some incredible tips and tricks. Let me know.
Blessings and love to you all. We’re all on this journey of life together.
Xoxo,
Camille
Camille Edwards 
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