My 7 Life Changing Healthy Habits that are simple, straight forward and realistic and will have you feeling your best in your everyday life!

Today I’m wrapping up the first official month of 2020 with 7 Healthy Habits that I think you need to start TODAY!  I practice these healthy habits on a daily basis and they have made such a big difference in my life. So of course, I want to share them with you HealthNuts!

1. Sleep Routine

I believe that creating a sleep routine starts with what you do before you go to bed. Go on a mini “digital detox” by putting your phone on airplane mode 2 hours before bed. Then, wait at least 1 after waking up before turning it off airplane mode. This is something I like to do as a way to unwind, de-stress and avoid interfering with my natural sleep cycle. It also allows me to disconnect from the digital world, and feel less overwhelmed. All the notifications, emails and scrolling aimlessly (we’ve all been there!) does not help with getting a good sleep. This mini digital detox helps me focus on getting a good night’s rest.

In the morning, I hydrate my body by drinking tons of water. This also helps to wake me up and give me a sense of “alertness” since I’m “team no caffeine” over here. Then, I like to make my bed as a way to set the tone for the day ahead. Completing this simple task is like checking something off your to-do list and leaves you feeling productive throughout the rest of the day – trust me!

2. Hydration

Speaking of hydration, another tip to make sure I’m drinking enough water throughout the day is to always have a reusable water bottle on hand. I carry my HealthNut Water Bottle with me everywhere as a friendly reminder to stay hydrated, keep my energy levels high and to prevent any unwanted headaches! Get yourself a cute water bottle, fill it up with fresh fruit or herbs to make it more exciting and don’t leave the house without it!

3. Drink Your Greens

By now, I’m sure it’s no secret that I live for Green Smoothies in the morning. They have honestly made the biggest difference in my digestion, skin, energy and blood sugar levels one glass at a time! Not only are green smoothies are a quick and convenient way to get in your fruits, veggies, and superfoods, but I love that you can also play around with different flavour combos every morning to keep things fresh and interesting! My smoothie looks a little bit different every morning (although they’re usually always green haha!) but here is the recipe that has been on repeat over in the HealthNut kitchen:

Apple Lemon Spinach Smoothie

• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 apple (I like pink lady or fuji)
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1 inch raw ginger root
• 2 raw Brazil nuts
• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds
• 1/2 teaspoon greens powder
• 1 cup unsweetened oat milk
• 1 cup filtered water
• (optional if you like it extra cold add 1/2 cup of ICE!)

 

I seriously can’t recommend green smoothies enough! If you’re someone who has a hard time eating healthy, this is such an easy way to get in all of your essential nutrients, enzymes, probiotics, and vitamins in one delicious glass! They’ve seriously been a game-changer in my personal life in terms of how they make me feel, which is why I drink one every single day. Click here to download my FREE perfect green smoothie guide!

4. Meditation

My next healthy habit is to pause, sit quietly and meditate. If you live a stressful, crazy life and you feel like you never have time to relax, this is a simple habit that you could really benefit from. Before you think mediation is just for “yogis” or people who are already zen and relaxed, trust me it’s actually the people who don’t think they need it that benefit most. One of my favourite quotes to symbolize this is:

“You should sit in meditation for 20 mins a day unless you’re too busy, then you should sit for an hour.”

Practice meditation has changed my life in so many ways. When you start to make a habit of doing it every day, I guarantee you will notice a big change and shift in the way that you think, react to things and handle stress. I personally meditate 30 mins a day, but even just starting with 5-10 minutes a day and working your way up will be equally as effective!

5. Essential Oils

I have been using essential oils for the last couple of years and they have done wonders for my emotional, physical and mental well-being. Essential oils have multiple uses and I personally love to diffuse them, use them to clean the house or even wearing them as a non-toxic perfume! What’s great is that there are different scents/blends that you can use depending on what kind of support you’re looking for, whether it be energy, immune support, emotional support, and the list goes on! If you’ve never used essential oils before, I recommend starting with lavender and then work your way up with other scents. Lavender is the “swiss army knife” of essential oils. It’s refreshing, relaxing and has multiple many uses. To learn more about essential oils, head over to my Oily FAQ page!

6. Meal Prep

Meal prep is something I’ve been doing for years! Making a habit of prepping food ahead of time so that it’s ready to grab and eat makes such a big difference in your eating habits. You’ll notice that you eat out less, save money and when you know you already have healthy food prepped in the fridge, it takes the guesswork out of it. Taking a couple of hours at the beginning of the week, or even just spreading it out throughout will make a huge difference when you’re preparing meals. I personally like to do a couple of cooked meals, as well as individual ingredients so I can mix and match throughout the week and not be stuck to one meal Monday-Friday because let’s be honest – I like variety!

My Go-To Meal Prep Recipes:

• Kale & Quinoa Stir-Fry
• 5 Easy Bento Box Lunches
• Raw Chocolate Cookie Dough Balls (from the HealthNut Cookbook)
• Creamy Chickpea Curry
• Chia Pudding Fruit Parfaits 3 Ways

For more of my meal prep recipes click HERE!

7. Move Your Body

Last but not least is to move your body! Now, this can look different for everyone but I personally have been loving nature walks with Cashew and Matt. Not only is it relaxing mentally, but I’m also love that I’m moving my body, getting my blood flowing and I always feel so good after I’m done. You could also try joining a gym, grabbing a workout partner, trying a new class, doing an at-home workout that you can get for free of YouTube will make such a difference! What I find is that it’s the consistency, not so much the intensity, so if you’re someone who doesn’t like a super intense workout, just moving your body every single day will make the biggest changes!

Alright, there you have it – my 7 Life Changing Healthy Habitats! My super simple, but very effective healthy habits that I think you should be incorporating in 2020 to feel your best. Of course, healthy habits are something we should be practicing all year round, but I really do think that the beginning of a New Year is the perfect way to get more motivated to start incorporating them!

I would love to know what your healthy habits look like, and which of these habits you are going to try incorporating into your daily routine! If you try any of these healthy habits, be sure to take a photo and tag me on social media @healthnutnutrition so that I can like and share your photo.