#jknhealthyhabits: simple & effective ideas for your daily rituals
I am ALL about making small and achievable changes when it comes to health. Change everything at once... you will be lucky to last two weeks. I have complied a list of 10 healthy habits that you can start implementing that will inspire you towards a healthier life.
1. I have tried doing this recently and have found that it takes the pressure off meal times. When you know your children have already started to fill their tummies with the good stuff, it is less of a drama at dinnertime if they don’t eat all of their veggies. Always serve something they do not like to encourage them to see it as a ‘normal’ food and to hopefully give it a try in the near future. Peer pressure (the good type!) can also be an encourager to picky eaters. If your children are anything like mine, they each look up to their older siblings and copy what they do
2. It is not always possible to buy organic. This is an easy way to decrease your exposure to pesticides and other unwanted germs from your fruit and vegetables.
Once mine have air dried after soaking, I chop them up to save time during the week. Veggie sticks for crunch ‘n sip for school and preschool, platters before dinner and for other snacking. I also chop up my broccoli and cauliflower into florets and store in a container wrapped in some damp paper towel. Sweet potato can be sliced up into rounds or chips and stored in an air-tight container or jar. These are the simple steps that make meal times easier
For the past few years, I have also gotten into the habit of placing any veggie scraps (broccoli ends, carrot tops, un-used chopped up veg at the end of the week) into zip lock bags and freezing them. This make it SO easy when making a bone broth or soup, I just simply add in the frozen scraps and it makes it so much quicker! I also freeze chicken carcasses after roasts and put these in the slow cooker frozen as well.
3. Health is about more than just what you eat and how much you move your body. I love these quotes on connection: “The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we can give one another is our attention. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words” - Rachel Naomi Remen. And of course, this one from the amazing @brenebrown “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Take some time this holiday season to find some true and meaningful connection.
4. Great for the environment and reducing single use plastic. I find that having a new drink bottle will encourage you to drink more water (I know it does for me! A lot of cafe’s now reduce the price of a cup of coffee if you provide your own cup!
5. Works every time! An extra 10 minutes of prep in the kitchen can prepare you for one of ‘those’ nights where you are wondering what on earth to feed your whinging kids.
6. My list of loves: ⭐️ enjoying a hot cup of tea (while it is still hot!) ⭐️ a solo walk on the beach
⭐️ putting on a face mask and watching some Netflix
⭐️ reading through house design magazines
⭐️ watching Grand Designs, Jamie Oliver or Gilmore Girls ⭐️ a reformer Pilates class.. so addictive! ⭐️ a hike on one of the tracks at Bouddi National Park
⭐️ dinner out with the girlfriends It doesn’t always have to be fancy or require a lot of money, but in this day and age of fast paced life, take the time to give yourself some time off to relax and regenerate!
7. At times, the constant need to ‘check the feed’ can be overwhelming and exhausting. Comparison, guilt and feeling like you are not doing enough can leave you feeling inadequate. Taking a break brings back creativity, new inspirations and reminds you why you do all of this in the first place. Take the time to switch off and see for yourselves the benefits of living your days with your phone tucked away.
8. It really is that simple to increase your vegetable intake.
9. Having a freezer stocked full of healthy snacks makes packing lunchboxes simple and fast!
10. I find that remembering to soak my grains and legumes before I cook them can turn into a bit of a chore. So I usually end up cooking a bulk amount and then freezing them into portions in zip lock bags (this works for quinoa, beans, lentils etc, not oats). This makes it super simple to easily grab a bag out at the start of the week and you are ready to go for salads, dips, baked beans, lentil dishes etc. I know I always say this but I will say it again - a little preparation makes healthy eating so much easier and quicker.
