Healthy Habits I Live By (Lifestyle)

So, I am interrupting my weekly recipe post with a lifestyle post:) Hope you enjoy it!

I know many of us will have some weight or body related goals that we would like to achieve in the new year. But chances are by the end of January, some of us would be somewhat ‘off track’ to achieve our goals because more often than not our goals were too ambitious and not sustainable in the long term. So, I would like to share with you some of my ‘healthy’ habits that I live by on a daily basis. And you don’t have to start these healthy habits today, you can start them anytime of the year, anytime of the month, anytime of the week or even anytime of the day.

So, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household where healthy habits were part of our lifestyle. I didn’t always live by healthy habits but my parents practised healthy habits and always encouraged us children to follow healthier habits. These healthy habits ranged from eating well to moving our bodies to reading widely to practising moderation.

I have to admit growing up I wasn’t the best at living a healthy lifestyle – I was a nerd (my mom would say I am still a nerd) but I have learned to balance my study, work and social life better to live a healthier lifestyle. I learned to prioritise my health and wellbeing rather than stressing to achieve top marks in my studies. I learned there is more to life than just study. I learned to study and work smarter rather than study and work harder. I learned to have more fun and having some sort social life (although your true family and friends will always be there for you no matter what). I learned it is important to spend time with your loved ones.

Everyone is different and healthy looks different for everyone. So, please don’t take these habits as gospel. Rather find ‘healthy’ habits that work for you and your lifestyle and are sustainable in the long term. And also, know that your healthy habits changes over time due to your life stage, work commitments, family commitments, financial commitments, etc. So, don’t feel disappointed if you can no longer practice healthy habits that you were able to do in the past – create new ones that fit in your current lifestyle ☺️

These are some healthier habits I practice now. Again, these habits are no way gospel for anyone to live by. But they are better for MY health and wellbeing and works for MY lifestyle.

1. I move my body in a way that I enjoy each day: I love strength training, so I do some sort of strength training 4-5 times a week. During the lockdown in 2020, I started to doing Sydney Cummings and Caroline Girvan workouts on YouTube – I 💓 their workouts! They have structured workouts for each day of the week, but I don’t always follow them – I do what I feel like each day when I wake up in the morning 🏋🏾‍♀️🚴🏻‍♀️🏋🏽‍♂️
   
2. I try and eat the rainbow in at least two meals a day: I usually have a sweet breakfast, so I try and get my 2 serves of fruit intake at breakfast. And I try and get my 5 serves of veggie intake at lunch and dinner where I try and incorporate a variety of seasonal vegetables 🌶🍌🥦
   
3. I try and go meat free 2-3 times a week: Growing up, two days a week would be plant based meals in our household. I didn’t always like or appreciated eating plant based meals growing up as I preferred eating some sort of animal protein at each meal. But as I grow older, I feel that my palette is changing and I am enjoying having more plant based meals. I can go for days if not weeks without having any animal protein if I choose to now 🥥🍓🥬
   
4. I meal prep my work week breakfasts, snacks and lunches on the weekend:
   If you have been following me on my blog, Facebook or Instagram for a while, you will know I am a big believer in meal prepping. You can read How I Meal Prep here 🍱
5. I try and incorporate foods that I enjoy everyday:
   This includes foods that some people call unhealthy such as bread, cakes, cookies, pasta, rice. You only live once, so enjoy everything in moderation🧇🥐🧁
6. I practice intuitive eating – I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full: When I was bigger, I overate at most meals – I would eat until I was 120% full but I now eat until I am about 80-90% full – this would mean some days I eat more than others and vice versa depending on how my body feels ☺️
7. I try and learn skills that I have always put on the back burner: In 2020, I finally learned how to make pottery on the wheel. I am no means an expert on the wheel now, but I am getting better. In the coming months, I am hoping to make some normal sized cups and mugs 😅
8. I try and stretch at least 2-3 times a week: Sydney Cummings on YouTube has weekly stretch videos that I find extremely helpful and I tend to do them at least a couple of times a week 🧘🏽

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I am no way perfect when it comes to living a ‘healthy’ lifestyle. And these are some habits that I am still working on for a better health and wellbeing:

1. Getting enough sleep everyday: I struggle with sleep some nights as my mind is too active when I go bed and I will thinking about a million and one things 😒
2. Having a less obsessive mentality: I can be pretty obsessive about things when I get into them which is not always good. So, I plan to practice moderation even more in the coming weeks and months 🙂
3. Dwelling less on the past and focusing more on the future: I can’t change the past but I can certainly work on improving the future 😌
4. Being more patient with people: I can be a bit short with people (in particular, my loved ones) when they don’t understand or take a bit too long (in my opinion) to comprehend what I am saying. So, I plan to try and understand where they are coming from and that everyone is different and hence, comprehend and understand things differently 💓
5. Listening to my body more often: I only have one body and I should be grateful for what it does for me rather than punishing it when I slip up. After all, I am only human ☺️

I only have one body and I should be grateful for what it does for me rather than punishing it when I slip up 🙏

What are some healthy habits that you live by? And what healthy habits are you working on?

Happy new decade, everyone. I hope the new year brings you happiness, healthy and prosperity 💕❤️💕

Suba Xx