Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Healthy Eating in a Busy World

These days staying healthy and eating nutritious, healthy foods can be challenging. We wake up with barely enough time to get dressed and head to work, and a healthy menu is often replaced with a cup of coffee and a quick snack from a convenience store. Lunch time rolls around and we find ourselves replacing a balanced meal with some take-out from whichever fast food chain happens to be closest to our work place. By the time we get home from work, cooking a proper meal seems to be the furthest thing from our minds, so we order from our favorite delivery restaurant, and we all know the places that deliver tend to have that yummy junk food we should save as an occasional treat.

It may seem like a daunting task for some, but transitioning to a healthy diet even when faced with a busy schedule is not difficult. As a matter of fact, it can be very fun and is virtually guaranteed to improve the quality of every aspect of your life. It simply requires a little bit of planning and a little bit of discipline. Bringing lunches to work, and having a list of easy to prepare wholesome dinners simply requires a small amount of forethought. The ultimate result is that you will be healthier, happier and more capable doing the things you want to do for a much longer period of time.

Start by making a budget for your shopping, and trying to stick to a good shopping list when you go to the grocery store. Try to choose all natural foods and organic foods and vegetables. Buy enough ingredients to make healthy meals that will leave you with leftovers to take in a container for lunch at work throughout the week. Grab sweets and snacks that will satisfy your cravings, but make sure they are all natural, organic and free of refined sugars and artificial ingredients.

Try leaving yourself a little more time in the morning to make a decent meal. Breakfast is crucial and all too often we find ourselves needing to skip it. Keep fresh fruit on hand, perhaps in a bowl on the table. This is a great way to start your day. Try drinking a glass of water before you drink that first cup of coffee, and save that java for your first meal. Cereal with a little fruit takes just moments to prepare, and if you choose whole grain cereals and fresh organic fruits, you will start your day off with a well balanced meal. Simple organic recipes are available all over the internet to get you started.

Dinners don’t have to be complicated if you do a little prep work ahead of time. Take one day to prepare ingredients and keep them in the fridge so you can still make a healthy meal, even when you come home late or have plans for the evening. Soaking beans ahead of time, or keeping some extra chopped vegetables in a bowl for a day or two will make cooking a meal faster and more appealing. Healthy living becomes easier and easier the more you do it

There are plenty of resources available for folks who want to make a transition to healthier living. Plenty of books and videos are available with great tips and encouraging anecdotes. Web sites like Go Natural Living are specifically designed to assist people who are new to the wonderful world of healthy eating and living. At gnliving.com you will actually find explanations, tips, pre-designed organic menus and lots of other great information on making your lifestyle more healthy and sustainable.

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