It is often a struggle to make healthy changes that stick, and to apply them to our busy lives. It isn't always necessary to change your entire life around but rather to do things that work with your lifestyle. Here are five healthy changes I am making to my own life and I believe they would be beneficial to all.

1. Use almond or coconut milk in place of dairy milk.

Nut milks are generally healthier than dairy milk. They are lower in calories, and don't contain all the hormones that are in dairy milk. They also taste pretty good as a substitute.

2. Use olive oil or avocado oil in place of vegetable oil.

Olive and avocado oil are made of healthy fats that are good for you. Vegetable oil is a big source of trans fats that are unhealthy and can hurt your cholesterol levels. This one is an easy switch and one that will help your health tremendously.

3. Trade in refined carbs for complex or healthy carbs.

White bread, rice, and pastas are stripped of all of their nutritional values. Making choices such as swapping for brown rice, whole grain pasta, or Ezekiel bread can add a lot of nutrients to your diet without restricting you from having your carb fix.

4. Eat more sweet potatoes.

White potatoes are not diet friendly and are just starch. Sweet potatoes are easier to incorporate into a healthy diet and they’re pretty macro friendly.

5. Drink more water.

This one is very important, I cannot stress this enough. Hydration is extremely important whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, but when you are trying to lose weight water consumption is imperative. Try to get water consumption to half of your body weight in ounces, for example if you weigh 120 pounds try to drink 60 oz of water. Ultimately though aim for one gallon a day if you can which is 128 oz of water.

Trying to incorporate these changes will show results in your body one way or another. It may not necessarily result in quick weight loss but it will make your body better through better nutrition over all.