Short disclaimer; this is not an article about losing weight or just being skinny. This article is about being healthy and having a lifestyle that promotes taking care of your body. Being healthy is not about reaching a magic number on the scale, but treating your body well and putting the right nutrients in it that helps it reach its full potential. With that in mind, please continue to these tips!
1. Drink tons of water.
Yes this is obvious, but drinking water is the easiest way to flush our all the toxins of our body and clean your body from the inside out (and keep your skin glowing). The easiest way to do this is to carry your water jug wherever you go that means to class, sports practice and even to restaurants and just drink from it whenever.
2. Park your car far away.
Park as far as you can away from the entrance with a reasonable distance and walk all the way there. It’s a short little distance and it could help burn a couple of extra calories and you’re slowly strengthening your legs while you’re at it.
3. Build up your exercises.
If you decide to start exercising, then don’t start the really advanced exercises or the high intense interval training ones. Start slow and don’t be upset that you have to start on the basic beginner level. It’s OK to do the girl push-ups and only run a quarter of a mile. You don’t have to be an Olympic runner on day one. Just start slow and build up to the more advance exercises, and remember to be gracious to your body and what it can and can’t do.
4. Eat when you're hungry.
There’s all this controversy over which is better for you smaller portions or bigger portions in all honesty focus on when you’re hungry and eat. Carry granola bars around throughout the day when you’re in class and snack on them. Don’t wait until you’re starving because when that happens you start to crave all the sugary and fried food that that doesn’t have much nutrients. Instead eat the right amount of food until you’re full.
5. Add some vegetables on the side.
Even if you’re meal isn’t totally healthy just add some veggies on the side and it will improve the overall quality of the meal. Just because you’re already eating some a burger for dinner doesn’t mean you have to have fries on the side, just add some broccoli or salad on the side.
6. Speaking of food, invest in a crock pot.
Crock pots are so useful when you’re in college. When you’re too busy to cook just throw in some chicken and potatoes and in a few hours you have yourself a delicious healthy meal. Plus you can throw the ingredients in the morning and usually between six to eight hours and it's done!
7. Take care of your mental health as well.
Read some books, create some art and go outside once in a while. Do anything that keeps you positive. Another way I found that helps control mental health is keeping a journal and writing in it on a regular basis. It helps to clear all the thoughts out of your head and put it on to paper without much fuss. College can be hard and stressful, so it is important for us to check our mental health on a regular basis. Trust me if you can take good care of your mind your body will thank you for it.
Being healthy doesn’t require much effort, these little changes can help in the long run and help improve the overall quality of life.
