Healthier choices for a healthier outlook

in our daily lives. We're working to incorporate more veggies, a little less salt, less fat...while not being too extreme and enjoying our meals. My hope is that if we do it slowly it will progressively become more of a habit and something we enjoy. This page is just some of the ideas we've found useful and a place to keep our efforts organized. Maybe along the way you'll find some useful tips if you are looking for ways to do the same.

When I started this page we were eating pretty poorly. Fast forward to today and we are doing far better. We are making more meals at home, striving for a half plate of veg where possible and incorporating more variety. But, it's a work in progress and our goal is to keep trying to make improvements however small. We eat far more brussel sprouts, kale and other healthy greens than ever, we consume more apples, and are cooking more healthy options. We still love my black beans and lentils. I make my own hummus as well. Salads are more interesting with an array of greens added to lettuce like arugula, baby greens (incl kale) and spinach, add-ons include pretty standard things like carrots, tomatoes and olives. We realized we actually can eat cabbage in chopped salads and enjoy it!

I've learned to enjoy farro, quinoa & nuts more than before. We still succumb to good salami & cheeses more often than we should, but those are generally phases. I'm sure there's more but at present that's what I can think of.

None of the comments found here claim to be anything. I am not a dietitian or other health expert. No professionals here. Clearly. We will still eat chips and dessert. But, our goal is to try new things, veggies we've never tried before, new ways of preparing them and exploring organic options.

So, I'll admit I was and maybe still am a little skeptical of juicing. I don't like getting caught up in fads or the next cure-all. But then, it was suggested to me that at it's simplest juicing allows, encourages even, consumption of veggies we'd never choose to eat. Beets? Bleh! Cabbage? 'tastes weird'. How much lettuce and carrots can a person eat? Think about it. Then I was a lot more receptive to the idea. It can only be a good thing right? So, we juice less often than before but still an improvement. Done right, even the pickiest eaters (texture or taste) will drink it! Who knew?

I prefer greens balanced with carrots, ginger, apple, & lemon. What is your favorite?

Update: Feb 2-2020 we are no longer juicing ourselves but buy cold pressed from time to time.

We're fortunate I guess, soft-drinks aren't a problem here. Mainly we like La-Croix or the Kirkland version (no added sweeteners) for that little something extra.

We carry water bottles everywhere, although I seem to fluctuate greatly in my actual intake. I had been filling up a large water bottle and adding a decaf green tea-bag, adding some 'benefits' and flavor. Then switched to plain caffeine free peppermint tea bags added to my filtered tap water & found it so refreshing I was emptying my bottles more often.

I've tried adding fruit or ginger but it never seemed to give the flavor pay out I was hoping for before becoming a mushy mess so I skip that. And yes I do drink plain water far more often and easily than ever before!

Now, I am loyal to my HydroFlask with plain filtered water and 2 ice cubes. That's it. I actually crave it far more than I ever did.

It's a craze I know, but hey, look it up. It's pretty good stuff. In moderation of course, like anything else. It's great on toast as a butter substitute, makes basmati rice even better AND you can even use it as a moisturizer (just not on your face - comodogenic).

Have you tried it?