10 Healthy Tips for Eating Out 10.09.2018

As much as I love to cook my healthy meals at home, sometimes life is crazy and we’re forced to grab takeout, or sometimes we just want a night off to grab a bite together! And that’s ok! Honestly, I sometimes struggle when I don’t have control over every ingredient I’m eating because I look and feel my best when I’m eating “my food” at home. But balance and moderation are key, and it’s it’s absolutely okay to eat out sometimes! However, if you eat out multiple times a week, then you probably won’t want to splurge every single time (although there is absolutely a time and a place for that too). 

Beyond special occasions, I try to make the healthiest choices I can when eating out and am excited to share 10 of my tips with you!

Evaluate what kind of night it is

Is it your birthday dinner, anniversary or other special occasion? Girl, get the pasta you’ve been craving and drink a glass of wine with it! Is it a random weeknight when you don’t feel like cooking? That may not be the best time to carb-load. If you eat out multiple nights per week, then splurging every time is really going to add up over time, so figure out what balance works for you and pick and choose when you want to splurge.

Look at the menu ahead of time

I often like to go in with a game plan or make sure a restaurant is a good fit for me ahead of time. For example, if there are zero gluten free options, then I won’t pick that restaurant. I also find that when I look at a menu ahead of time and come up with a few healthier options, then it’s easier to stick to one of those when it comes time to order.  

Stick to water

In general, I stick to drinks that don’t have calories because I’d much rather eat my calories. I love water, so I have no issues with drinking it at dinner or any other meal - and it’s free! I’d rather spend my money on food or activities most of the time anyways! If I’m on a nice date night with Trey I’ll get a glass of wine or a tequila cocktail sometimes, but I never drink soda or other “fancy” drinks on the menu that are typically full of sugar.

Modify, modify, modify

Again, everything in moderation, but I personally choose to make modifications to most of my meals to make them gluten free and/or lower in carbs. I always order a burger or sandwich without a bun/bread, eat fajitas or tacos without the tortilla, keep the croutons off of a salad, and sub in a salad or vegetable for the fries. I find that all of these little swaps really add up and keep me on track with feeling and looking my best.

Choose between drinks or dessert

Unless it’s your birthday or anniversary, I recommend picking between drinks or dessert instead of doing both. This will help prevent a huge blood sugar spike (which make us gain weight)! If I’m with Trey we usually opt for drinks, and if I’m with a friend (i.e. Jo), then we will usually splurge on gelato.

Build a breakfast/brunch around eggs
Regardless of where I'm eating breakfast or brunch, I always get an egg dish. I skip on dishes like french toast or pancakes, especially now that I'm gluten free, but also because those are like eating a massive dessert for breakfast (totally fine here and there btw). If I'm at a nicer brunch spot I'll get an egg dish, then add some avocado or greens on the side (and maybe some bacon or smoked salmon). This ensures that I'm getting some fiber and greens alongside my protein and healthy fat. If I'm at a casual, diner-type spot, I'll usually opt for an omelette and I look for one with lots of veggies in addition to my protein. I now skip the toast on the side, unless I'm on vacation and there's a really good gluten free option available. If I can't get greens or avocado on the side, I try to eat half (or less) of my hash browns or breakfast potatoes. 

Look for vegetable side dish options

I’m sure it’s not as common everywhere, but people in the midwest sure love their fries and carbs! I'm constantly subbing in different side dishes! I love to do side salads and steamed or roasted vegetables for my sides. These mimic a more normal meal for me, help me to eat more vegetables and fiber, keep the calories down, and help me to feel good.

Go for grilled/smoked rather than fried

Fried anything is no longer an option for me since I’m gluten intolerant and fried foods have always given me an instant stomach ache anyways, but skipping fried meats and foods is a good way to go at least 80-90% of the time. Not only are fried foods packed with carbs, calories and unhealthy fats, but the grease will really weigh you down, and in my case, cause a major stomach ache. I personally feel so much better when I stick to grilled or smoked options for my protein! 

Salads aren’t always the healthiest option

Restaurant salads are often calorie traps and in fact, I don’t order a dinner salad that often. Often times restaurant dressings are packed with sugar and calories, and sometimes the toppings aren’t doing you any favors either (fried chicken, croutons, tons of fruit, cheese, etc.). Definitely weigh your options, but I often find I can put together a healthier meal (i.e. grilled chicken or bunless burger + a side salad or side of veggies) from other parts of the menu. 

Slow. Down.

I’ve recently started eating a bit slower, and also chewing my food more. Many of us tend to shovel our food down (especially if it’s super tasty), and I’m definitely guilty of that. Eating slower gives you time to not only savor what you’re eating and enjoy someone's company, but also allows your body to keep up and properly signal when you’re full. Many of us also don’t chew our food thoroughly, but spending a little more time chewing works wonders for the digestion!

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I hope you enjoyed these tips and found a couple of takeaways you can apply in your own life! Leave me a comment below about what you're planning to try or if you have some tips of your own!

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10 [Easy] Healthy Lifestyle Tips + Tricks 2.06.2018

Tank (c/o of Shopbop) // Leggings (c/o of Shopbop) // Water Bottle (have you ever seen someone hold a water bottle so awkwardly??)

Healthy living is always a priority for me, but with spring and a vacation coming up, it's on my mind more than ever at the moment! I thought I would share some tips and tricks that [in my opinion] are totally doable, and not too intimidating. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment or message me on social media, because I would love to chat more!

01 | Sneak a big handful of spinach into your smoothies and smoothie bowls. The first time I tried this I was shocked that I couldn't taste the spinach. I've never enjoyed eating spinach, so I put this off for way too long, but now it's an everyday practice for me. Breakfast isn't normally a meal where we eat a full serving of vegetables, so I love that this gets me on the right track for the day!

02 | Take a re-usable water bottle with you absolutely everywhere. I drink twice as much water as I used to because I now make it a priority to have one of my reusable water bottles with me pretty much at all times! These are my favorite water bottles + tumblers, and I love that they keep my water nice and cold. You can read more about why water is such a priority for me + the benefits I've seen from upping my daily intake here.

03 | Plan a few dinners at a time. This makes all the difference for me between a healthy week and an unhealthy week. If I'm already set up with a game plan and have all of my groceries at home, then it's simple to put together a healthy meal. No planning = unhealthy takeout for me and that can really derail a week (not that it's not fine here and there, but I can't get away with doing that every night).

04 | Use reusable shopping bags and baskets for shopping. As time goes on I'm trying to reduce how much plastic I use (waste). An easy way to do this is to use reusable shopping bags! They reduce pollution and waste, and are actually so convenient. I've started getting better about keeping some in my car so that I don't show up at the grocery store empty handed. I'm planning to order these to use instead of the plastic bags you put produce in, and I also have a large woven basket (made by women in Ghana - I purchased at a health food store) that I take to the grocery store along with my bags.

05 | Add some liquid chlorophyll to your water. Liquid chlorophyll has so many health benefits, including having many different vitamins and minerals, detoxing the body, oxygenating the blood, helping with anemia, improving the skin, and making the body more alkaline. I don't mind the taste at all, and just add a tablespoon or so into my tumbler of water once or twice a day. I use this brand, but can usually find it for a few dollars cheaper at a health food store (a bottle lasts me 2-3 months!).

06 | Grab a friend and try a new workout class. Trying a new workout not only keeps things interesting, but is also great for your body! Many of us get into ruts with our workouts, but it's so healthy to mix things up and work your muscles differently. I recently tried a Piyo class for the first time, and would love to try a boxing or kickboxing class sometime this year. As a hardcore introvert I can be bad at making plans with friends, but scheduling a workout class with someone is a great way to both socialize + be accountable for actually going.

07 | Add more fiber into your diet. I recently listened to a Skinny Confidential Him and Her Podcast episode with Tanya Zuckerbrot of the F-Factor diet, and learned soooo much about the importance of fiber! My favorite nutritionist Kelly Leveque also encourages eating more fiber. Most Americans don't eat nearly enough fiber, partially because we don't eat enough vegetables, and because many of our foods and grains have been modified so much. Fiber helps to cleanse your body, helps to control blood sugar, and helps to keep hunger hormones at bay. I plan to do a dedicated blog post soon, but one way I've been upping my fiber intake is by eating GG crackers nearly every day. They're super high in fiber, low in calories and carbs, and even though they're super bland on their own, there are so many ways you can eat them (I've pretty much replaced bread with them)! I add 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds into my daily smoothie, and beans, berries, brussels sprouts, broccoli and pears are all high fiber foods as well.

08 | Wear SPF every single day. Now that preventing aging is on my mind more and more, I know it's time to start wearing a dedicated SPF on my face every single day (beyond what is in my foundation). I've been researching several different products, but am planning to order this one first!

09 | Swap almond milk for dairy milk. This is obviously up to personal preference, but I like that unsweetened almond milk is low in calories, doesn't raise blood sugar, and doesn't have the hormones found in dairy milk. I very much limit how much dairy I eat due to the hormones in it, and trying to keep acne at bay. So almond milk has been a great solution for me!

10 | Partner with an accountability buddy. This one doesn't cost a thing, but makes allll the difference for me! At the start of the year, my friend Jo and I decided we would text our daily food diary to one another every night! While I've definitely splurged here and there, it's really helped to hold me accountable, and has definitely reduced my mindless snacking! It's also way healthier mentally for me than counting calories, and it's nice to encourage one another!       

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5 Benefits I've Seen from Drinking More Water 1.19.2018

As stupid as it sounds, drinking water is something I'm super passionate about! It's been estimated that as many as 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, even though we're fortunate enough to have access to clean drinking water. Drinking water not only keeps your organs functioning and cleans out your body, but it also increases your metabolism and gives you more energy. In the last 6 months I've made a specific effort to drink way more water, so I thought I would share the benefits I've personally seen, as well as some of my tips for drinking more water! We've all heard the "drink half of your body weight in ounces" advice, but I personally don't feel like that's nearly enough for me, and over the past 6 months I've aimed to drink at least 100oz a day. 

5 Benefits I've Seen from Drinking More Water

1 | significantly fewer headaches

Growing up and through high school and college, I got headaches all the time, including a decent amount of migraines. I figured it was just a fact of life for me. But since I've really upped my water intake, I've had very few headaches! Amazing right?? That's not to say I don't still get one from time to time, but it's like a once a month kind of thing rather than multiple times a week!

2 | plumper, more glowing skin

I'm sure you've heard the advice that drinking a ton of water is the best thing you can do for your skin, and I 100% believe it. I've definitely noticed a difference in my skin the past 6 months. It has much more of a glow, as well as more fullness!

3 | more energy

While I'm not a huge caffeine addict (I stopped drinking my daily soda back in college and rarely drink coffee), I was drinking green tea nearly every day (which, to be fair, is really good for you). However, I've noticed since upping my water intake that I rarely need a caffeine boost and have so much more energy.

4 | far less bloating

As females, and hell as humans, bloating is a part of life. But since I've upped my water intake I noticed far less of it, even during my period! Flatter tummy? Yes please!

5 | a calmer mind, and less anxiety

This was a completely unexpected benefit for me, but I started noticing the change a few months ago. I've always been a stresser and prone to anxiety. For as long as I can remember, my mind has been all over the place, I've felt anxious about nearly everything, and my heart has felt so fluttery all the time - such an icky feeling. But in the past 6 months I've noticed how much calmer I am. My mind feels calmer and clearer, and my heart doesn't race and flutter as often. I still stress quite a bit, but the anxiousness is not nearly as prevalent. I think reducing caffeine has definitely played a roll, but overall I just feel better now that I'm more hydrated - like my body and mind are working how they're supposed to. I can't tell you what a great feeling that is!

So, have I talked you into drinking more water yet?? If so, here are some of my favorite tips for drinking more water...   

My Tips for Drinking More Water

1 | use a water tracking app

Once I made the decision to drink more water, I started using a tracking app, and it's helped me so much! It's easy to let hours go by without drinking anything, but the app helps keep me on track! I also like having the competition with myself to reach my goal. I use the My Water app (although there are tons of great free ones), and it allows you to set a daily goal, to enter in all different kinds of beverages, and it will send you push notification reminders to drink more water.

2 | take a tumbler with you everywhere

My sister has always taken a huge water bottle with her everywhere, and I've started doing this too. I like using a reusable tumbler because it keeps my water super ice cold (essential for me) and then I'm not wasting tons of plastic. Trey and I are obsessed with our Corcicle tumblers and canteens! I think we have 4 or 5 between us now, and I've even given some out as gifts. My 24oz white tumbler seriously comes with me everywhere! I also love that these don't make my water taste like metal. They really are the best!

3 | use a reusable straw

I've found that I drink at least twice as much liquid when I have a straw! For this reason, I use these rubber straws with my Corkcicle tumbler. They oversized, rubbery (i.e. you can chew on them haha), and best of all, reusable! I also just ordered these stainless steel straws to completely replace my use of plastic straws (more on that later though).    

4 | drink it first thing in the morning

Because our bodies are working away while we sleep, and because we don't drink water throughout the night, we can actually wake up dehydrated. Crazy, right? I like to start off my mornings by immediately filling up my tumbler with ice water, and then drinking a ton of water while I go through my morning routine! This not only jumpstarts your metabolism, and gets you off to a great start toward your water goal, but will also make you feel so much better - I promise!

I hope this post has inspired you to drink more water (and less soda, coffee, etc.)! Like I said, it's something that's really important to me, and it's always one of my biggest pieces of advice to others. If you have any other benefits or tips you would like to share, I'd love to chat in the comment section below!

I also thought I would share the super comfy loungewear I'm wearing in the photos. My top is this little thermal, and it's the softest shirt ever. I love that it's oversized, and that you can wear it different ways. I need more colors! I'm also wearing sweatpants from my favorite loungewear brand, Z Supply. Their stuff is so unbelievably soft, and their sweatpants and joggers are definitely worth the money in my opinion! I have to remember not to wear these every night when I get home from work haha.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I'm so excited to share more lifestyle and health content with you this year, and have been really excited to put this post together!   

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