Chris and Heidi Powell are coaches on ABC’s show Extreme Weight Loss and have transformed people’s lives before our eyes. The List‘s Donna Ruko met up with the power couple to find out their tips for a healthier lifestyle.
Here are 15 easy ways to eat healthier:
- Drink water. Health experts used to recommend drinking 8 glasses of water a day, but now this may just be a theory. Still, most Americans are not properly hydrated. We should actually be consuming 1/5 of a teaspoon of water for each calorie we consume, and 25% of our water intake comes from our food. Staying hydrated is easier said than done. Infused water is very popular right now, but you don’t have to get that fancy. A slice of lemon or lime in a glass of ice water can add some refreshing flavor. You can also try adding any of the following fruits or garnishes, mixing and matching until you get your perfect flavor: strawberry, basil, cucumber, blueberry, and orange slices.
- Eat plain oatmeal or plain yogurt for breakfast with fruit. Oatmeal or plain yogurt with fruit are healthy options that will make you feel full because of the fiber.
- Use skim milk in your coffee or iced coffee and avoid the sugar.
- Take half of a multivitamin in the morning and half in the evening. Some experts think multivitamins are a waste of money because vitamins are soluble and we end up urinating them out before we can really reap the benefits. However, spreading them out will keep the level in your blood stream steady.
- Cut up celery and carrot sticks and dip them in hummus for a healthy snack when you feel like grabbing potato chips. Stop and Shop’s Simply Enjoy Limoncello hummus is a great option.
- Go for frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. An even better option is to go for plain yogurt and add a few dark chocolate chips when you have a sweet tooth.
- Make a healthy lunch your biggest meal of the day, lessen your intake of snacks, and increase your amount of exercise. Practice portion control within reason. The Beach Body Portion Control container diet is pretty popular right now, but you don’t have to go that far.
- Eat salad with dinner every night and go light with the dressing. Try flavoring your salad with feta cheese, balsamic vinegar, or salsa instead of a dressing.
- Eat Wild Alaskan salmon once or twice a week. The benefits of salmon are of course the omega 3 fatty acids, but other benefits of salmon are reduced inflammation, better metabolism, and improved cardiovascular health. If you are feeling adventurous, try some sardines for added fatty acid benefits.
- Drink green tea with a little honey in the afternoon for the added benefits of an energy boost.
- Instead of using tortillas, cut carbs by wrapping your fajita in Romaine lettuce wraps.
- Replace pasta with spaghetti squash, zucchini, or summer squash and reap the health benefits.
- Eat your beans and lentils. Put them in salads, pastas, and rice.
- Add a daily serving of antioxidants, like a handful of blueberries for a cool snack with added health benefits.
- For those salty cravings (chips and crackers), snack on one ounce of mixed nuts for protein (about 24 almonds or 18 cashews). Cashews are a great super food for the brain along with avocados.
