Flowers! Sunshine! Chocolate bunnies! All the signs of spring are here. And with Spring comes new opportunities to bloom and grow in many aspects of our lives. So as your doing some spring cleaning, let’s talk throwing out the old and incorporating some fresh new choices into your routine.
1. Old Habit: Snacking on Spring themed treats like crème filled chocolate eggs and sugar dusted marshmallows.
Simple Swap: Whether you celebrate Easter or not this candy is around every corner starting right after Valentine’s Day and can be so hard to resist. Maybe it’s nostalgia, cute packaging or a sugar craving but you eat it not always because it tastes great but many times just because it’s there. Conquer the craving the smart way by having some dark chocolate that has 70% cacao or more on hand. Dark chocolate that is high in cacao is a good source of antioxidants, it’s lower in sugar, less processed and can even be a good source of fiber. And it’s harder to eat a ton because a little goes a long way.
2. Old Habit: Eating out often.
Simple Swap: Eating out a restaurant is a fun experience. But now people eat out multiple times a week and it can not only bust your budget but your diet too! Serving sizes can be 2-3 times larger than what you would serve yourself at home. Which means even the healthiest options can become unhealthy fast. Eating at home, you can control your portion size enjoy better quality food and no need to tip. Even if you cut down eating at a restaurant by one or two times a week you will see a huge impact on your diet and your wallet.
3. Old Habit: Watching tv after dinner
Simple Swap: I get it, you’ve been busy all day. You ate a healthy dinner like I suggested and now you would just like to relax, and binge watch 4-6 hours of your favorite show. But, how about tonight instead, you take a stroll. The days are longer, the weather is nicer, and you deserve a moment to reconnect with yourself, and/or your friend or partner. It’ll help you relax more than tv. And it will help you digest your meal better, reduce stress and get some much-needed fresh air. Plus, if you are walking with your partner then they say couples who exercise together do more other kinds of exercising together, if you get my drift.
Here’s to Spring!