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I am so glad that I polled you all on Instagram stories last week and you were interested in a post about how I try to maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle. I say “somewhat” because we all know that my diet is not that healthy and normally you will see snaps of me on social media with a combination of Taco Bell, Whataburger or some other fast food delicacy. We know that I love to have late night treats normally of goldfish and lots of cheese. I do try to do what I can because just like everyone else, it is hard to keep up the older you get. I am about to turn 29 which is still very young, but I do find that I have to try harder at my age now. I don’t know about you but for me, it is the motivation to do these “healthy” tips or workouts that with our busy schedules we just sometimes don’t have the time. I did a post about having motivation here and how it can be easier than you think if you put your mind to it. This is the most asked question a lot of the time on Instagram so I thought I would share some of the tips that I personally try to do on a regular basis. Nothing is perfect and I sometimes do not get to all of these every day or even every week. It is the thought that counts, and that is why I would say it is my tips for a “somewhat” healthy lifestyle.

• Unwind with a Bath: I think it is so important to have a nightly unwind routine. For me this involves a hot bath normally complete with bubble bath, candles, and sometimes a glass of wine. This really gets me in the mood that it is time to relax and that my day is almost coming to an end. I look forward to this nightly routine each night and it gives me that little bit of luxury for a healthy mental mindset.
• Pick an Exercise that You Love: So many people dread going to the gym and completing any type of exercise. I am for sure one of these people! I do enjoy walking and a taking a leisurely bike ride, for sure not cycling though. I did discover reformer pilates, and this is my exercise that I absolutely love. It is tough, uses muscles that I didn’t know I had, and is not high cardio or impact that hurts my back. P.S. I have had back pain for a long time with scoliosis, pinched nerve and bulging disks and this workout actually helps strengthen that.
• You Don’t Have to Spend a Ton of Money or Time on Workouts: I am not one of those girls that will spend $200 + a month at a pilates or yoga studio. I don’t care how great the classes are, I won’t get my money worth. I did discover Class Pass and use that for about $50 a month, and I can go to these specialty studios without breaking the bank. I also only go maybe twice a week. I know it is not much, but between walking around and doing my normal day to day stuff aka walking around in Target, 2 or probably 3 times a week is  enough for me.
• Modify the Intensity to Your Needs: My mom has always said it doesn’t matter the intensity, you are still getting a workout in. I couldn’t agree more with her statement. She is 65 and still can walk way more than me and has a great healthy lifestyle. She won’t try to push herself too much by running, and I won’t either. You just have to listen to your body and modify to your specific needs.
• Get Regular Facials and Massages: I have touched on this before and will be doing a skin care post soon, but I think that this is very important for overall great health. I get stressed easily and I immediately feel the tension in my back. In order to prevent this from affecting my whole body and attitude, I love to try to get a regular massage even if that is just at a reflexology place. I also have been pretty consistent on skin care and will budget to get a regular facial. This is something that I treat myself too and to not only feel detoxified, but know that I am preventing early signs of aging.
• One Scoop of Collagen Peptide Powder in my Coffee Each Morning: I have gone through 2 large containers of this collagen peptide unflavored powder. This stuff helps with your joints, skin to improve elasticity, and even your hair growth. This is unflavored and dissolves in any drink that you mix with it. I find it easy to just add to my coffee each morning to jump start my day.
• Don’t Knick Pick Your Body: Instead of going through everything that you hate about your body, embrace it. There are certain things that we just can’t change. I can’t change my spine or how my skin gets more oily than I would like. Also we can’t change certain trouble areas that drive us insane. At the end of the day it is typically only you that are fretting about them anyway. So instead of picking areas you hate, pick areas that you love. This would be my eyes and then lately I have been trying to work on my abs.
• Jot Down Your Thoughts: This helps clear your mind and gets rid of all of the mental clutter. I find myself writing down my appointments for the week and to do’s every single day. You could also put reminders to work out or drink more water throughout the day. I also journal a lot with my thoughts, inspiration quotes, and other items I feel like jotting down. Writing down what you are grateful for or even what happened that was great that day, is a great way to think back on all of your accomplishments.
• No Diet is a Good Diet: My view here is I don’t ever want to put pressure on myself for what I can and can’t eat. If I want a piece of chocolate (which by the way happens every single day), I am going to get a piece of chocolate. I find that people always crash in diets and can end up feeling worse. Now I don’t eat junk food the whole day, but with work and a lot of demands I do sometimes find myself going to the vending machine for lunch. I know this is horrible but that’s just sometimes how life goes. I never really crave a salad or veggies for that matter. I would much rather eat cheese, meats and crackers but I can’t live on those only. You don’t have to eat healthy every day, but do make sure you are getting the appropriate vitamins.
• Sparkling Water Works Too: I don’t know about you but I don’t drink enough water during the day. I am not the kind of girl that refills her Yeti every 5 minutes. I do drink La Croix, and especially for lunch and dinner it makes it seem like it is a soda or something other than just a little bubbly water and some natural flavoring.
• Get Some Sunshine, While Wearing SPF of Course: Every morning when I drive to work the first thing I do is put SPF on my hands. This is one of the first places that shows signs of aging ladies! We don’t think a place like our normal work commute could potentially cause skin damage. Of course you want to always make sure it is on your face, and even when it is cloudy out. I do think it is healthy to go outside for about 15 minutes a day to get some fresh air. I personally like to enjoy this while on my patio.
• Destress by Listening to a Podcast or Audio Book: Each morning when I am getting ready and on my commute, I listen to a podcast or audio book. This helps me wake up in the morning and gets me in the right state of mind for a busy day. When I am frustrated in traffic, I can listen to these podcasts and it helps me not think of the outside noise as much. I also like to start off my day with a bible quote and reflection as well. This I believe is the best part of my day.
• A Glass of Wine a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: I love enjoying a glass of wine in the evening. I don’t go overboard with my alcohol consumption, but I believe that is perfectly fine to have a glass to unwind. Whether your vice is ice cream or pickles and potato chips (which is very good by the way) go ahead and embrace it. It is all about self control with these type of things.
• Smile and Laugh: If you aren’t laughing or smiling through out the day then you need to start doing it now. Whether that is laughing with your friend in a yoga class where you are in a weird move or smiling at a person in an elevator, this is key to a healthy lifestyle and overall well being.

Health to me is more than just physical exercise and eating healthy. This goes beyond to mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health as well. I know I do not follow these guidelines to a T and this girl loves some snack junk food, but I do try. I think it goes without saying that if you have a good attitude and you do things in moderation, you are already living a healthy lifestyle instead of just a “somewhat” healthy lifecycle 😉