It’s that time again! It’s time for August’s Healthy Habit! Back in January I decided to try something different in 2016 when it comes to healthy living goals. Instead of making a big lofty goal, I thought I would try mini-goals for each month.
This year I decided to focus on one healthy habit each month. I hope that by focusing intensely on one thing for a month, I will turn it into a habit that sticks with me throughout the year. Here are my:
Healthy Habits for a Healthy Year
January: Drink 8 Glasses of Water Each Day
February: Eliminate Snacking
March: Exercise 4 Days a Week
April: Sleep at Least 9 Hours a Night
June: Stretch Each Day
July: Track My Steps Each Day
August: Eat Fruits and Vegetables at Every Meal
September: Eat a Big Salad for Lunch Each Day
October: Observe One Sabbath a Week
November: Write in a Gratitude Journal Each Day
December: Spend 10 Minutes Outside Every Day
July’s Recap
July’s challenge was to track my steps each day. Being a numbers nerd, I was really excited about this! I, like most people, tend to overestimate how active I am on any given day, so I was ready to have some real data to test this against.
Boy was I wrong! On an average summer day (which included teaching summer school and hanging out with my kids), I usually only walked around 5,000-7,000 steps. This is definitely less than the recommended 10,000 steps per day. I soon discovered the joys of jogging in place while doing other things (like waiting on my kids to tie their shoes…). It became sort of a game with me to see how many steps I could add in a one minute window.
Overall, a very fun, successful, and informative month healthwise!
August’s Healthy Habit: Eat Fruits/Vegetables at Each Meal
This month I am going to switch gears to focus on my eating habits. We recently went on vacation, and our family’s eating certainly suffered! With eating on the road, eating out, treats with family, etc., I am definitely in need of some healthy eating motivation.
In August my goal is to eat vegetables or fruits at every meal. This may not seem like a huge challenge, but when I kept a food diary a few months ago, I realized that my breakfasts were typically very carb heavy. In addition, I would like up my veggie intake in general. My hope is that this focus on fruits and vegetables will help me add more vegetables to my meal plans each week.
My Plan
In order to reach my goal for this month, I will:
1. Keep Prepared Veggies and Fruits on Hand
Sometimes I am, ahem, a little lazy. If a snack seems like work to make, I will find an alternative. So, in August I will cut up vegetables as soon as I buy them so that I can grab a quick snack of cucumbers, carrots, peppers, or other yummy vegetable.
2. Add Fruit to My Breakfasts
I am going to keep fruits on hand that I can easily add to my breakfasts. Because I leave the house so early each morning (6:30!), I generally eat oatmeal, cereal, or toast for breakfast. I am going to add bananas, berries, or melon to my breakfasts in order to up my fruit intake.
3. Experiment in the Kitchen
Finally, I would love to try some new vegetable recipes this month. Last year I discovered how much I enjoyed roasting broccoli, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower. Now I would like to find some other go-to, simple ways to make vegetables that my whole family will beg for!
I want to encourage you to think about your health and fitness goals. What will you do to take care of the body God gave you? How will you focus on your health so that you can love and serve others? I challenge you today to take the time to create a few goals for yourself. You are welcome to join me and focus on one habit a month.
Here’s to a healthy you!
Do you have any great vegetable recipes to share with me? How do you add more fruits and veggies to your diet?
