Going vegan, eating paleo, cutting out sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy…you don’t have to take extreme measures to get healthier. Although cutting certain food groups out of your diet for a month, surviving a juice cleanse or doing two-a-day workouts may serve you well, we’re here to share our top 5 simple life tweaks to feel healthier and more balanced. And remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. One step at a time!

Disclaimer: I am not a registered dietician, a nutritionist or a doctor. But I AM human and I’ve noticed what works for me. What works for me may not work for you, but the following tips will hands down serve as a great reminder that small tweaks to your lifestyle will go a long way.

  1. Buy yourself a pretty new water bottle and sip all day, every day. Don’t go anywhere without that thing, and be sure to refill it as soon as it gets close to empty. You’re supposed to drink half your weight in ounces, but even more if you’re sweating, and I have an inkling you are! Lately, I’ve loved this water bottle from lululemon athletica. You don’t have to screw off a pesky top to get to your h2O AND you can keep hot coffee or tea in there.
    – Benefits I’ve noticed: clearer skin, stronger workouts, better digestion | Balance Category: Splurge
  2. Eat more veggies. Your mom has been telling nagging you since you were a child, I’m sure. She was right. Half of your plate at each meal should be fruits and vegetables. If you want to go even further, try eating a salad with leafy greens for at least one meal a day. Load that thing up with plants, healthy fats and protein (which can totally be plants too: quinoa, seeds, nuts, beans). If you aren’t great at eating your vegetables, or you just want to sleep easy knowing you’ve gotten your nutrients in, try this supplement. My family swears by it and I don’t know what I’d do without it.
    – Benefits I’ve noticed: quicker recovery post-workout, feeling cleaner, more energy, clearer thinking | Balance Category: Healthy Eating
  3. Walk more. If you’re taking a call at work, try to get up and walk around. Scheduling a call with a friend? Plan to “walk together”—hit the Katy Trail and walk and talk. Spend more time on your feet. Instead of happy hour, grab a buddy (or your dog, or both) and take a stroll through the neighborhood. Pro tip: my Apple watch seriously helped up my walking game. FitBit or MisFit will do the same!
    – Benefits I’ve noticed: better sleep, feeling leaner, overall happier | Balance Category: Exercise
  4. Pour yourself a nice chilled glass of kombucha. Hear me out, people. I’m a wino myself,  but when I replace my glass of wine with kombucha during the week, I feel fancy because I’m drinking it out of a nice wine glass and my gut says thank you.  I don’t get the wine buzz, but I do feel like a million bucks and I save myself calories and hangovers. I’m a big fan of Holy Kombucha–their prickly pear flavor is the bomb OR Health Ade’s ginger-lemon or pink lady apple flavor.
    – Benefits I’ve noticed: improved digestion, more energy, healthier gut | Balance Category: Healthy Eating
  5. Ditch your phone for 1 whole hour. Have you ever heard the saying “if only we recharged ourselves as much as we recharged our phones?” I haven’t either, but we’re going with it. Take some time at the end of each day to unwind. Read a book, take a bath, take a walk, put a face mask on and play music, lounge with your pup, cook a meal. Whatever you do, do what fills your soul and makes your heart happy. Sometimes that mean’s eating a cookie. Listen to your body.  And ditch your phone. That thing can wait.
    – Benefits I’ve noticed: better sleep, feeling of renewal, overall happier | Balance Category: Unwind

Here’s to a happier, healthier, stronger lifestyle! We’re all in it together.

Having a happier, healthier balanced lifestyle doesn’t have to be another task to add to your already busy to-do list. We know, easier said than done. The very definition of balance is to keep something in a steady position so that it does not fall. Which is why we’ve created a weekly checklist to help guide you towards achieving a life that feels more balanced. Download the checklist below, print it off and follow along weekly to keep yourself on track!