>U Mom Knows Best: How To Help People Who Want To Get Healthy

Thursday, September 6, 2018

How To Help People Who Want To Get Healthy

I am passionate about helping others to live a healthy life.


  Over the years, I have learned that there is not one way to become healthy. God made us all unique so it is ok that we all eat differently. It is ok that we exercise in different ways. How I eat may not work for others and I am so glad that we have many choices when it comes to food. I love sharing recipes and fitness tips with others so they can see what works for me. What works for me, may or may not work for you. The road to being healthy has not been an easy road for me but I think I finally discovered what works for me. For me, I follow a vegetarian diet that includes the occasional fish and eggs. While I like cheese, lately it has not liked me so I have gone totally dairy-free due to lactose and allergy issues. I find that this diet helps me have a healthy cholesterol number. It also keeps my weight at a healthy number ( don't ask me what the number is as I don't weigh myself) and makes me feel good. I also like the way my clothes fit and how I look. I try to make getting healthy easy as I know if it is too complicated or hard, one might not succeed.




I don't have all the answers

  I am glad that I have the internet when it comes to healthy eating and fitness. There are so many different eating plans out there that I am trying to learn about ones that my friends are trying. I have friends who are following the Whole 30 diet so I am learning a lot about that. So I will try to create some recipes that can be adapted. While the Whole 30 diet seems hard to me, I like that it omits foods that could be causing problems and I think this diet does a good job at changing your taste buds if you make it through the 30 days. I recently gave up dairy to see if it could help with my allergy-induced asthma. The first week without cheese was awful but I think I was coughing less. The problem was my craving for pizza. I couldn't take it and I gave in. I ate several slices of pizza. The next day when my husband called me, I had an asthmatic cough and he asked me if I had any cheese. So I then inlisted my family's help to give up all dairy. It was not easy but I am thankful for non-dairy cheese and coconut milk ice cream. It has been 30 days and I no longer crave cheese or ice cream. I have also been coughing way less, now if I could omit weeds, dust, and smoke from my life (some of my other asthma triggers), I would be fine.

UPDATE December 2019: I have been dairy-free for a year
  I am glad that I discovered that a dairy-allergy was causing my asthma. I have been following a dairy-free diet for over a year and when I accidentally consume a small amount of a milk product, I experience an asthmatic cough along with mucus build-up in my lungs. So I do my best to avoid food with dairy in it, which is not always easy when eating out. I have learned how to make some amazing dairy-free recipes like Vegan Chocolate Dipped Salted Caramels and discovered that when eating out to alert the server to my dairy-allergy as I do like being able to breathe better. I also discovered that lifting weights and exercising helps clear my lungs from the mucus that my asthma causes. So exercise is beneficial for my asthma but not always easy. So I follow these Ten Tips For Exercising With Asthma.


 So to my friends who have been successful with the Whole 30 or other diets, keep up with the healthy eating as over time your taste buds will crave more of the healthy food and less of the junk food. It does sound farfetched but I love vegetables and whole grains. I do on occasion eat sweets but usually, one cookie is all I need. There are even times when things are too sweet for me.

Check out a healthy breakfast recipe that my boys enjoy



I am not lucky

  I have a fit body because I workout five days a week. I like the way I look so I make sure to schedule 30 minutes of exercise into my day. Exercising also makes me feel good. A fast run always makes me feel supercharged. Sure, I have days that I just don't feel like running so I just go for a walk or watch tv at the gym while on the treadmill. After I push myself, I always feel better. Eventually, if you keep trying exercise it will get easier and more of a habit. I have been encouraging my husband to go to the gym for a couple of months and now he is the one that asks me when we can go to the gym. He almost enjoys the gym and is seeing the benefits of exercise that he makes time for it. So try to exercise 3 days a week for 30 days before you give up on exercise.


Check out these Workout Tips For Stay At Home Moms

Don't make it complicated 

  Start with simple changes when you are trying to eat more healthy food. Your unhealthy habits were not formed overnight so you are not going to change them quickly. I remember 7 years ago when my husband had to pack a lunch for work and he wanted me to buy chips and cookies for his lunch, I bought him crackers and granola bars instead. Then I started buying only whole grain crackers and healthy granola bars. I changed out other foods too like white for brown rice. I knew if I made drastic changes in my husband's food choices he would resist. Now seven years later, my husband requests nuts for his snacks and no longer eats at fast food places. He still eats ice cream but that is ok as he is eating healthy food for the rest of the day.



 For myself, I eat healthy carbs, meatless proteins and plenty of fruits and veggies. I eat sugar but maybe a couple times a week. I am sure I could lose that last ten pounds and have a flat stomach if I cut out carbs and sugar but the stress of it is not worth it. Food is meant to be enjoyed so I eat healthy 80% of the time. My body is healthy and I know I look good. I have way more important things to do than count calories or carbs. Buy only healthy foods at the store for the whole family. Stay away from diets that make you buy expensive shakes or prepackaged foods as they are too hard to follow and too expensive. Allow yourself to go out to eat on occasion. I only go out to eat once a month and I enjoy my meal as I know I can get back to my healthy food the next day.


Over time your body will want healthy food



  For the past year, I have been working on changing the way I eat. I have been eating more protein as it was lacking in my meatless diet. When I added more protein to my diet and started some simple weight lifting, I noticed that after several months my body looked more tone. Also after a year of healthy eating, I no longer eat packaged chips or cookies when I attend parties as my body wants veggies and whole-grain crackers. While you are waiting for your body to crave healthy food, my tip is to bring your favorite healthy food to a party to share with others so you won't be tempted to eat the junk. You might just inspire someone else to eat healthy foods. If you do eat junk food, it is ok. Don't beat yourself up over it, just get back to healthy eating the next day. Enjoy food when on vacation as you can get back to your healthy food when you get home but don't overdo it. While on vacation just make sure to eat some healthy food for most of your meals. Go ahead and have that pizza but also eat a salad with it. When I go on vacation, I still eat some healthy food with my meals but I also enjoy some new foods. I will enjoy some eggs at breakfast but I will also add spinach to them and eat a bowl of oatmeal.

How To Get More Protein Without Eating Meat



 Focus on a healthy body, not weight loss and the weight loss will come if that is what your body needs. It should be about making healthy changes not quick weight loss as you want to develop healthy habits that last a lifetime. When one focuses on weight loss, they lose weight and tend to regain it back. So focus on feeding your body the healthy food that it needs to feel good and exercising for a healthy heart. Our bodies were made to move and it needs nourishing food. It may be hard on some days to exercise and eat healthy food but remind yourself that these healthy habits will help you avoid things like heart problems, diabetes, and some types of cancers. When my husband doesn't feel like heading to the gym, I just remind him about how he is able to keep his blood pressure healthy without medicine because of these healthy habits.

What are your health goals?




38 comments:

Melissa said...

I am not able to do much exercise due to a neuromuscular disease, but I am trying to get healthy in other ways.

AiringMyLaundry said...

I do try to get my greens and such in. And I jog daily because my metabolism is NOT what it used to be. I do like my junk food, but I try to have it in moderation. I could never completely give it up.

krish said...

Everyone is born unique...everyones body reacts differently to different diets.
There is no one template fit all formula..never be in a hurry...go step by step when starting a new diet plan..
Nice interesting article..

Mom Knows Best said...

I do like the never be in a hurry as slowing down is good for all.

Misspector said...

Thank you so much for this inspirational and useful sharing!

Jessi Joachim said...

Good for you! It is nice to see other women being healthy and enjoying their lives, it is inspirational.

Laurie Gannon said...

My health goals have been vacillating all over the place. I guess that means I really don't have a goal or goals due to lack of focus. I did decide to go alcohol-free for 30 days which has been great! It's eliminated "food apathy" (I develop that with a 2nd glass of wine).

I think I need to sit down with a notebook and figure out what I really want to do with my health. "Get healthy" really doesn't suffice, does it?

Unknown said...

My health regime is pretty messed up, but i do try to eat as healthy as possible, to avoid getting sick.

Unknown said...

I'm currently working on losing weight as I gained quite a lot these past year. I've been so busy that I neglected my exercise routine. Plus I got careless with my food intake. I'm now two months into my healthy living and slowly losing pound after pound. :)

Mom Knows Best said...

So glad to hear that things are going well.

Mom Knows Best said...

Eating healthy food is always great for helping your body stay well. I tell my kids to think of their body like a car. Putting bad gas in a car causes it to not run well and then it needs repairs.

Mom Knows Best said...

I like your idea of writing things down to figure it out. I do need to ponder on the get healthy and go deeper into that for people as I agree getting healthy is so much more.

mdaisi said...

Healthy eating is very important. I always try to do so even with a vegan diet. It's definitely hard to keep up - but it could be doable with the right motivation. Thanks for sharing this.

happy wheels said...

Thanks for sharing.I hope you continue to have such quality articles to share with everyone! I believe there will be many people who share my views when they read this article from you.Those who come to read your article will find lots of helpful and informative tips.

cre8tone said...

Healthy is the most important in life.. it's truly angelic act to help friends to get healthy!

Jamie said...

You're doing great Tara!! My goals are to just try and stay healthy. With medication that makes it hard to lose weight, I have to try extra hard to just try and stay as fit as I can. Thank you for your tips! :)

Lavanda Michelle said...

Word heathy sounds so exhausting, is the phrase my bestie all tells me, when you want to put off making a same healthy choice each day. For over a year, my sister and I are commented to eat raw once s day and drinking the recommending water, while getting in 30 minutes of walking daily.

Passion Piece said...

I try to exercise, but I don't really do it regularly ... mostly it's only running in summer. I need to eat more healthy foods and I'd love to try some of your tips. :)

The Super Mom Life said...

You make a lot of good points. I have the food part down and now I need to work on my exercise.

Wanda Lopez said...

Great tips. I love smoothies and exercise as often as possible. It does make a difference with time.

Ckrusch said...

Thank you so much for this great story! Looooove smoothies and I exercise regularly!

Sebrinah Yeo said...

Thanks for this sharing. I love reading this. It will be beneficial for me and my family health and wellbeing

What Corinne Did said...

I think the main issue with healthy is that it is so complicated. And sometimes expensive. SO keep it simple really is the key, you are right

Dalene Ekirapa said...

Wow! I salute you for your work-out routine. I'm sort of lazy when it comes to that but I hope to do so and get to maintain a fit body as I grow older.Anyway, healthy diets are just so critical.

Mouse Mommy Treats said...

My health goals is drinking plenty of water, eat nutritiously, active lifestyle and be positive always!

Blair Villanueva said...

I'm not a gym-type of girl, but I do love walking a lot and drinking water. And lots of healthy smoothies :D

Masshole Mommy said...

I would definitely like to lose a few pounds. I had no idea that a dairy allergy could cause asthma. I’m glad you figured it out.

The Super Mom Life said...

I went dairy free for a while, based on a recommendation from my cardiologist. I wound up incorporating it back into my diet just months later.

Candace Hampton said...

Great article! I definitely need to get more greens. I'm not a big fan, but I do believe that it has a lot of benefits. My health goal is to exercise more and eat healthier.

Kathy said...

I thought this was a wonderful post. I'm always looking for ways to stay healthier. I've been working on it a lot harder, and I know I could do better on the overall eating part. I do always drink just water though, so that's one good thing as well as exercising daily.

Sherry said...

This is all great advice. I definitely need to exercise and start eating healthier. Doing it a little at a time is a good idea.

Eileen M Loya said...

Being diabetic has limited my food choices. I do try my best to stay away from food with a high glycemic index and for snacks, I choose nuts (garlic peanuts and almonds are my favorite). It is not easy to manage your weight, but with determination, it can be done.

Nyxie said...

Great advice. Sometimes its better to keep it simple rather than giving them over the top, complicated ideas. Bit by bit is good and it can slowly encourage the change of habits.

Ceci Rey said...

In the year 202...I am dedicated to helping my whole family live a healthier lifestyle. From eating habits to exercise. It is so important...if you do not have your health, you have nothing!

Why Girls Are Weird said...

I'm doing my best but kind of struggling right now to get out of the "eat when you have feelings" mode. It's hard!

Alvern Success Unscrambled said...

My friends and I are doing a 31 days of walking challenge from January 1st to 31st for 30 mins a day every day. I am a vegetarian and removed sugary foods from my diet 6 months ago and the results have been amazing. Feel free to join in the walking challenge wherever you are as well.

Marie at Complete Literature said...

I would say that "don't make it complicated" is the most important thing for me. I bought a program about 3 months ago that is supposed to teach me about my hormones and how they affect the rest of my physical life, but I haven't had a chance to get down to it. So it is doing me no good. I am hoping to spend a half hour a day starting this evening to take in bits at a time until I can get the whole program down. Slow and steady!

Heather said...

Great tips! For us, the consistency always wears off. We are working hard on a good routine to maintain overall wellness and not go back to old habits.

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