Fundamentals

For the first post of my blog, I thought it would be beneficial to start with some fundamental tools for living a healthy and happy lifestyle. My mantra in life is that "balance is essential" and by following this I do not intend to alter anyone's lifestyle or even encourage anyone to drastically change the way they eat or exercise. As great as it is to be dedicated to a healthy diet, it probably won't kill you to indulge that sweet tooth every once in a while or forgo a workout to catch the Grey's Anatomy marathon (guilty). Therefore, I simply aim to provide easy to use tips to put a healthy twist on common recipes and to live life with a positive outlook. 

Health Basics:

BE CREATIVE! Whether your eating in the college serveries or cooking for yourself at home, there are millions of healthy possibilities and interchangeable ingredients. In order to prove my point and torture those chocolate chip muffin lovers like myself, here is a recipe that changes a heart clogging breakfast pastry to a nutrient filled snack: 

Unhealthy (trust me, I excluded a picture for your own sake.)

1 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso powder 
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
2 large eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar 
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Guilt Free!

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 bananas
2 eggs
1 cup coffee (decaffeinated or regular)
1 cup nonfat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Exchanging white flower for wheat flower, butter-milk for skim milk, bannanas for oil and eliminating the brown sugar, are small exchanges that can make a huge difference on the amount of calories your treating yourself to. 

FIND A WORKOUT BUDDY! Mounds of research shows that working out in groups releases endorphins that block out the pain of exercising. Also, it's nice to have someone there to laugh with if you happen to slip off the treadmill (again, guilty).

IF YOUR GOING TO BREAK THE RULES THEN GO BIG! Resisting unhealthy food all week should be rewarded. You can ditch eating a less than satisfying servery cookie everyday at lunch in order to indulge on an amazing dessert once a week. 

Happiness Tools:

IT'S ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE! Looking for the positives rather than the negatives of every situation can dramatically alter your mood for the better. So maybe you completely failed your COMM 300 Writing Assignment today, but at least you found 20$ in your jeans when you were procrastinating the assignment by doing laundry. Every situation has a good and bad result, it all depends on which one you decide to focus on. 

DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF! "Count you blessings," "Be greatful for what you have," etc...There are a million different cliche ways to say it but probably for good reason. It is always important to remember how fortunate you are. Say you find yourself complaining over how cold you are driving to school in the awful 35 degree Houston winter weather, be thankful you aren't covered in snow.

LIVE IN THE PRESENT! Don't dwell on the past because you have no control over things that have already occurred. 

SMILE! often!

Final Thoughts:

Now that the basic foundation used in living a healthy lifestyle have been laid out, future blogs can go into greater detail of important tips I have learned throughout my own personal wellness journey. I hope you find these tools and my future recommendations to be easy, useful and entertaining!

your self-proclaimed wellness guru,

Alison