Who doesn’t love some indulgence from time to time? I love to eat junk food, pizza, burgers, you name it. I have realized though that consistency is the victory, so I want to be more consistent with a healthy diet than with indulgence. For me, here are 3 ways I balance indulgence with healthy eating:

1. Cheat days

I like the concept of a cheat day or cheat meals. We all have to have a little fun, right? So I look to a meal or two on the weekend where I can eat for fun or be guilt-free. In other words, I practice health during the week and I let my guard down a little bit on the weekend.

2. Moderation

Remember that most things are okay with moderation. Again, I follow the above principle, but I know that a little bit of dye in a glass of water is much different than a little bit of dye in a swimming pool. Dilute with healthy choices.

3. Grace

Overall, I want to be directionally correct, but I’m not going to become so absorbed with healthy eating that I can’t enjoy a little bit of life – I give myself grace. And I know that I can’t be on 100% of the time. Planning ahead is definitely best when you are away from home, at the office or traveling – which means meal prep. But at the same time, I’d prefer most of my plate to be healthy and give myself grace if the situation just doesn’t lend itself to a being on 100%.

Those are some quick thoughts on what I’m doing to balance indulgence with healthy eating.

What do you think? Comment below!

I have an excellent mentor who shared some tips with me to establish a morning routine and to help me get my day started right. One of those tips is reading through a grateful list. I read through it each morning before doing anything else. Here are a few morning gratitude practices you might consider to start your day right:

1. Have a grateful list

As I mentioned, a grateful list is a useful tool of mine. It gets my thinking oriented to gratefulness and reminds me that no matter the challenges in my life, I have plenty to be grateful for.

2. Spend time reflecting

I’m not as good at this one, but I think it’s important to have a certain amount of time every day to reflect and think without being distracted with an audio or computer. This is a practice that can help us ‘stop and smell the roses.’

3. Go for a walk

A good way to reflect on gratefulness is in nature. For me, nature brings a lot of peace in my mind and is a reminder that as humans we were made to be outside and appreciate the fresh air.

4. Tell someone you appreciate them

Why not practice gratitude by simply sharing or telling someone you are grateful for them. You could do this in person or through a note.

5. Say ‘I am grateful’ several times per day

It’s one thing to think it but words have power and it’s good for our ears to hear we are grateful. Heard and practiced often enough, we become grateful people.

All of these practices will continue to be opportunities for my personal growth. I have heard it said that you can’t be grateful and frustrated at the same time.

What do you think? Comment below!

I know that water is the most important health choice I can make. It’s the fuel for the body and according to most sources our body is 60% water. When we are dehydrated our systems shut down and this impacts our functioning in all areas of life.

That said, I haven’t always done a great job of making sure I’m hydrated and getting at least half my body weight in ounces of water per day. Here are a few hydration hacks I use to make sure I don’t forget to drink:

1. I use the WaterMinder app

I use the WaterMinder app to log my water intake as well as receive notifications or reminders when I need to drink.

2. I use a water bottle

I keep a 25 oz Yetti water bottle  full on my desk as well as take it to the gym. My goal is to drink 4 – 5 bottles per day.

3. I think about dividing my day

If I divide my day into quarters, it helps me know when I need to have drunk a certain amount of water. Obviously, I don’t want to be chugging a bunch of water right before I go to bed so I try to cut off in the evening.

4. I use my Whoop

My Whoop measures the impacts of hydration on my daily recovery. I log it in my journal and then can see the impact on my recovery score.

5. I get around fit people

If you want to be inspired, it’s often helpful to get to the gym around other inspiring people who are working out and staying fit!

What do you think? Comment below!