Overview: We love our juices, smoothies, and acai bowls , but let’s our 2022 health journey deserves a bit more fun
Our New’s Year resolution is to try to stick to our health journey. And we can absolutely do this! But here are some words of advice: Going the boring route when it comes to a health journey is one of the easier ways to set yourself up for inconsistency, relapses, and the like.
Now we know there’s technically nothing wrong with fresh juices, smoothies, fruit bowls, and the ever present acai – we personally love a good juice bar! But we also understand that eating fresh fruit or drinking smoothies every single day could get boring in reality.
So whether you’re trying to cut back on calories, increase your fruit and veggie intake, drink more water and nutrient-rich fluids, or just want to eat and drink healthier overall, this guide will help you find a balance of incorporating the more simple, straightforward health items with more exciting recipes.
Tips to Begin Your Health Journey
Opting for one of our 16 oz grab and to-go juices that are packed with healthy nutrients 3-5 times a week has done the trick.
The following tips were taken directly from Redlands Ranch Market team members. These individuals shared their personal experience with implementing these tips to help them start and stay on their health journey.
Portion Your Meals and Eat in Moderation:
I’ve never attempted diets that involve strict guidelines because I know how that ends for someone with my personality. I am, however, aware of my food intake. And I admit that at 55 years old, my days of eating whatever I want and “exercising” my way out of it have long been over.
So I’ve learned to live with moderation and some intention knowing that what I eat has a great impact on my health and emotional well-being.
Opt for Simpler Choices:
For me, opting for one of our 16 oz grab and to-go juices that are packed with healthy nutrients 3-5 times a week has done the trick. It allows me to still enjoy the foods I love while maintaining my personal health goals. And if I can manage 3 30-40 minute aerobic workouts a week then that’s even better!
Create a Regimen that Works for Your Age, Lifestyle, Body:
Did you know that incorporating a “juice replacement meal” plan can help you achieve your health goals? This has worked for me for several years now. My workout consistency comes and goes, but the juice meal replacement gives me the ability to pick up where I left off in a workout without totally having to start over.
Related: Delight in this healthy option that provides a generous serving of your daily vitamins.
The Basics: Juices, Smoothies, & Bowls
We’ve all seen it before – the Instagram breakfast with perfectly sliced strawberries, a fresh mint leaf propped on the corner, a mason jar overflowing with the most lush river of fruits and vegetables blended to perfection, dripping down the side and onto the counter. We like the way it looks, but we’re just trying to get the basics down: taste.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when beginning your health journey with the basic ingredients:
Buy fruits and vegetables that you actually enjoy eating.
Water is great, but so is a plant-based milk. And don’t skip out on the ice – a combination of ice and milk are the secret ingredients to creating seriously refreshing juices and smoothies that are extra creamy.
If you don’t want to invest in a good juicer, make juice with a blender (you can also use a cheesecloth or a napkin) and a bowl.
If you plan on making juices often and you can afford it, do invest in a good juicer. It’ll save you time.
Store-bought juices are often filled with sugar, additives, and preservatives and aren’t really healthy at all. And, guess what? The pasteurized fruit they’re made removes almost all of their nutrients. So you’re better off making natural juices at home.
Check out this article for more details on how to make juice with a blender (recipes + pictures included).
How to Eat Fun on Your Health Journey
Starting on a health journey doesn’t mean you can’t snack, eat out, or create fun recipes and meal plans in the kitchen. We even put this to the test in recent years by creating keto and vegan options that are both healthy and insanely delicious!
From our preservative-free Carne Asada and Marinated Chicken Keto Bowls made from scratch in our Cocina to vegan baked goods that are “cruelty-free” as the community calls it, we now first hand that eating healthy doesn’t mean avoiding flavor and fun.
Here are some tips to experimenting in the kitchen on your health journey:
Don’t be afraid to eat! You heard us right. When beginning your health journey, you might feel the need to lessen your meals. Though meal portioning is important (as we mentioned earlier), you should feed your body when it’s hungry.
(FOR VEGANS) Veganize your favorite meals. This is how one of our customers made an easy transition from non-vegan to vegan. If you’re craving a pizza, make one – with vegan substitutes.
Stock your cupboards with ingredients you want to eat – and that make your body feel good, not bad. This decreases the chances of you reaching for something not-so healthy when you’re just browsing for a snack.
Plan in advance. While many find this to be the more difficult part of staying on a health journey, it can either make or break your success. “As with any diet or lifestyle change, preparing ahead will help prevent from falling off the wagon,” says Helen of Fuss Free Flavours.
Know your subs. When creating healthier options for your favorite recipes, it’s useful to know handy swaps. For example, use avocado instead of butter on your breakfast toast, or apple sauce, banana, or flax-seed to replace eggs in baked goods.
There are many more tips you can implement to make your health journey a success – and a fun one, at that! We recommend checking out this article for more tips; it’s specific to vegans, but the tips could still be applied for any lifestyle change.
SIMILAR ARTICLES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
