Healthier Choices

I have been trying to incorporate more healthy choices into my daily eating habits & share them with you on here. I have already shared one really delicious & healthy snack/dessert with you here, but I want to be more proactive in being healthy all the time. I have already started cutting back my sugar intake within the past few weeks. I try to say no to any dessert/candy/sweets unless I am really craving it. When I am really craving some processed sweets, I have just a little to satisfy my craving, then I put the fork down (so to speak). It really has worked! I have tried to do stuff like this before, but I always failed, & here are a couple reasons why:

1. I never made it an official goal, it was always, “I’ll try to go without sweets, but if I fail, it’s ok.”
2. I was too extreme (i.e. I won’t have any sweets no matter what, rather than having just a little taste when I really feel like I need it)

Once I made an actual goal, I stuck to it. I used to eat around 1-3 desserts/candies a day! Now, when I crave sweets, I reach for an apple or another sweet fruit. Then I wait… If that doesn’t do the trick, I’ll have maybe one little piece of candy. After that, the craving is gone! Really! I am so proud of myself, & I even have noticed a difference in the way I feel & look. Not huge changes, but still, good changes. I also have gotten my husband to make some healthier goals! The more I go without sweets, the less I crave them. It’s honestly been pretty easy for me to say no to ordering a dessert or reaching for an ice-cream bar every time I open the freezer. If you know me at all, this is a shock for you to be reading!

Today, I want to share one little sweet snack that’ll help you push away that cookie & put on those jogging shoes!

All I did was slice up some fresh strawberries & put them in a bowl, I added a little bit of water, a drizzle of honey, & a pinch of cinnamon. Stir around so all the strawberries are coated & snack away. I really don’t even like strawberries that much. Well, it’s not that I don’t like them, but I just don’t ever crave them or look forward to eating them. However, this little snack is really yummy for me.

Here are some benefits from this snack:
>Strawberries – boosts your immune system, provides lots of antioxidants, helps fight cancer, fights bad cholesterol, reduces inflammation, reduces blood pressure, & much more! (facts from besthealthmag.ca)

>Honey – prevents heart disease, reduces ulcers, increases athletic performance, it’s anti-bacterial, etc (facts from care2.com) >> furthermore, I understand that honey may not be the best choice for a sweetener because it still contains sugar, but it is way better than white sugar or eating pie for that matter

>Cinnamon – regulates blood sugar, reduces bad cholesterol, contains fiber, calcium, manganese, & iron, etc (facts from care2.com) >> you can use this spice on/in so many things including: smoothies, steel oats, quinoa, fruits, curry dishes… be creative!

If you have any little healthy snacks to share with me, please share them!

Have you made any healthy goals this year?