One of the only plus sides of quarantine is that it gave us all a little bit of extra time. So, some of my friends and I started using our new free time to try different health tips. We tried some that we had read and heard about to see if we could notice a difference in things like our energy levels. Some things helped, but some things were overhyped. Some of the tips we tried that everyone else seems to swear by just didn’t do anything for us. Some of the tips that we tried helped a few of us, but not all of us. All in all, the reason things work differently for everyone is we all have different metabolism, genetic structures, etc. We all have to remember: Every Body is not Everybody. Considering we all only get 24 hours of a day, I would say everyone wants to use their time to their benefit. There were a few tips that we all still use and think could benefit anybody.
Here are five tips worth your time:
Food Log
Those leads me into my first tip. Food logging is something that sounds super time investing, but it’s really not. All of us react different to the foods that we eat. When we log how we feel after we eat and what we eat, then we know how we react with different foods. Some foods can make us feel bad, give us headaches, and bloat- even ones that we think are healthy. We went even further with this and got the Everywell Food Sensitivity test. The test is sent to your house and you get blood from your finger (gross I know) and put it on the card that comes with it to measure your antibodies. It measures how your body interacts with different foods. After a few days when you send it off, you get a big list of foods and how reactive you were to them. We all think that this was really accurate because the readings matched with our food logs, so if you want to save a little time you can just do the test to figure out the foods you should try to avoid. Figuring out how you react with different foods is really helpful- after all, we are what we eat.
Celery Juice
You’ve probably heard of the celery juice craze. From celebrities to supermodels to athletes, it seems like everyone is jumping on this bandwagon: Jenifer Anniston from Friends and Kyle Richards from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to Jasmine Tookes, a Victoria Secret’s model to Jennifer Lopez, a dancer. Celery juice has many benefits. One of the biggest reasons people choose to drink celery juice is that it detoxifies the liver. It is used for healthy, glowy skin. Also, it kills the strep bacteria, so it is perfect for the winter months that are coming up. I started drinking celery juice last fall and have continued to so for over a year now. I can tell a huge difference in my energy levels when I drink it. This makes it perfect for the busy college student. My two favorite celery juices are Suja and Evolution Fresh. They both contain only two ingredients: organic celery juice and organic lemon juice. Lemon juice detoxifies the kidneys. With these, you get double the detoxification.
Wellness Shots
Wellness shots are designed to be drank first thing in the morning on an empty stomach that way you can better absorb all of the nutrients and vitamins from the shot. They are perfect for a busy lifestyle since they are just 2 oz. They typically include a spicy ingredient, such as turmeric, ginger, cayenne, etc. These give it the burning, “shot” kick. Each ingredient in the wellness shot is there for a specific reason. For example, if a shot includes black pepper as the burning ingredient, it is due to black pepper lets you better absorb the vitamins you get from other ingredients; turmeric helps with inflammation in the body; and so on and so on. There are so many wellness shots on the market today. Which is perfect because you can find the right one for your body. You can choose from shots that are specifically aimed for the gut: probiotic shots. There are shots that are aimed toward hydration: aloe vera shots. My favorite shot is the Heart Beet shot from Pure Green. It is aimed for heart health and includes beets, pomegranates, lime, and black pepper.
Exercise
Elle Woods taught us that “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” Exercising is great for physical health, but also can improve mental health. Huntington has some great options for exercising. The Marshall University Rec Center has group fitness classes, personal training, and F45 training. There is Orange Theory Fitness in Barboursville. With the pandemic going on, some people may prefer not to go in a public gathering to exercise. There are still a lot of other ways to get your daily exercise. Personally, I like going to Ritter Park for a run or a walk- especially in the fall seeing all the pretty leaves. Also, you can even just follow along to a workout video on Youtube. Whichever you chose to do, make sure you enjoy it. That way it feels like a hobby instead of a chore. Plus, you’ll be more likely to stick to a routine this way.
Healthy Alternatives
We all have our comfort foods and guilty pleasures. Some foods that we tend to crave provide no nutrition and give us no benefit. There are always healthy alternatives to these. Pizza- you can get a pizza with cauliflower pizza crust. Ice cream- you can make a smoothie thick like ice cream by adding more ice cubes. Sugar- you can use monk fruit extract that taste pretty much identical. Luckily, there are so many healthy choices we can use in place of the foods that we all like. Out with the old, in with the new.
Remember, not everything that works for someone else will work for you. You owe it to yourself to see what works for you. We all need to listen to our own bodies and do what makes us feel our best. Healthy is different on everybody and every body.