STYLE BY MELI

This is definitely a subject matter that I can probably write a book about (hey, you never know, maybe one day!), but I will condense the information into this blog and share all my beauty and health tips!  I think it’s great to be able to share what works for me and I truly believe that it is never too late to turn your lifestyle around into a very healthy one, it just takes some conscious effort.

For starters, a healthy lifestyle starts with the principle of, LOVING YOURSELF!  You must truly cherish your well-being and soul and WANT to take care of it throughout your entire lifetime.  I find many people that are young take their health for granted and do not begin really taking care of themselves until they need to or encounter a serious health problem.  You should ALWAYS, ALWAYS be taking care of yourself, no matter what because health is everything and by making the right health choices, you can control the destiny of your overall well-being!

Besides being in a profession where I believe it’s exceptionally IMPORTANT to always look good, living a healthy lifestyle comes natural for me, because I LOVE myself enough to know that I DESERVE to be treating myself right.  I take care of myself for ME, and not for anyone else!  Besides enjoying the health benefits, I can also reap the beauty benefits! ;)

I truly hope that this blog will not only give you some ideas on how to start living a healthy, beautiful lifestyle, but also give you a positive outlook on achieving your health goals.  It just takes some good discipline and dedication!  You can do it, I know you want to! :)

So here is a look at some key elements that contribute to my healthy lifestyle…

FITNESS:  I am pretty passionate about fitness and exercise to begin with.  I consider it not only a part of my lifestyle, but also a hobby.  I enjoy running, going to the gym, and staying active.  In an ideal world, I’d work out every single day of the week, but realistically, I make time about 4-5 (sometimes 6 if I’m lucky) days a week.  I try to switch it up and always do different things that incorporate a good mix of cardio and strength training.  As you already know, both are really important for maintaining a nice physique!

Even if you are not into working out in a gym setting, even going for walks or finding an activity you enjoy (tennis, golf, volleyball, swimming, etc.) still counts as a good workout!

Personally, I cannot live without my Ipod when I go for a nice jog.  Here is a song I discovered on XM Radio’s BPM station that I am absolutely obsessed with!  Great workout (and dance) tune!  All my workout music is quick paced, it keeps me moving!

DIET:  I believe that you are what you eat.  So if you choose to eat doughnuts everyday, sure enough you’ll start to resemble one!  (It’s terrible to have to say that, but it’s very true)!

I usually eat an apple a day!

I try to create a balanced diet that consists of fruits (apples, blueberries, etc), vegetables (carrots, broccoli, etc), protein (egg whites, lean chicken, fish, nuts), and good carbs (oatmeal and cereal with fiber).  I would say almost all the food that I eat is cooked or prepped by me, unless I am going out to eat that is.  I also enjoy eating smaller meals throughout the day.

I always eat breakfast every morning shortly within waking up and feel that a good breakfast in the morning definitely provides fuel throughout the day.  This is the one meal that should not be skipped!

Anyone that knows me, knows I’m a total health nazi when it comes to what I eat and I like to stick with mostly natural foods.  I also find that for me, eating healthy has a bigger impact on my health and physique more than working out ever does.  Studies do show that diet plays a stronger role on your weight than working out.  MEANING, you can workout for over an hour, but if you choose to still make poor eating choices with high levels of sugar, carbs, fat, (pretty much any bad stuff), then that will kind of take away from the fact you put time towards a good workout.  Which is why, a healthy diet is CRUCIAL!

Teavanas Matcha Green Tea powder

BEVERAGE: I pretty much only drink tea and water.  I actually really don’t enjoy drinking water all that much and when I do, I always like adding some lemon for flavor.  That’s why I usually drink tea throughout the day.  Plus, most teas have added health benefits such as providing energy, detoxifying, boosting your immunity, and other great things.

Yesterday, I finally invested in a small tin of Teavana’s Matcha Japanese Green Tea powder.  I actually really do enjoy the taste and had some this morning thrown into a smoothie!

If you have not checked out my post regarding the skin benefits of matcha green tea, definitely take a look!

THINGS I AVOID COMPLETELY:  Smoking, drugs, tanning, most processed foods, soda, coffee (sometimes there are exceptions when I go to an event, but I actually don’t enjoy the taste of it.  Keep in mind coffee in moderation can serve some health benefits.  I just avoid it because for many it’s addicting and too much caffeine is usually not a good thing).

My Absolute Health Weakness:  Hey, no one’s perfect, and eating healthy 100% of the time is not only unrealistic, but I also feel people should be able to indulge in moderation!  For me, my biggest health weakness is that I have a sweet tooth!

Besides chocolate, chocolate covered nuts (any kind) is one of my guilty pleasures!

I don’t really crave french fries, pasta, pizza or bad carbs, but if there is a plate of cookies (especially ones baked from scratch) in front of me, it is very difficult for me to look the other way!

I am also OBSESSED with chocolate, I could eat it everyday and usually find a way to enjoy a little each day, but try to stick to the darker varieties for the antioxidants.  For me, it feels heavenly eating chocolate!  I wish it didn’t have that effect on me, but it definitely does!

Although I have tried to make a few attempts to give up sweets completely, I have come to realize it is one of the few unhealthy things I enjoy and it’s OKAY.  I allow myself to have something sweet everyday in moderation (or certain days, I actually can stay sugar-free) and allow myself to over-indulge for special occasions.

[How do you stay healthy?]   

This entry was posted on April 19, 2011 at 12:01 AM and is filed under DIET, FITNESS, HEALTH, MORE ABOUT MELI with tags exercise, lifestyle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.