10 Things That You Can Do To Become More Fit and Healthy

1. Exercise while you watch a sitcom at home.
Imagine all the crunches or squats you can do while you watch an episode of Family Guy. Sometimes people do not want to deal with going to the gym or even outside to get their work out in. Sometimes they do not want to deal with the crowds that gyms can attract and sometimes people don’t want to deal with the elements that pose a problem when we take our workouts to the streets. Doing some simple moves in the privacy of your home is a good way to combat all of that. If you own a step for step arobics, you can improvise moves while you watch your show. You can do pilates moves or lift weight even. Watching TV while you workout can make the time pass quicker and serve as a good distraction if you are one of the people who finds themselves constantly looking at the clock to see if your exercise time is done.

2. Commit to eating one vegan and/or raw meal a day.
Not ready to let go of your of your trips through the drive-thru? Fine. Just make a decision to keep one of your meals vegan and predominately raw. It will help you get in your daily needs of fruits and vegetables, and hopefully it will make you see how easy it is to still feel satisfied on a vegan & raw diet. Want to know what to eat?? If you want to make your vegan/raw meal breakfast, have a serving of cereal that utilizes whole grains (like Kashi brands) with nut milk or soy or coconut milk. Add berries, a banana or both into the cereal. Instead of drinking a juice or milk, make a smoothie that is made of nothing but fruit! Want to go raw/vegan for lunch or dinner?? Make a vegan burrito using a whole grain wrap. Fill it with brown rice, black beans, tofu chunks, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa! Miss having cheese or sour cream in your Mexican cuisine. Don’t fear! Health food stores carry plenty of dairy free alternatives that you can use, like soy cheese and vegan sour cream.
There are plenty of cuisines available for take-out that allow you to keep your meals animal free. Asian cuisine, like Thai and Japanese, allow you to choose fare like seaweed salad and veggie spring rolls with rice paper. Some pizza places make what is generally known as a “salad pizza”, which is pizza crust, topped with salad tossed is Italian dressing. Health food stores often have pre-packaged vegan friendly fair in their deli or refrigerated section, and paired with a salad or a vegetable juice, you have a solid meal. The possibilities are endless. You just have to be open to trying new things and to be creative.

3. Make exercise a game.
Imagine how good your butt would look if you committed to doing lunges on your way to the bathroom. Seriously! It’s a quick, quirky way to get some toning in. I am not suggesting you do this at your job or school mind you, but in the privacy of your own home? Hells yes! Make silly little fitness agreements with yourself that push you to be more physically active. Do side twist every time you have to wait for your bread to toast. Instead of sitting while you talk on the phone, walk around. All these things add up.

4. Commit to trying one new exercise or piece of equipment a month.
Want to keep your workouts fresh and your body looking fierce?? For kicks, once a month choose an exercise you have never tried before or a piece of gym equipment. Never tried the stair-master- hop on. It may just be the machine of your dreams! Go on-line and check out sites that have fitness vlogs. Try to do an exercise that they show that you have never done before.

5. Try on your skinny jeans!
I have a pair or two of jeans that are a size smaller then I tend to like to wear. Yes, I can fit into them, but no, they are not the most comfortable of all my denim. Why do I own them then? Well for two reasons? First of all, it is a triumph for me to be able to get into smaller pair of jeans (with no muffin top, ect), as it tells me that I’m moving toward my fitness goals. Furthermore, if the jeans fit (even if they are not the symbol of comfort), it means my regular jeans are probably fitting perfect (I define a perfect pair of jeans as ones who make you look slim and trim with just a little extra room. At the end of the day, unless you really have to loose weight for the good of your health, are people not obsessed with the scale because they believe at a certain number they will look better?? That’s why I stick to trying on clothes. If I look crappy in clothes I use to look great in, I know I need to take off some poundage. While scales certainly have their place, I find that relying on clothes on a more regular basis to show us where we are in maintaining/dropping weight is far less traumatic.

Scales do lie but jeans don't!

6. Get in your eight glasses before you drink anything else
It took me a long time to commit to drinking a minimum of eight glasses of water a day. I was a coffee and diet soda junkie. Then I read an article about how not drinking enough water could upset the digestive process and cause your body to hold on to extra weight. I decided to do an experiment where I tried to drink half a gallon of water every day. Why half a gallon? Because I work out almost daily, and I sweat like chia pet in a sauna during it. Eight glasses are not going to cut it for someone who is extra active. It was difficult to drink all that water and get my coffee and soda in, so I just ended up forgoing most drinks together, unless they came with a Poland Spring label on the front. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I lost weight, my stomach problems lessened and I felt overall better. In short, before you reach for your latte (unless its for your morning jolt- I can’t try to rob somebody of that java jolt), trying drinking a glass of water first.


7. When baking use Stevia instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Sugar kill your white blood cells, promotes inflammation and weight gain. Artificial sweeteners are nothing but legal poison. Use Stevia when making cookies or cakes and not only will you save on mad calories, but you won’t be creating a breeding ground for tumors and nerve damage, the way that artificial sweeteners are known to do.

8. Take Your Vitamins!
Obviously it is far better to get your vitamins and minerals from the foods that you eat, but just in case your eating is a little off, or you may not be able to have as much variety as you like one day (all fruits and veggies have a different percentage of certain V & M’s), take a supplement as a back up!

9. Instead of cooking with Olive Oil use Coconut oil
Olive oil and Coconut oil both are 120 calories per tablespoon, but coconut oil comes as a solid. Instead of using Olive Oil when frying something, use coconut oil instead.You can literally use half the amount and on a low heat spread it around with the tip of a spoon or knife to coat the pan. It’s a simple way to cup back on calories, without much effort.

10. Find A fitness/Health Role Model
The moment I accepted that I would never have the thighs of coke bottles, my life became a lot easier. It’s a complete waste of time trying to force your body into being something it is not. I am NOT saying that you should not push yourself but I AM saying that if you are driving yourself crazy trying to loose the last five pounds or to look like some girl down the block, you may benefit from reevaluating your health goals. Why are you exercising and watching what you eat? How is it making you feel. If it’s making you feel more energetic and happy then you are probably on the right track. If you are feeling like shit however, you may need to try a new angle in your approach to changing your life, which may mean changing your health goals. Anyone who knows me knows that I love Sarma Melngailis, one of the founders of Pure Food and Wines ( a raw restaurant in NYC). I love the way she embraces eating raw, while fully admitting that sometimes she too falls off the ‘health wagon’. I appreciate people who are brave enough to keep it real. I aspire to be like that too, hence why I consider Melngailis a role model.

Sarma M

I also am a big fan of Jackie Warner, who owns Sky Sport Fitness in L.A. and who was the star of Bravo’s show, The Work Out. Jackie promotes taking personal responsibility for ones action and the choices they make, which I believe is one of the key steps to become a healthier, happier person. Also, Warner has a body of steel (which is not such a bad thing, either).