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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With New Year’s Eve around the corner, now is the perfect time to take a moment to reflect on the year, and make those New Year’s resolutions to finally kick those bad habits goodbye. This year, make a change to live a healthier life without breaking the bank. Who says that the dollar is losing its value? Below are five tips to living a healthier lifestyle, on a budget.
Eat Locally: It’s no secret that you are what you eat and fresh items are much healthier for you than processed, boxed meals. If you go to your local supermarket, buying all organic products will cost you a fortune. Instead, visit your local farmers markets that are loaded with fresh, seasonal ingredients that were picked within the last few days, so they are nutrient rich. In addition, you are helping out your local neighbors.
Healthy Sweet Tooth: Between birthdays, holidays and late night cravings, it can be nearly impossible to stray away from white flour that is found in most desserts. It comes to no surprise that white flour is notorious for spiking your blood sugar levels and contains zero vitamins and nutrients. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth and bake your favorite treats with soy flour instead. Soy flour can be found in your local grocery store and is loaded with protein and fiber, is sodium-free and even has an added bonus of iron, thiamin and potassium. Your family and friends won’t taste the difference and the soy flour will only set you back about $3. There are also great natural sugar alternatives like Xylitol and Stevia that will keep your waist line from expanding.
Fight off the Sniffles: Yes, it’s that time of year when everyone around you is either coughing up a lung or has a serious case of the sniffles. Save your personal days for when the weather gets nice by investing in smart medicine. Many cough syrups are loaded with codeine that might help your cold, but will negatively affect your sleep in the long run, not to mention contain questionable ingredients. Rule of thumb, if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, its best to step away. Try the Maty’s All Natural Cough Syrup, it contains only natural healthy items like buckwheat honey, apple cider vinegar and zinc and can be mixed into your daily cup of tea. The best part, it costs less than $10 and will last several months.
Get a Green Thumb: Think we can all agree that fresh herbs can transform a meal from great to tasty. But, fresh herbs are also very expensive. Visit your local art supply store and purchase a few small pots and plant your own. These plants will look great sitting on your kitchen windowsill and taste even better. But the best part, it will never go bad. A small bushel of cilantro has a shelf life of about a few days, but with a little TLC, these herb pots will last must longer and you can just take a snip whenever you need it.
Exercise on a Budget: Many gym memberships today cost almost as much as your cable bill. Of course we all know that outdoor exercise is free, but if you are not a daily runner, it can get boring really fast. Many cities are now offering free classes outdoors (…and who isn’t a fan of free yoga?). If you are convinced that you need the gym to get the best work out, skip the expensive personal training and bring the gym home. There are lots of great DVD workouts that are just as good as the aerobics classes at the local gym. Instead of purchasing them on your own (can set you back $20 per DVD) visit your local library. Libraries are loaded with exercise DVDs and fitness books and will only cost the price of a library card – FREE!
Carolyn Harrington is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner and trained in many aspects of natural medication, including nutrition, herbs and various mind/body therapies. Carolyn created Maty’s Healthy Products, a line of all natural, gluten-free products enriched with powerful immune supportive ingredients, which are then formulated into therapeutic blends to enhance the body’s natural healing capabilities. All Maty’s products are safe, simple and effective and made in America using socially responsible practices. For more information visit: www.matyshealthyproducts.com.
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