Tag Archives: food

Jan20

Taco Bell, Lol

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Taco Bell, Lol

Hiii everyone and TGIF! So I had a super fun night with my sister yesterday. Kristen came with me to watch me coach Special Olympics figure skating, then we went shopping in downtown Kent (the surrounding college town), and decided to top off our night with some delicious Taco Bell. This is the part where you go: But wait, I thought you and your sister have both been vegetarians since childhood. And this is the part where I respond with: You can get beans on everything instead of meat!

So, yes, Taco Bell. After we finished our shopping, I was completely starving. It was after seven at that point which is way later than when I’m normally used to eating and I was getting HANGRY. Lucky for us, there’s a TBell right up the street from where we were, so we decided to go there instead of our usual stomping grounds that is closer to home. After making this decision, which I now wish we didn’t make, I was getting really excited. Fantasizing about eating the entire menu, salivating heavily – the whole nine yards of hungry girl problems.

A few minutes later, we arrived at Taco Bell and hurried inside to begin our order. Because I knew exactly what I wanted, I went first and began my litany of the four items that I wanted. As I mentioned before, because I’m a vegetarian, my order consists of asking them to sub the beef for beans after each item. To a seasoned TBell employee, this is no sweat. But to the fresh out of the hiring process girl working the register, it was the most difficult task in the world.

For well over ten minutes, I repeated my order as she tried to put it into the register and doubled back into the kitchen to ask for help. At first, I was like “Okay, I get it. I remember being new at a register based job before, too” and tried to be as kind as possible. But then, the hangryness started hitting me hard and I knew that if I stood there any longer, I would maybe be not so nice. To avoid this problem after the poor girl was appearing to get no help and she was getting visibly frustrated, I told her not to worry about it because there was a Taco Bell so close to my home.

I was so worried that that was rude but I really didn’t want to let my hangryness get the best of me. I also didn’t want to watch the girl struggle anymore since it looked like no one was coming to her rescue anytime soon. So, Kristen and I went back into the car and headed to the Tbell that we live a mile away from. And I have to tell you, it felt really good to be back in familiar territory.

We ordered our food and was then informed by the lovely employee that if we take a survey and mention her and her coworkers that they would get four extra dollars on their paychecks. We also would get free taco coupons for completing the survey. It seemed like a win win, so while we waited for our food, we each took the survey. Just upon completion, our food arrived which included a super special Taco Bell message from a grateful employee for us taking the survey. Lol, take a look:

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^^^ Lololol

All in all, it was a beautiful evening but I still can’t help feeling kind of bad about the new employee at the Taco Bell that we fled the scene from. I hope she finds that her job gets easier soon!! Anyways, Kristen and I still had a lot of fun and just as our secret Crunchwrap Supreme message says, TBell truly does = life.

What happens when you get hangry? Was there a job that you ever had a really hard time getting the hang of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

BevRAGE App

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BevRAGE App

Hey everyone and happy Thursday! So yesterday was one of my best friends, Danielle’s, 24th birthday so I spent the day celebrating with her. We went out for drinks and then spent the evening going out to eat with her dad (who coincidentally has the same name as my dad AND they BOTH have a mustache!) for her birthday dinner. It was such fun!

While we were at our favorite bar, Merry Arts, in the afternoon, a friend of hers told us about a super handy app called BevRAGE. This app essentially gives you cash back via check or PayPal when you purchase certain kinds of beer, wine, liquor, or mixers when you’re out at the bar or a restaurant or when you’re doing grocery shopping. When I woke up today, I just had to download it because who doesn’t love free money AND alcohol?!

I think that this app is completely genius, and now if you download it and use my referral code, we both get two dollars FO FREE! Here is the post published on my Facebook with the code for those of you who aren’t friends with me on there:

Get cash with the bevRAGE app when you buy beer, wine and liquor. Sign up using my referral code: HUOXPBBQ
https://www.bevrage.com/promo/HUOXPBBQ
Handy little app! Use my referral code and we’ll both get cash back for buying booze! Who doesn’t love that?!

Download and enjoy! Happy drinking! 🙂

ALSO: My pinup girl themed style swap collaboration post will be up this Saturday and I enjoyed creating it SO MUCH. I’d love to do a style swap collab again so if any fashionistas are interested in participating, shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com !

What are your favorite handy apps? What techniques do you utilize to save cash? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Teaching Them To Fly The Nest: How To Help Your Grown-Up Kids Become Independent

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It’s become a main trope in popular culture that parents can’t wait for their kids to leave home. Having the house to yourself, not needing to replace the shampoo in a hurry because someone used more than they needed to. Appreciating the peace and quiet that can only come from nobody under the age of “late thirties” living in a place. It sounds like bliss.

Of course, few parents think about it in so black and white. Though there are definite advantages, you’ll miss them when they’re gone, and there will be tears when they move out. So much so that you’ll be kind of glad when your phone goes and it’s them. Some kind of emergency in their new home that they haven’t the first clue how to deal with. Mom to the rescue!

And yet… when your kids move into a new home, you want them to be self-sufficient. Whether it’s a college house-share or their first apartment, you want them to have the knowledge you’ve accumulated. You know you made mistakes when you first lived outside your childhood home. You know they’ll make some too, but you can stop them from making the ones that you may have made in your youth.

Plumbing: Give Them The Basics, Save A Lot Of Money: When we are kids, we get used to things just showing up and a lot goes on that we don’t see. Food lands on the table in front of us or in the fridge, and we don’t worry about how it got there. We turn on the tap and there is water, flip a switch and there is light. So when we’ve moved into a new place, we can be shocked when the shower drain floods after a few months. Your grown-up child doesn’t need to be an expert plumber. But knowing how (and how often) to clear a shower drain and other blockages can make a big difference.

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Prepare Them For The Marketplace: There will be some issues that occur which you’re not able to fix yourself. The first few times, you may deal with them indirectly. Going round to their new home, seeing the extent of the damage and then calling the relevant trades person to fix the problem. Before too long, though, it is important that they know who to call and how to deal with repair companies. Give your kids a list of plumbers, exterminators, and licensed electricians. Advise them on the importance of getting three quotes before hiring anyone.

Become Skilled At Hinting: Of course you will never stop caring or worrying about your own progeny. You will always step in to make sure they are safe, comfortable, and well fed. So when they come back home because they’ve run out of money and just need to eat, take the chance to teach them some self-sufficiency.

Feed them, of course. Give them a good meal and listen to the problems that everyone has when they first move out. Then take them grocery shopping. Tell them why you go here, why you walk down this aisle, and where you get coupons. Don’t tell them straight out “this is what you need to do”. Let them realize that by teaching them. You are running your household by showing them and hopefully they will do the same – or, perhaps even better!

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Pixabay Image

Jan12

Natural Ways To Help Make Sure 2017 Is Your Healthiest Year Yet

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Natural Ways To Help Make Sure 2017 Is Your Healthiest Year Yet

We are two weeks into the new year; how are your goals of keeping fit and being healthier going? It can be hard to make a complete change overnight but after a few weeks, things should hopefully start to become a habit. For many people, as soon as they hear the word diet, all they can think about is food. But is is important to have a healthy relationship with food and not see it as a punishment or a reward. The best way to stick to your goals of being healthy is to make some small changes. When you do this, it is much easier to maintain and make it last. Here are some natural ways that you can maintain your health and make sure that 2017 is your healthiest yet:

Control Portion Sizes: Portion control is a huge deal and something that many of us fail at. Eating out can cause a lot of damage, too, as the portions that a lot of restaurants serve are huge. So to start with, it might be just something as simple as eating off a smaller plate. When a large plate is in front of us, we feel like we have to fill it. Second of all, you need to think about going for seconds. The food might have tasted amazing but are you actually hungry? Think about how your body feels and learn to say no.

Don’t Eat in the Car: When you find yourself snacking in the car, it becomes a learned behavior. Then every time you get in the car, you’ll feel the need to eat something. So it might make you more likely to stop off at a drive-thru or pick up unhealthy snacks. It can be a habit that is hard to break, so try to avoid it in the first place. Keep your meals at a table as your food choices will be much healthier.

Drink Lots of Water: Water is amazing for our bodies in many ways. One of which is that it helps to keep you hydrated as you should be. Meaning your body will work as it should and you’ll have the energy that you need. Water is also great as it helps you to feel full. Quite often when you think that you are hungry, you’re actually just dehydrated. So drink lots of water. You could also think about getting something like a water alkalizer. It is a pretty well-known fact that when you maintain an alkaline state in your body, it is much better for you than acidic. A body in an alkaline state has been known to help combat diseases like cancer and diabetes. It can also help you to lose weight, too.

Avoid Temptation: If there are sweet and sugar filled treats in the house, then it is almost torture to have them there. So one of the best ways to not eat them is to simply not buy them. If they aren’t in the house, then you can’t be tempted by them. The ‘out of sight out of mind’ philosophy can work wonders!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan9

Monday Update: 24 Hour Fasting Edition

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Monday Update: 24 Hour Fasting Edition

Hiii everyone and happy Monday! I hope you all had a fab weekend. So, I’m not gonna lie, this past holiday season (as amazing as it was) left me feeling far less than confident about my body. With big events like my graduation party, Christmas, and New Year’s, I was left feeling bloated and just not okay. And the fact that Ohio winters are freaking frigid leaves outdoor activities out of the option when it’s a whole fifteen degrees out!

Normally, I have few body blues now, which I am so thankful for, but the utter lack of confidence that I felt about the newly found tightness in my clothing made me kind of freak out. My weight typically fluctuates give or take five pounds but what I had was a weight gain that I could notice in the way my clothes fit and the way I felt and I hated it.

I had heard about 24 Hour Fasting before just from the random online articles and crazy celebrity diets that you might hear about on E! and I figured that I might as well give it a go. I liked that it was something that I could start right away without having to prepare for a shopping trip to the grocery store to stock up on all things healthy. It was also something that I knew that I would be successful at because my eating schedule is so haphazard as is that sometimes I only end up eating a meal at dinner which is what the 24 hour fast would leave me with.

So, two week ago, the plan was to have a meal that was something that I would normally eat at five o’clock in the afternoon and I was to eat enough to feel satisfied. Then, my next meal would commence twenty-four hours later. Initially and admittedly, it sounds crazy. But, my god, was it effective. After one week of following this plan strictly, my clothes were left fitting back to normal if not, looser than before. My stomach looked nice and flat and I was SO pleased.

Don’t ask me the amount of weight that I lost because I refuse to weigh myself but I knew that it was enough to get me back to feeling totally normal. The following week, I was less strict with the plan because of the progress that was made and only did the fast for three days. By the end of the week I was happy to see that I was still looking and feeling as good as I did at the end of the first week.

Now, for this week I plan on fasting for two days and then working my way back into a normal eating routine afterwards. I will say that the 24 hour fast is not for everyone – especially for those with diabetes or other medical conditions which require eating throughout the day. However, for those that are trying to lose a little weight and are able to not eat for a significant amount of time and not feel lightheaded, then I think the 24 hour fast is a great way to go.

If this is something that you would be interested in, then I recommend doing a lot of research before you start. I looked into it by reading articles and blog posts about the fast and made sure that I felt comfortable with it before I started. In the future, I plan on perhaps doing two or three days of 24 hour fasting once a month (or none at all) and leave it at that because I am really happy with my results! I am also especially happy that I can say bye bye to the tummy that I gained compliments of going too hard this holiday season. 🙂

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: 24 Hour Fasting Edition! What is one of the craziest diets that you have tried? How do you personalize intermittent fasting for yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan9

Four Tips That Will Help You Get The Body You’ve Always Dreamed Of

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It’s been said that the best way to get your summer body is to start working on it during the winter. Arguably, all you need for the perfect ‘beach body’ is to have a body, and to be on the beach – but there’s nothing wrong with making sure that you feel beautiful. Here are some tips to help…

Eat Well: It’s important that you eat healthily all year. Of course, there are times when you might want to pig out – Thanksgiving and Christmas particularly, and let’s not forget about Halloween candy! But as a rule, you should try not to use the winter as an excuse to wear oversized sweaters and gain weight. Make sure that you meal plan, don’t snack too much, and that once the holidays are over you go back to your normal eating habits.

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Yummm

Get Active: One of the best ways to feel better about your body is to impress yourself by what it’s capable of. We spend so much time worrying about our stomachs and thighs that we don’t focus enough on what they can do. If you’re able bodied, then your legs are great no matter what they look like – they’re strong and they carry you around and they do their job! Think about the positives rather than the negatives. Try out Couch To 5K – it’ll build you up into being able to run a 5k, and you’ll be delighted at what your body can do when given a little pushing. You could also try out yoga. If there are no classes near you or if you aren’t feeling very confident yet, try out the YouTube channel Yoga With Adriene. You’ll be amazed at how quickly muscle builds up and how much your balance will improve.

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Go, go go!

Try Cosmetic Options: If you are really unhappy with your body, then there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from getting cosmetic surgery and treatments to improve your self-esteem. If you hate having to shave your legs and bikini line, then try out laser hair removal so you don’t have to get expensive, painful waxes or sort out your stubbly shins every day when you’re on vacation. If you’re self-conscious about your figure, try out body contouring, a sort of liposuction that will eliminate unwanted fat. If you want to find out more, read it at www.Clderm.com/non-surgical-lipo.

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Get Smoother Skin: During the winter, when you’re covering up in black opaque tights,  jeans, and sometimes even thermal underwear (!!!), the condition of your skin is the furthest thing from your mind. But make sure that you stay smooth and glowing by exfoliating your body at least twice a week. If you shave your legs, chances are they’re a little rough and not in the best condition, so make sure that you use a good shaving foam. Hair conditioner also helps to keep your legs soft and smooth when you’re shaving them. Put on moisturizing body cream, especially before you go to bed, so you can let it sink in overnight. During the day, use a cream that complements the scent of your perfume so you can feel perfectly put together.

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Body butter is a must!

Jan4

Let’s Get Cooking! Check Out These Easy Kitchen Renovations

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Let’s Get Cooking! Check Out These Easy Kitchen Renovations

Christmas is finally over, and hopefully you and your family had an incredible time. If you hosted Christmas this year, you probably had a more stressful time than most people who were guests at other people’s houses. When you invite guests into your home and you have to cook a big dinner for them, you might realize that your kitchen isn’t quite up to scratch. If the holidays shocked you into wanting to make some changes to one of the most important rooms in your home, read on for some tips…

Storage: If you’re finding it hard to find everything in your kitchen, it’s time to improve your storage. A lot of the time, drawers that pull out will make it easier to find items like pots and pans than it is to rummage through cupboards. Make sure that everything is clearly labelled so you know exactly where it is. If you simply don’t have enough cupboard space, go for shelves instead – decant your flour, sugar and other ingredients into labelled airtight jars so they’re a feature of the room as well as easy to use. Break out the label maker or post its until everyone in the home gets the hang of where things go!

Sinks: If your sink isn’t quite big enough, it’s time to get a new one installed. It’s important to have enough space to comfortably be able to do your washing up in the evenings. If there are other issues with your sink like water pressure or the general look of it, you could have the faucets replaced – check out a site like Faucet Assistant to find the faucets to best suit you and your family.

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Get yo clean onnnn

Cabinets: A lot of the time, your cabinets can make or break the look of your kitchen. Replacing them is a huge and expensive job that can take up a lot of your time and money, but it’s definitely possible to revamp them without doing anything too major. If they’re made of wood, you can sand them and strip them down, before revarnishing or repainting them to make them look how you want them to. You could also replace the handles or knobs with new ones that you’ve bought online. Find some quirky cool ones and it will be an instant conversation starter when you’re hosting guests.

Floors: It’s very important that you stay safe in the kitchen, where you might be walking around carrying knives, boiling water, and heavy serving plates. It’s important to make sure that the floor is even and not too slippery. If you have any rugs and mats on the floor, make sure they’re fully flat and fastened to the floor so you don’t trip over them. What a disaster that would be!

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Seating: Before you invest in new seating, it’s absolutely crucial that you consider your individual family’s needs and how you use the kitchen. If you don’t eat in there, or if you prefer your dining room, then there’s no point in taking up a lot of space with a huge dining table! In that case, a breakfast bar and a couple of stools might be a better option. If you want to turn your kitchen into the hub of the house and tempt your recalcitrant teenage children to have dinner with you, make sure that your chairs are soft and cushioned for those sullen, hunched shoulders!

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Breakfast nook!! <333

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan3

New Year; New You! Update Your Life With These Inspiring Tips

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New Year; New You! Update Your Life With These Inspiring Tips

Are you feeling ready for a new lease on life in 2017? I’m sure that most of us were ready for 2016 to be done and dusted. After all, it wasn’t the best year ever, was it? So there is no surprise that a lot of people are now looking to make 2017 their best year yet And the best way to get your life on track is to make some updates to various parts of it. Ready to make things great for the year ahead? Here are some awesome ideas which can help you update your whole life!

Improve Your Fitness Plan: Do you feel that you need to lose some of the excess weight that you gained during the festive period? There is nothing to be ashamed of after piling on the pounds – after all, Christmas is the only time of the year that many of us feel like we can indulge without too much guilt! But now that January is here, it is important to get things back on track with your fitness. Didn’t work out much in 2016? Well, now is the perfect time to get started. One of the best ways to improve your fitness is by taking part in a Couch to 5k Challenge. You’ll be amazed how much this can help you increase your fitness!

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Go, go, go!

Decorate: One great way to freshen up your life is to freshen up your home. Have you been thinking of redecorating for a while now? Why not put all of your ideas into practice and paint your living room or treat yourself to some bathroom remodeling. You will find that decorating and renovating your home is a great way to blow off some of the cobwebs that seem to be creating a fog over your life. It also helps your home look great for the rest of the year!

Reassess Relationships: Do you feel like some of your friends are always completely negative about everything and are bringing you down? If so, it might be time to break up with these friends. You shouldn’t feel bad about cutting ties with certain friends. Especially if they regularly take you for granted or always ask too much from you. You don’t need to deal with their drama in 2017! If things have been rocky in your romantic relationship, you may also want to reassess that, as well. If you don’t think you can fix things, then why bother sticking around with a partner who you aren’t completely committed to? Weeding out the good, the bad, and the ugly in your social life is like breathing fresh air into your free time which can now be filled with positivity and fun.

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Change Up Your Diet: Sick of feeling tired and lethargic every day? If you do feel this way regularly, you might find that small changes in your diet make a huge difference. Try not to eat so many starchy carbs and instead eat fresh green vegetables, grains, and lentils. They are bursting with nutrients and energy, and will keep you going until the evening!

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about 2017. Make these updates and reap all the benefits! What are your new year’s resolutions? What are you looking forward to in 2017? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan3

How To Brew Delicious French Press Coffee

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How To Brew Delicious French Press Coffee

Us coffee drinkers know that there’s nothing quite like that first steaming hot morning cup of coffee to awaken our senses and get us ready for the challenges of a brand new day. Forget standing in long Starbucks queues or missing an important phone call because you were busy at the coffee machine. Or – the worst – instead of having a rich, full bodied brew: drinking plain average coffee because it’s the only choice that you have. In recent years the humble coffee bean has exploded on to the scene, going from being a simple, hot drink at breakfast to a full on lifestyle statement. Read up to see how you can make the perfect cup to kick start your morning:

What Is A French Press? A French press, or a Cafetière, is a coffee brewing product which allows the water to permeate the coffee beans. The plunger separates the beans from the brewed coffee which, if allowed the seep through, can make the coffee astringent and bitter. First designed in Italy by the designer, Attilio Calimani in 1929, today the French press is used all over the world and is said to make a smoother, richer cup of coffee than any other method. French presses are fairly inexpensive and tend to last for a good few years. Depending on what beans you choose to use, you may also want to purchase a grinder as finely ground beans often taste better than rough ground ones. However, at the end of the day, it’s down to the coffee drinker’s personal preference.

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The Best Beans: Coffee comes in a variety of strengths and flavors. From the milky yet sophisticated cappuccino, dark espresso, and chocolate infused mocha to the simple black coffee, latte, and the sugary sweet cuban cafe con leche there are countless ways of making coffee and just as many beans themselves. Let yourself experiment with different beans or, if you prefer instant coffee, then go online to check out some instant coffee reviews by those who take their morning cup of joe pretty seriously.

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How Much Water? Brewing a cup of coffee is, in theory, relatively simple. However there are a couple of things that, if you get them wrong can ruin the whole batch. First, make sure your beans are ground coarsely enough and if you’re using instant coffee, make sure that it’s a good quality brand with a high richness rating. Boiling water will scorch the grounds instantly which will leave you with a very bitter cup and tepid water won’t fully extract the coffee from the beans.

A good way to achieve the perfect temperature is by letting the water fully boil, then remove it from the heat to sit for a minute before pouring into the French press itself. When it comes to how much water to use consider how much coffee you want to make. One serving will equal one cup of water and two tablespoons of coffee beans; two servings equals two cups of water and a 1/4 cup of coffee beans and so on. A good French press coffee should be brewed for two to four minutes while cold brewed coffee uses a different method and should instead be left for two to four hours.

Featured Image By: Bryan Mills

Dec29

Explore A Brand New You In 2017: How To Get And Stay Healthy

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It’s almost the start of a brand new year, which means – of course! – it’s time to start making those New Year’s resolutions. Here are some tips on how to get healthy in 2017…

Change Your Eating Habits: If you’re planning on losing weight by going on a diet, the first thing to remember is that if you suddenly change everything you eat, you probably won’t be able to maintain that diet for very long. First of all, cut down on snacking between meals – start meal planning and making sure that you eat a good breakfast, lunch, and dinner to make sure that you don’t get hungry during the day. Go for lean proteins and plenty of leafy green vegetables, but don’t cut out sugar and carbs entirely as it’ll be too restrictive. Remember that moderation is the key to success.

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Veg out in 2017

Start Gently Exercising: If you aren’t used to doing all that much exercise, now is the time to start! You don’t have to go the gym for hours to get fit. Start off by taking more walks – instead of going in the elevator, try to take the stairs. Or, if you get public transport to and from work, get off the train a stop early and walk for a little more time every day. Not only will you drop some pounds but you’ll also find that you might feel stronger and develop more stamina. If you’re finding it hard to motivate yourself, why not turn exercise into something fun and sociable? Enlist a friend to go to a Zumba or yoga class with you, and go for healthy smoothies afterwards so you can catch up and have a good chat. If you’ve been thinking about getting a pet and you have the resources and time to support that, go for it – this will also help you walk more and get you out of the house.

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Give Up Your Vices: Another year older probably means that you’ve noticed changes in your health. If you’ve smoked for years, then your cough is probably getting worse and you’re more affected by winter colds than you used to be. And if you drink to excess, you might have noticed that your kidneys have started to ache as your body processes the alcohol. If you think you might be drinking too much, or if you use recreational drugs in a way that you’re finding hard to kick, don’t be ashamed – instead tackle your problem head on by investing in some quality addiction treatment.

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Treat Your Chronic Illnesses: If you suffer from a chronic illness, now is the time to get on top of it and to really start feeling healthy. Start taking care of yourself and valuing your body. If you have asthma, make sure that you take your preventative inhaler as often as you’re supposed to, and if you suffer from mental health problems, take your medication as prescribed. You should make sure that you get plenty of fresh air and exercise, while remembering that mental illness does mean that you have your limits and that you shouldn’t push yourself too hard and ultimately feel worse.

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 Here’s to a healthy 2017!