Almost everyone wants to change themselves for the better, and improving one’s physical self is usually among the most common things that people want to work on. Excessive food intake, alcohol, unhealthy habits, hormonal imbalance, and stress are just some of the factors that can affect and contribute to weight loss.

Today, many products in the market offer the promise of weight loss, but most of them are not necessarily healthy or safe for you. Some of these items have synthetic components that could be potentially harmful to your health; thus, opting for natural means and methods might be best for you to achieve a better way of losing weight.

Efficient Natural Weight Loss Tips

The key to losing weight is to have balance. If you can’t follow a well-maintained diet, you will most likely gain weight, not to mention imbalances in hormones. Imbalanced hormones can also cause your body to gain unnecessary weight; this is because your body may secrete more insulin, causing fat build-up. Aside from that, not having exercise can exacerbate these factors as well. Keeping the habit of exercising regularly can positively counter the risks of gaining extra weight.

While a lot of advertisements and articles equate calories in to calories out, it can be untrue for it does not always work for everyone. Cutting out calories does not necessarily mean that you are already losing weight for nutritional quotient is not tantamount to the amount of fat build-up that you can have.

To balance things for your health’s sake, you should be able to consider the things that you consume. When it comes to food, you should choose to have more fruits and vegetables, and less on processed meals and foods that are high in carbohydrates. Meat can also be good for your body, but not excessively. Keeping your body well-fed while meeting the recommended nutrients, vitamins and minerals would be the most fundamental rule when it comes to eating responsibly and healthily.

Maintaining a proper and well-balanced diet also bears a huge factor in keeping yourself healthy; however, it is not enough to help you achieve your weight loss goal. Always seek time to exercise even for a short period. Go out for a walk, jog around your local park, or at least perform undemanding home workouts. Aside from that, stay away from dietary supplements that are potentially harmful to your health for it can also sabotage your whole plan on achieving that desired weight.

It’s not easy to do a vegan lifestyle especially for college students. Once we think about vegetables, our mind and stomach will have a hard time to agree with each other as there are plenty of meat alternatives out there. But with just a few tips and tricks, you might be able to achieve that vegan diet you’ve been wanting for so long. Here are 8 tips to keep you motivated on a vegan diet.

1. Do some Research

Being vegan isn’t as easy as you think. You need to make sure that all the necessary facts on how to be vegan is with you all the time.

First, many may wonder why you started on a vegan diet in the first place. So it’s best to have these facts with you to back up your choice. You never know, you might convince and inspire these people to join your vegan decision too.

Second, it’s better to talk to your GP when you go on a vegan diet. Doing so will give you the specific nutrients that you need for your diet. We all know that not all foods contain all the essential nutrients. You may want to avoid getting fatigued and lower your performance because of low energy levels. These are some of the essential nutrients you need for that healthy vegan diet:

• Omega 3. Good for your heart and can be found in soya or hemp seeds.
• Vitamin C. Can help for iron absorption in your body. Found in fruits such as oranges and berries.
• Vital for energy production, oxygen transfer and body immunity. Found in some vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, peas, prunes and others.
• Vitamin B12. Important for brain functionality. Often found in animal products, but can also be found in some soy products if you want a meat alternative.
• Good for the bones, nerves, and muscles. Usually found in beans, sesame seeds, and broccoli.

2. Get Inspired

Having a vegan lifestyle is hard, especially when you’re in college, where there’ll be a lot of temptations just lying around. Being motivated is the key to help you stay in this lifestyle. Don’t just stick in one place, try to explore different ways to enjoy your vegan meals. You can find many different sites online to help you inspire and motivated on your vegan diet.

3. Vegan Recipe Collection

Having a collection of DIY vegan recipes can help you in your vegan diet. Gone are the days where we think that vegan meals are boring and dull. With the right combination and ingredients for your DIY vegan meal, you’ll surely love how healthy and delicious the results will turn out. Start writing your own recipes and explore different kinds of methods and combinations depending on your liking.

4. Connect with Each Other

Never take a direction alone. Always find someone that can join you in your journey. This also applies when you start to indulge in your vegan world. Connecting with one another especially with other vegans can help you be inspired and motivated in the long run. Don’t worry if you can’t a vegan buddy around campus, you can find a lot especially in social media sites. You can connect, inspire each other, and even share your own DIY recipes online.

5. Always Have a Plan

Finding the right vegan meal is hard especially when you’re around campus. The cafeteria might not offer some foods that’s suitable for your vegan diet. Even at home or when you visit your friend’s house where they might be preparing something else rather than veggies. Therefore, having a plan with you is very important in times like this. Having a plan is essential as it can make you stay true to the path you’ve taken and can also help you stay organized with your time and finances.

6. Snack Pack

Out with the old, in to the new. Say no more to those unhealthy snacks you’ve been having for years. Time to eat something healthy and new especially if you go vegan. Might get hungry at school? Always carry around your carrot sticks, fruits, seeds, energy bars, and among others. These kinds of snacks can help you keep your energy and sugar level balanced throughout the day.

7. Smoothies

Making smoothies is one way to enjoy your favorite fruits and veggies. Off course, dairy is not an option when you go vegan. But there are plenty of alternatives that you can use in your smoothies such as spinach, okra, seitan, tempeh, kale, chard, quinoa, and more. These veggies are full of nutrients that’s vital for our body and can also improve our brain health and function.

8. Time to Get a Mini Fridge

Now that you’re a full blown vegan, it’s time to get a mini fridge to store all those fresh fruits and veggies you have. Having your own mini fridge is essential especially if you’re a student. Sharing with your roommate is not advisable since maybe the both of you will fight for the space of the fridge.

Verdict

Now you’re ready to go on your vegan journey by following these 8 tips we have prepared for you. Being vegan is actually pretty easy, staying true and motivated to your choice is the hard part. Start living a healthier lifestyle now!

The feeling of freedom of moving to an apartment or a dorm is pretty exciting especially for a upperclassmen. But there are a lot of changes that they’ll have to deal with. Bathroom cleaning will become a regular chore, a table once filled with different kinds of meals will be replaced with a kitchen filled with ramen noodles, and a can of tuna. Being tight on budget, how will you survive on your own without spending too much?

Using healthy ingredients is the key to good cooking. Stacey Zawacki, a Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, and the clinical assistant professor of nutrition and director of BU Sargent Choice Nutrition Center will take us on a guided tour on how to shop wisely for fresh produce and protein-rich foods. With some proper care and planning, a single visit to the grocery can last enough for a week without worrying about spoilage, she says. More of her tips are listed below:

Fruits and Vegetables

• A good serving of fruit and veggies a day is essential for your body. Two servings of fruits and a three for vegetables every day will help you get those nutrients you need.
• A combination of ripe and unripe produce is good enough for a week. Broccoli can last more than lettuce. Green bananas will turn yellow over time and will be good enough to eat.
• Making sure picking the right produce is a must. Once you go grocery shopping, always ask the produce manager to make sure the ones you put on your basket are ripe.
• Always buy fresh produce during a season as it ensures you the best quality. But don’t worry if there’s no fresh produce to buy at the moment, frozen fruits and veggies is a great alternative in times like these. Cauliflower and blueberries are picked and flash-frozen and can be served anytime.

Protein-rich Foods

• If you’re looking for the leanest cuts of meat, skinless chicken and turkey breast is the way to go. If you don’t want to spend much on buying meat, “select” meats with the likes of sirloin and round is a good choice for your wallet, and they’re much healthier too.
• A salmon twice a week can give you that special benefits of omega-3 fatty acids that’s good for the heart.
• Eating fresh fish from the day you bought it is the best way to consume them. Frozen and canned varieties are far more affordable and convenient.
• No need to be a vegetarian if you want to enjoy the health benefits of such plant proteins like nuts, beans, hummus and tofu. Try to be a flexitarian. It’s okay to eat meat occasionally as it’s good for both the environment and your wallet.

Plan a Healthy Shopping list

• Always make sure you choose the right items when you go grocery shopping. Make a shopping list, jot down the ones you need and not the ones you don’t. And make sure that it’s easy for your wallet.

Undergo Training

You should give importance about conditioning yourself and improving yourself physically, and mentally. Engage in physical activities that will be supplementary for your desired condition such as sports or even your daily cardio session. This way, you will be able to prepare yourself and improve your overall performance, making you ready than ever.

Run the Hill

Usually, running up and downhill will be among the challenges that you will meet when it comes to cross-country running. With this, practicing and learning strategies to dominate hills might come handy and hugely advantageous to your part. To do this, it might be best if you include uphill and downhill obstacles whenever you are training.

Learn and Develop Race Strategies

When looking at a course map, think ahead about your plan or perhaps outline it in your mind, and execute it. Think strategically about your pacing and your approach. Think about when you should go hard, and when to finish strong.

Run Relaxed

Don’t get too overwhelmed. One factor that bears massive gravity in racing is the ability to handle stress, discomfort, and fatigue. Keeping yourself composed and relaxed can help you perform better. However, being relaxed does not mean running slow; you should still be performing great in racing, and you will only be able to do this if you keep focused and well-coordinated.

Run With Others

One of the best ways to pass through many runners is to run with your pack. Stay fast and move forward swiftly as a team. This should be effective since going together in groups can significantly up the energy and performance of the whole team.

Have Proper Pacing

Determining and maintain proper pacing. Develop means of keeping track with your speed and maintaining it without compromising your whole performance. Be smart and wise about your efforts and strategies.