Keeping your weight under control can go a long way in preventing or staving off varicose veins. We all know we need to exercise and eat right every day, but what else can you do to ensure you are always at a healthy weight? These tips don’t replace a balanced diet and regular exercise regimen, but they can put you on the path to better habits for the rest of your life.
1. Make a meal plan.
Before you hit up the grocery store each week, calculate how many calories you want to eat each day, and plan your meals accordingly. Stick to your list when you shop.
2. Keep healthy snacks around.
One reason we tend to reach for the bag of chips is because it’s easy and convenient to do so. Make sure your healthy snacks are just as convenient. Chop up some veggies, like carrots, celery, and bell peppers, and have them available in a container in the fridge. Buy individual packs of nuts or nut butters to keep around the house or office. Keep your fruit bowl stocked with apples and bananas you can grab on the go.
3. Substitute at least one drink a day with a glass of water.
When counting their daily calorie or carbohydrate intake, most people don’t even stop to think about the calories they drink. Instead of reaching for a soda or bottle of juice, go for calorie-free water.
4. Squeeze in 5-minute workouts.
If you don’t think you have time to exercise, you’re wrong. It’s recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of movement in a day, but if you can’t manage that, try breaking it up in 5-minute increments. Get up and jog in place a few times throughout the day or keep some hand weights at your desk.
5. Walk more.
It may seem cliché, but taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking in the last parking space instead of the first means burning a few extra calories each day.
6. Try an ingredient swap.
Instead of having French fries with your meal, try cauliflower or broccoli tots. Next time you make burgers, give up the fatty ground beef for lean beef or chicken. Instead of flour or corn shells for your taco, use a leaf of romaine lettuce to make a wrap.
7. Plan active family activities.
If you have kids, look for fun things you can do as a family beyond sitting in front of the TV every evening. Go to a park, walk the dog, have a dance party, or spend some time in the pool.
8. Keep a food and exercise journal.
Before you go to bed each night, write down what all you ate that day and what kind of exercise you did and for how long. Take a look back over the course of a week, and you may be surprised at how much junk food or how little movement is listed.
9. Brush your teeth.
Brush your teeth or chew on a few mints after each meal. This will help sidetrack your desires to go back for seconds or snack.
10. Count your steps.
Use your smartphone, a smartwatch, or some other type of gadget to count your daily steps. Once you see how many you get on average, challenge yourself to get 1,000 more.