It’s been a bit more than a week since we started the new year and some of you might have made new resolutions about your daily and eating habits. At Maison Orphée, we want to assist you in keeping your new lifestyle choices and achieve balance. On the other hand, we know that it is not possible to completely change your habits from one day to the next. So, here are a few tips to help and support you in reaching your new goals!
You haven't made any new resolutions this year? Nothing prevents you from adopting these few habits that will only do you good.
Start your day by hydrating
This is a trick that many people are already aware of. It is vital to include it into one’s morning routine! It bears repeating, after spending 6 to 8 hours sleeping without drinking dehydrates the body drastically. Start each day by drinking one large glass of water rather than a cup of black coffee (it can come later, no worries).
There are many ways to prepare a hydrating first glass of water. The simplest way is to drink a large glass of water at room temperature.
Or you can try our favorite recipe, which according to some happens to be detoxifying, which is to drink a large glass of hot water mixed with apple cider vinegar and lemon. The recipe is simple:
- 1 1/2 Cup (375 ml) hot water
- 1/2 Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
- Honey or maple syrup (optional)
To ensure full absorption and hydration, we suggest to allow 30 minutes between the consumption of this mix and your first coffee or meal.
Add coconut oil to hot beverages
If you're one of those people who can't start the day without your coffee or hot matcha tea, we suggest adding coconut oil to it. Before you cringe, give yourself a chance to learn more about the benefits of what we call " bulletproof coffee ". By adding coconut oil to your hot beverage, you can provide your body with medium-chain triglycerides. Your body will be able to transform the octanoic acid in these fats for a long lasting energy boost.
You can mix a teaspoon of our virgin or deodorized coconut oil with your coffee or matcha to bring a very pleasant texture in addition to the benefits.
Include more fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables, as everyone knows, are super important to achieve food balance. They are naturally rich in fibres, vitamins, minerals, water and other nutrients that are vital to our bodies. To gauge how many to eat we refer to the rule that says that half of the meal must be fruits and vegetables with an emphasis on vegetables since they contain fewer carbohydrates.
How to add vegetables easily: make a meal salad that includes several different vegetables in colors as varied as the rainbow. You can make a large container of salad over the weekend to use as a base for your meals each day. All you need to do is add a protein and a dressing. There are 11 flavours of salad dressings available, so even if you eat the same salad all week, you won't get tired of it because the taste changes every day!
If you want other quick and simple meal ideas, here are a few suggestions that we love here at Maison Orphée.
Prepare homemade snacks to avoid added sugars
That's it, you pay more attention to what you put on your plate, you have more energy, you enjoy eating fruits and vegetables, and you are starting to see the impacts on your overall well being. Yet there comes a time in the day during which your attention span falters. When snacking, many people tend to overlook the list of ingredients. Why? Maybe because it seems too trivial compared to our usual three larger meals a day. Moreover, after cooking almost all the meals for the family, it is easy to conclude that a chewy bar from the supermarket would not hurt our efforts. Yet, it is precisely those snacks filled with added sugars that undermine the impact of our new habits.
So we suggest you simplify your snacks and make them yourself. For example, you could take a bag of almonds or nuts with you and eat a handful when you're hungry. Another tip is to make a dozen (or more) of our Date Energy Balls over the weekend. You can even freeze them, which can help you out when you're too busy.
Consume foods which have an understandable list of ingredients
One last little piece of advice, when you buy premade products (we all do it, no biggie), always read the list of ingredients. Our rule is simple: if an ingredient name seems somehow obscure, try to avoid it.
At Maison Orphée, the selection of raw materials and ingredients used in the preparation of our products is of the utmost importance. For example, our salad dressings stand out from the competition thanks to their composition, which is similar in every way to home-made dressings. You can read our article on this subject here.
Finally, keep in mind that you are in charge of what you eat. This means that if you stray from your goals one day, it’s not the end of the world. Making healthy choices is a long term goal. If it ever feels overwhelming, know that you can always start by changing one habit at a time to feel the impact and go from there. Above all, remember that we do not only value food for its nutrients, but also a for the pleasure it brings!