TIPS FOR STAYING HEALTHY (EVEN IF YOU LIKE TO PARTY) |

By: Margo Greenman ~ Ripple Effect Social Magazine

There is always an excuse to celebrate. Whether it’s a summer barbecue (every night), someone’s birthday, a wedding, or a month long string of holidays, there is literally always a reason. Or, if there’s not a real reason to celebrate, fabricating one is just as easy (girls night out, getting the family together, Tuesday happened, etc.).

So how do you stay in shape when you’re surrounded by food and alcohol? Well, you could skip out on some of the festivities from time-to-time (boring), or deprive yourself from dessert or the calorific cocktails all your friends are sipping on (not fun). But instead, why not just make a few healthy choices throughout the week that will help reverse the damage of some of your less healthy (but well worth it) choices?

Here are some tips to stay healthy without depriving yourself.

1. Eat more salad. Raw veggies are full of the nutrients your body craves, and as long as you don’t drench your greens in ranch dressing, it’s a healthy way to fill up, too.

2. Be active. A lot of us have sedentary jobs. If you spend eight hours each day sitting behind a computer (not including commute) by the time you get home it’s hard to get yourself to the gym. And, that’s not even counting if you have a family to tend to (cook dinner, pick the kids up, etc.) But, as much as 20 minutes of exercise per day can boost your metabolism. Try going for a walk (or jog) on your lunch break, doing something active with your family, or if you just can’t bring yourself to squeeze in the activity during the week, plan a fun activity that will get your heart rate up for your weekend instead.

3. Sleep more. Studies show that people who sleep less, weigh more. If you want to help your body stay trim, try hitting the hay an hour early. Or, if you’re one of those people who lives to “snooze,” set your alarm for when you actually want to wake up. When you use the snooze button, you think you’re getting more rest, but snoozing can actually make for a more tired morning. Skip the snooze and get more sleep by setting your alarm for when you’re actually going to wake up.

4. Drink lemon water. You drink water anyway, so why not make each sip more beneficial by infusing your H2O with lemon? Adding lemon to your water can aid in digestion, assist in cleansing your body, and even help you lose weight (in addition to a handful of other benefits).

5. Do a cleanse. I’m not talking about a week without food, I’m talking about one to three days devoted to hydration through water and nutrients sourced from juices loaded with veggies, fruits, probiotics and other “good stuff” that will help rejuvenate your body from the inside out. Lots of juice bars offer cleansing packages, or you canmake your own.

If you want to get a ripped six pack, these tips probably won’t be much help. But, if you feel like you’ve been neglecting your body and want to makes some realistic, simple changes to your health and diet, then give these tips a whirl.