Creating a healthy life. One tip at a time.

by

Today’s post is a TipConglomeration (that’s the technical term).

A gathering of healthy tips which are each seeming small yet, when done, add up to big lifestyle changes.

Suggestions which are, should you be me, so freakin obvious once you discover them yet ones which (again should you be me) you’d spent almost 40 years *not* doing.

I’ll start us off.

  • Baking treats for Halloween? Spray your rubber spatula with cooking spray and the batter wont stick (how do I KNOW Marianne is already aware of this one).
  • The faster you drink your coffee the less likely it is to stain your teeth (I love this one. I love my morning coffee. Im happy to oblige & inhale quickfastandinahurry).
  • Adding cucumber slices to the water you drink is both pretty and acts as a natural diuretic (anyone already know this? I had no idea…)
  • We (not the royal. Never the Bumbling Band.) tend to GAIN WEIGHT when we change clothes immediately after work (from fitting outfits to loose & baggie sweats). Those who remain in more constricting attire tend to consume fewer calories at night.

(again, please to remember these are merely tips & not necessarily how MizFit rolls no matter how good for you the suggestion.)

  • Looking to stretch your food purchasing dollar? If your recipe calls for ground white turkey try using 10% Grapenuts cereal (it works, People, and NO ONE is the wiser. until now, anyway).
  • Left with extra coffee in your morning pot? freeze the excess into cubes so that, when you make iced coffee later, it can be kept COLD without being watered down (please to refer back to B. and feel sad for Miz that she was *quite excited* about this realization).
  • This may only be for the parents (although with Halloween right around the corner perhaps NOT): need to remove face paint without your Tornado having a hissy fit because it is taking so long? Two words: olive oil. One more word: EASY!

OK. That’s what Ive got, People, and I know you have more.

Please to lay em on me.

All the tips you employ throughout your day that make your life simpler, easier, and perhaps even HEALTHIER.

(you know, ones that mightcould even be second nature for you.   Like this blogger. I know for a fact she sleeps in her running clothes to be CERTAIN that she gets up and works out…)

This post is sponsored by Propel® for the You.Propelled Program.

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Comments

  1. When I’m craving chocolate or a creamy dessert, I grab a pot of fat-free vanilla yogurt and mix in a tiny bit of sweetener and a sachet of Skinny Cow Hot Chocolate drink powder. Makes a yummy, creamy, chocolatey dessert that is mostly healthy.

  3. At a holiday event filled with goodies because your family, no matter how hard you try, will have no parts of healthy offerings, cover your mouth with a piece of duct tape. It works! Plus, you don’t have to talk to any family members that you don’t want to ;P

  5. When fruit gets too ripe, I cut it up and freeze it. It’s great in smoothies!

    My pre-workout snack? Two dates and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Instant energy.

  6. OK I cant remember the precise measurements 🙂 but it is on the container:

    DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN USE FLAX SEEDS AS AN EGG SUBSTITUTE IN COOKING?

    I had no idea until recently!!

  8. LOVE THIS POST!!

    I take time on the weekend and separate a dozen eggs and freeze the whites in icecube containers.

    During the week I can just grab few “cubes” and microwave them from breakfast!

  9. FLOSS.

    Have it in your purse always.

    For your teeth to tie things together to cut a TOO BIG piece of restaurant cheesecake in half 🙂

    Always have floss with you.

    Nan

  10. I haven’t read the official book yet but I always try and think EAT THIS NOT THAT.

    Whenever I am lead by my stomach to want to snack on something I STOP and ask myself what might be a better choice for me.

  12. FUN!!

    What I have learned works for me is to not be able to see my clock in the bedroom.

    (I set an alarm)

    When I used to have a big clock in my bedroom I’d panic when I woke up in the night and obsess about how little time there was left for me to sleep.

    Now, since I have no idea, I fall back asleep more easily.

    • off and running this morning. BOUND and DETERMINED to tire out the Tornado so she isnt on the radio this morning along with me (although I cant see her NOT wandering in and shouting her new: MOMMY? CARLA BURRRMBURRRM MOMMY??. but we’ll see).

      LINK: http://tinyurl.com/6cmnok

      click on live talk.

      and be kind as this is all off the cuff.

  14. First to Hanlie? Do these dates need to be two different guys? Can I use olive oil?

    Ok…my kids always loved to decorate cookies, but I hate stepping on sprinkles, so I had them decorate in rimmed baking sheets. After they were done I tipped the excess sprinkles into a zip top bag and this was the crazy mix that they used to put on ice cream (and sometimes play dough).

    If you are storing your coolers for the winter, wash and sanitize, dry, then stuff loosely with balled up newspaper to keep it from getting storage smell. Newspaper absorbs odor – if you have a stinky plastic container stuff it with newspaper, seal, and leave for a few days.

  15. I use dryer sheets for everything.

    Inside my running shoes (after I run LOL), inside my car to make it smell good.

    Marianne: why does newspaper work like that? Any idea?

  16. I As far as ground chicken or meat recipes, especialy meatloaf, I add oatmeal instead of bread or to help extend the meal. I also will add TVP to it, a half and half mixture.

    I add sliced lemon to my water, it too has a diuretic effect.

    If I am craving choclate I grab a deep chocolate vite top muffin top.

    When making baked goods I sub in my oil amounts with purreed fruit or pumpkin in same amounts.

    Love your tips and will be prining them down to add to my other tips I have.

  17. Freeze sliced bananas. Put frozen bananas in the food processor and wa-la…ice cream….like substance. Hey, it ain’t ice cream, but it’s a good alternative. The longer you blend it, the better.

  18. If you drop your iphone in water place it in UNCOOKED rice overnight and it will work again in the morning!

    (At least mine did and the money I would have shelled out for a new one can be spent on healthy stuff 😉

    Love this.

  19. I don’t like to brag (hah!), but I’m something of an ice cube expert. (This is not the same as an ice cube geek.) Thus, I did know the coffee tip, and I’ll add that you can do the same thing with tea, plus you can even add a little lemon to the cube.

    You can freeze all sorts of things in ice cube trays and store them in the freezer in zipper bags or containers. A friend of mine makes lemonade ice cubes and uses those in her iced tea. You can also make ice cubes of soup stock, tomato sauce or paste, fresh herbs and soup veggies (add a little water to each compartment) and applesauce. Supposedly you can freeze uncooked eggs (a medium egg fills one compartment), but I’ve never tried it.

    Outside of the freezer, my favorite use for an ice cube tray is for organizing my jewelry drawer. (Hey, when you have cheap jewelry, a cheap organizer is the only proper storage solution.) Also, I’ve used trays for craft painting projects when I need several colors.

    Sadly, these aren’t all my ice cube tray tips, but I’m out of time and I wanted to add a tip on the non-stick cooking spray: if you’re painting, spray your hands and arms lightly with PAM (or other spray) to make clean up easier.

  20. Weren’t you the one who turnd me on to Toddy coffee?

    It’s healthy living for me 😉 because it is far less acidic and my belly feels better.

    Happy Tuesday!

  21. Great tips! I’ve had a great time reading everyone elses too. Maybe a little later I’ll remember my own and come back to add 🙂

  24. Make your bed.

    It is an easy way to let your brain know the day has started and, when you mess it back up again :), that it is time to turn off the brain again.

  25. Coffee enhances the analgesic (spelling?) properties of motrin.

    When making chicken soup, you can cook chicken breasts in the stock (with the already sauteed veggies), and they’ll be super-easy to shred later.

  26. LOVED THESE TIPS! Printing them out.. well when we get the printer fixed. Love the ground white meat turkey one & I drink my coffee fast anyway. Luke warm just ain’t good to me! I guess I lucked out there. Love the cucumber thing.. heck. all of them! That baggy clothes one makes so much sense! I wear stretchy stuff during “that time of the month” due to weight gain from that!

    I just read about putting egg whites in ice cube trays, microwave for about 4 minutes & refrig… allows you to have some quick protein to eat or put in salads or more ready & available!

  28. Sara, I’m pretty sure that it has to do with the paper absorbing the moisture and the carbon in the ink having a neutralizing effect. : )

  30. I was thinking I didn’t have any tips, but…

    When I am going to have my hands in dough – bread dough, pizza dough, etc, I always coat my hands in olive oil. This keeps the dough from sticking to your hands, and – if you have dry skin like I do – it is a good moisturizer as well.

  31. My kids are blessing your name right now for the olive oil trick! Can’t go with you on the comfy clothes trick though – I don’t wear anything restrictive these days, lol! I swear all my maternity clothes are just variations on my pj’s!

  32. Great tips! I especially like the one about drinking my coffee quickly… 😉

    My tip: Always have your gym bag packed and ready to go. (Or your workout clothes all ready to put on in one place.) When I work out first thing in the morning I actually do what Roni does and sleep in it… 😉

  34. sadly I can think of nothing to add but I love all the advice. wish I could stay out of my “comfy” clothes when I get home but I just can’t…

  35. I had no idea I could lessen the sugar in a recipe w/out impacting the taste (and substituting something else in its place)!

    or about the newspaper.

    or about the olive oil coatage.

    or…

  36. I tend to multitask to stay healthy so my tip is stretch or possibly do yoga poses when you’re on the telephone!

    Is there a link to the radio show?

  37. When you’re freezing those overripe bananas, always peel the banana BEFORE you put it in the freezer. Break it into 4-6 pieces and stick it in a plastic bag. I’ve attempted throwing the bananas with the peel on in the freezer and it’s a &*&$% to peel those things after they’re frozen 🙂

    If you’re studying like a demon because you forgot that a billion pages of readings are due TOMORROW (who, me? No, I’d never do that… hehe), grab a mug of tea and keep that by your side if you have a bit of an oral fixation. It keeps you away from munching on snacks!

    Love everyone’s tips and ideas.

  39. Ok not too too creative but papertowels can serve as coffee filters in a pinch 😉

    Wait, is that even healthy??

    It’s a tip.

  41. I add slices of lime or lemon to my water. I don’t much like plain water…good for you and I drink more of it. I dont’ know about the cucumber slice tho…it just…I don’ t know. Wouldn’t it be slimey or something? I would spend all my time staring at it…:)

    I use orange juice and apple juice in muffins as sugar and oil replacements…you cut down on sugar and oil AND the fibre in the OJ is good for ya. Moist and yummy.

  43. I probably have lots of tips. But some off the top of my head that others seem not to know:

    1. replace a small amount of your laundry detergent with ammonia (ideally the non-sudsy kind) when washing items that your dog uses. It gets out the doggy odor and oils and NO THINGS DON’T SMELL LIKE AMMONIA.

    2. White vinegar is the most effective thing to add to any rinse to remove residual soap. Laundry, hair (it makes hair so soft and shiny), anything.

    3. Liquid bleach or sunshine are the only things that can really remove mildew smell.

  44. My husband has no idea he’s been eating soy sausage in his eggs for years now.

    My tip? They must taste the same 😉

  45. You rock and I freakin’ love you! Coffee… I am so with you on that! Clothes, I am going to stay in my work clothes, well at least a couple days a week and I have also slept in my workout clothes to make the next morning easier!

    Sorry… I don’t have any great tips. I am still working on the mere basics of life… you know the whole one foot in front of the other mentality!

  47. Some of our popular tips here at Lifescript (taken from “wacky beauty tip” story, but these particular ones seem to get lots of comments):

    – Apply full-fat milk to irritated skin after waxing or shaving

    – Prevent blisters and stinky feet with anitperspirant or deodorant

    – Rinse your hair with apple-cider vinegar and cool water to send dandruff down the drain

    And two good diet tips that I just love from one our articles:

    – Brush your teeth RIGHT after dinner to avoid the urge for late-night munchies. (Nothing tastes good after that mint flavor is in your mouth!)

    – If you tend to pick at your dinner when you’re no longer hungry, put your silverware handles into your plate when you’re done eating. You won’t want to pick them up once they’ve been in your leftover corn or mashed potatoes! 🙂


    • OKAY.
      Im here to totally out myself as someone for whom the toothpaste tactic does NOT work.

      Ive completely recommenced snackage post-brushing.

      anyone else?

      (although that silverware handle thing would *entirely* work for this mess-aversion woman…)

  49. I brush my teeth right after my eve treat, not dinner (last mini meal other than the treat). It does work for me but it is about 8pm when I brush & it does keep me from eating more cause I don’t want to do all that brushing, flossing & mouthwash all over again.. not because nothing else would taste good.

    I sip on water or flavored water if necessary after teeth brushing.

  50. Parchment paper works better than foil for non-stick baking and roasting. You don’t even have to spray it or coat it with oil first.

    Toothpaste doesn’t deter me either. Gum does.

  51. but changing my clothes is how I know it’s time to eat…wait…err.

    these tips have been amazing!!

    did you know that dryer sheets can be reused many many times and still have the same effect!

  52. wash your lettuce (or any veggie) with water and a couple tbls. of lemon juice… it eliminates the pesticides flavor (even organic tastes weird now-a-days) AND it has natural anti-bacterial properties…

    …oh and the acid helps with the waxy coating some veggies have too.

  55. I try to make smart food choices, but at the same time, I don’t want to deprive myself of all the good stuff. So if I really want Flamin’ Hot Cheetos I’ll go ahead and snack on ’em. My little trick is to put a few of them in a bowl, then put the bag away. I’m less likely to go on an all-out binge.

    For dining out, our diet/fitness expert Jorge Cruise on Lifescript recommends filling up on the side veggies first so you don’t scarf down the fries or the mashed potatoes. It makes me sad when I don’t get to eat all my fries, but this tip really helps me.

  56. I’m with Mary Meps on the parchment paper for baking/roasting.

    Some of my favorite tips are:

    – Make a small, pliable cold pack by freezing fast-food ketchup packets. These are especially handy for active kids.

    – When craving a salty snack, try a couple cups of good quality broth or bouillon. (Bouillon is handy at work.) It’s filling and satisfies the taste buds without a lot of calories. (I need to do this one more often!!!)

    – When washing spinach, soak it in salt water first, then wash in plain water. I’m not sure why it works, but the salt water soak does a great job of getting rid of the grit. (Sadly, it does not seem to work on leeks.)

    – I love the “View Instantly” workout videos on Netflix.

    – To save money on videos, books, and music, use your local library. Many are part of a larger library system and have online catalogs, so you can often look up a title and for a small fee put a “hold” on it so that it will be delivered to the branch of your choice. (Our library charges only 75 cents per title for this service.) A number of library systems have access to great online resources, too.

  58. I use my iHome in the bathroom for my shower so I know I have 2 songs to get in a quick shower.

    I also love to make extra cous cous salad of whatever kind to add to the top of my salads.

    Take your cell phone on your walk and call someone you don’t normally have time to talk to. You might end up walking longer and you can catch up on things you might miss otherwise.

    Schedule in your workouts like appointments so that you can legitimately tell people you have something scheduled.

    Plan dinner first for the day so you don’t feel bad if you want a bigger meal and then build the rest of your day around it.

  59. Oooh, love these. My tips:

    -Toothpaste works GREAT to get scratches out of CDs or DVDs. Use the basic kind – nothing with gel or breath strips or crazy stuff in it. You’re going to freak out that you’re ruining it, but you’re not. Put it on dry and spread it around with your fingers, and then run water over it (and your fingers gently if you’re impatient) until its gone and then use a soft cloth (like the kind you clean your glasses with) to dry. It works like 90% of the time!

    -Hershey kisses are great for chocolate cravings. You can eat 1-2 and feel very satisfied. Even if you had 2 at each meal – that’s only 100 calories.

    -I’m much more likely to work out in the morning if I set my clothes out on the ground by my bed the night before AND already have a plan in my head of exactly what I want to do.

    -My weekly workouts are like a non-negotiable to do list. When I find time I work them into my week (and if necessary schedule them) and I check them off and once they’re done, I rest and don’t feel compelled to do moremoremore because I feel accomplished.

    I also noticed that when I was heavier I would change into PJ’s right when I got home from work. Every day. Now, I only do it if I’m already needing to change clothes because I’ve worked out.

  60. LOVE the tips! LOVE all of these. I have no tips other than that I think it is a good idea to always remember to read the comments on mizfit posts! They are always filled w/so much good stuff — like today.

  61. LOVE the tips but I must have missed all the comments where you guys volunteer to test out my great GRAPE NUTS idea!

    **squints**

  62. I write all my shopping lists on plain white envelopes. I use one for target, one for groceries and one for CostCo. I put the coupons for each shopping trip in each envelope before I leave the house. This way I always have my coupons and actually use them!!! Why did it take me so long to figure this trick out?!

    Courtney
    Adventures in Tri-ing

  63. nice tips!
    some of these i wanted to share, but people already knew them!!!

    1)meat tenderizer on bug bites!
    B)KY Jelly on burns!
    3)a little sugar free or fat free coffee mate in your milk for cereal adds a little sweet treat at breakfast time!
    D)put a laughing cow wedge in your cup of pasta for instant and innocent alfredo-ey goodness; or stick the laughing cow inside your meat and cook…insideout cheese burger!!!
    5) i am tired now!

  64. My two cents worth:

    1. I use plain white vinegar instead of fabric softener. No static, clothes come out soft, towels are more absorbent and it keeps your washer fresh & clean.

    2. Coffee filters are great for cleaning glass and mirrors – no lint.

    3. Freeze fresh ginger root. Makes it soo much easier to grate for recipes plus it won’t go bad in your fridge and it’s always handy. Do not allow the root to thaw or it will turn soft and not be useful for anything. Just keep it in the freezer and it will last quite a while.

    4. To save freezer space I fill Ziploc bags with whatever I am freezing – soups, sauces, rice – anything really; then I press out excess air and lay flat on a cookie sheet before putting in the freezer. Once they are frozen take out the cookie sheet and stack the flat ziplocs.

    5. Always make extra. When I have to make rice or beans I always make extra and freeze in one cup portions. Then you can just grab & go.

    6. Another tip for freezing – cook your pasta for 3/4 of the time you normally would and drain & freeze. When you need it you can do one of two things. Pop into boiling water until done or mix with a sauce and bake. The slightly underdone pasta will absorb the liquid in the sauce and voila you have a great baked pasta.

    7. Cooked potatoes can also be frozen but they must be in liquid of some sort. Think of soup, or stew or just freeze in some broth. If you try and freeze them as is they will turn mushy and awful.

    OK I’ll stop rambling now.

  65. these are awesome tips.

    i sometime sip juice or soda after meals or when i am craving something sweet.

    also i do the not-changing-into-pjs thing, somewhat.

  66. My tip: Make big batches of light sauces like pesto (with less cheese and nuts to lighten up the cals) and homemade tomato sauce. Then freeze them in ice cubes. One day (a day you KNOW will come) when you have no food in the fridge and the junk is calling your name due to convenience, just pop one of the sauces out of the ice cube and use! I top plain chicken with it or even make 2 oz of whole wheat pasta to enjoy with it… and a simple dinner is born!

    And a second tip: Buy a bunch of fresh vegetables you enjoy raw at the beginning of the week. As SOON as you get home, clean, chop and prep all the veggies. That way when you come home from work ravenous and still have an hour before dinner, you can have a light snack of fresh veggies! If I am really hungry I have them with a couple of nuts or a tablespoon of hummus, but usually a sliced cucumber or pepper will do the trick to hold me over.

    Ok ok ok, last tip I swear!: When you think you are hungry but aren’t sure… drink a glass of water first!

  67. I’m obsessed with these tips… esp. the coffee related ones

    Let’s see- Did you know that you can send expired coupons to soldiers and their families overseas? Meaning, they can use them a year later and for all they do for us, we can take the time to send an envelope and save them some of their very HARD-earned cash. If you get the paper and don’t use them, you could send out the inserts every few weeks without doing anything too them 🙂

    On a coupon front, if you check with the store you can use coupons on sample sizes. Target does this so the $1 off toothpaste will work on the 99¢ sample = free 🙂

  68. Really interesting tips here! I didn’t know about the cucumber and I’m glad it’s included in this list. I also like the one with fitting clothes, it made me think. haha I like it. Thanks for sharing this. My tip would be about laundry; Have fewer clothes. Those which you really need so that you will not have a laundry chaos. hehe

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