10 Surprising Healthy Habits Wellness Experts Trust

There are eight pillars of living a Nutritious Life because we believe that a balanced lifestyle encompasses much more than just “more sweat, less sugar”—and when you ask wellness experts to share the healthy habits that add vibrancy to their lives on the reg, it’s obvious most agree. Over time, we’ve tapped a variety of these role models—from celebrity yoga teachers and trainers to superstar nutritionists and healthy chefs—to share how they live their own Nutritious Lives. Within the interviews, they revealed super interesting insights into healthy habits they swear by, some of which may surprise you. We’re sharing 10, here, to inspire your own well-rounded wellness regimen. Surprising Healthy Habits Wellness Experts Trust 1. Eat food that makes you feel good. It’s not always about balancing protein and carbs or scouring labels for organic ingredients, say Sakara founders Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise. Eating Empowered, to them, is “knowing what it feels like to eat good food. Food is meant to be nourishment and food should make you feel sexy!” Read more. 2. Align your body, and your life will follow. “Finding alignment in your physical body is the first step to aligning your life, connecting to your gifts, attracting your deepest desires and feeling like you are on your true path,” says foam-rolling guru and best-selling author Lauren Roxburgh. “Over the years as I was so deeply studying the body, I realized many other things in my life and self were also coming into ‘alignment.’ I’ve seen it with hundreds of my clients too.” Read more. 3. Sip on water and tea as often as possible. Nearly all of the experts mention hydration as incredibly important, and Nutrition Stripped founder and RD McKel Hill swears by supplementing plenty of lemon-spiked H2O with matcha lattes and all kinds of other teas. “I’m a huge tea drinker all day long, whether it’s green tea, liver supportive tea, peppermint, or ginger. #gimmiealltheteas” Read more. 4. Give back. Sure, wellness is about your life, but focusing on others may also be essential to finding balance. “I try to pour my energy into causes that I am passionate about, like eating disorder recovery, animal rescue and raising awareness of cyberbullying,” says The Balanced Blonde blogger Jordan Younger. “I host a lot of events that give back to some of my favorite local LA organizations that raise funds/awareness for those causes.” Read more. 5. Design your space for great sleep. Chef, author, and all-around wellness star Candice Kumai details how getting a solid night’s sleep starts with how you design your space. “No electronic devices in the bedroom, no TV in the house—only reading, art, vision boards, and photography on our walls. Plus, lots of plants in the house for oxygen.” Read more. 6. Surround yourself with happy people. “I collect loving people in my life every day,” explains fitness celeb extraordinaire Natalie Jill. “When I meet positive, goal oriented, successful, happy, loving, and energetic people…I want them in my life. I find ways to be around them. They energize me, inspire me, and help me want to better myself! And when I am my better self, I am able to love more.” Read more. 7. Ask yourself, “How important is it?” When your clients include Jennifers with the last names Aniston and Lawrence, life can be pretty busy. To make it through tough situations, yoga teacher-to-the-stars Mandy Ingber asks herself this simple question. “The phrase ‘How important is it?’ reminds me that there are no big deals. When my behavior and actions are aligned with my own moral compass, I can handle life’s twists and turns,” she says. “Although a learned skill, relaxing into what comes is the discipline I practice. Everything is as it should be, and I can trust that my life is unfolding before me in perfect order.” Read more. 8. Make time for real meals. Maintaining a healthy diet is easier when you’re organized about your eating and in control of your meals says Deliciously Ella blogger Ella Woodward. “It’s easy to snack, snack, snack, but I like to sit down to proper meals, and I like to cook my meals,” she says. Read more. 9. Move, at least a little bit, every. single. day. “Trying to move a little every day is a big part of my life. It doesn’t always happen, but I feel the best when I’m more active. Every little bit adds up,” says Michele Promaulayko, author of 20 Pounds Younger and the Editor-in-Chief at Cosmopolitan magazine. “You don’t have to run for hours on a treadmill to burn fat.” Read more. 10. Don’t discount the power of me-time. If you’ve got a hobby that makes you happy or feel refreshed whenever you take a hot bath, those things have real value, even if they feel indulgent. Celebrity yoga teacher Kathryn Budig nurtures herself regularly with “epsom salt baths, reading juicy fiction novels, taking time to write for myself, and experimenting in the kitchen.” Read more.

How Does Kathryn Budig Live a Nutritious Life?

Kathryn Budig is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher and author known for her accessibility, humor, and ability to empower her students through her message, ‘aim true’. With over a decade of experience in her field, she is a regular contributor to Women’s Health Magazine, Yoga Journal, an athlete in Under Armour’s IWILLWHATIWANT campaign, an ambassador for Ford’s Warrior’s in Pink and the founder of her animal project, Poses for Paws. Kathryn radiates health and wellness in all ways and every time I see her I learn a little something. Last time we chatted all things aromatherapy. I can’t wait to soak up more Kathryn when her next book comes out, Aim True, in January 2016 (published by William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins.) In the meantime, you can learn how this yoga beauty lives her most Nutritious Life here:   How do you DRINK UP? I’m downing water as I write this! Hydration is key. Mainly water, but I love coconut water as well. When I lift a glass it’s normally a California red, New Zealand white, or rose bubble:)   How do you EAT EMPOWERED? I adore my food and view the whole experiences around food as love. I’m a huge foodie and find no better way to tell someone I love them than by preparing a homemade meal for them. I believe in making daily healthy choices but living guilt free when I choose to indulge.   How do you LIVE CONSCIOUSLY? I take small actions that I know add up. I always carry re-usable bags and water jar in my purse to cut back on plastic waste. I fundraise regularly for my project Poses for Paws that raises awareness and helps different animal shelters. I surround myself with people who lift me up and challenge me to grow on a daily basis.   How do you LOVE MORE? Loving comes naturally. My husband says I always see the best in people because I believe in magic. I believe my capacity to love can influence others to do the same, so I love more by example.   How do you NURTURE YOURSELF? Epsom salt baths, reading juicy fiction novels, taking time to write for myself and experimenting in the kitchen.   How do you SLEEP DEEP? I try to stay away from my phone and emails (or other stressors) before bedtime. I make a blend of essential oils that I put on before bedtime and sleep with a humidifier that diffuses my favorite relaxing oil blends.   How do you STRESS LESS? I meditate daily, practice yoga, walk my dogs, lounge on my Biomat and take time away from my electronics.   How do you SWEAT OFTEN? I’ve been practicing yoga for years and recently fell in love with martial arts and boxing.   Want to learn more about Kathryn?  Visit www.kathrynbudig.com for her blog and recipes, check out her Aim True Yoga DVD produced by Gaiam, and pick up her book The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga. She currently teaches and lectures around the world and online regularly at Yogaglo, too. #Aimtrue  

How Does Deliciously Ella Live a Nutritious Life?

Ella Woodward is the author of popular food blog, DeliciouslyElla.com. She is a graduate of St. Andrews and is training as a naturopathic nutritionist at the College of Naturopathic Medicine while also developing her app, teaching cooking classes, and hosting supper clubs. Let me tell you, every moment I spent chatting with Ella, was simply, well, delicious!  Read below for a glimpse into how Ella lives her Nutritious Life in London. How do you DRINK UP? I drink a lot of water. And, a lot of herbal tea. I also have a habit of going to the local juice bar daily. Wherever I am, I always try to get in a smoothie or juice each day. What’s Ella’s fave juice? Spicy pineapple with ginger and cayenne.   How do you EAT EMPOWERED? By taking control.  I like to cook proper meals and incorporate variety into my diet.  It’s easy to snack, snack, snack but I like to sit down to proper meals and I like to cook my meals.   How do you LIVE CONSCIOUSLY? I’m mindful of all aspects of my life. I believe…messy space, messy brain. And, I act like a mess. I need to clean my space before I can work and be productive. I also practice yoga.   How do you LOVE MORE? I find the better relationship I have with myself the more love I’m able to give to other people so I’m always working on being happy in myself. I’m a very open, expressive person though so being loving to everyone around me comes very naturally!   How do you NURTURE YOURSELF? I take some “me time” every day. I used to work, work, work but I have learned that I need some time for me every single day. It may be a spin class, yoga or dinner with a girlfriend.   How do you STRESS LESS? I work out! Intense cardio or interval training helps me reduce stress.  Cardio is time with just yourself. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the minutia of day to day, so I try to take time out to gain perspective.  Honestly exercise is like a magic pill for me, it keeps me so balanced.   How do you SLEEP DEEP? I take epsom salt baths and add essential oils like lavender. It’s a nice break before bed and I don’t have my phone!   How do you SWEAT OFTEN? I love to spin! I go to a place called Psycle in London and I enjoy the darkness and loud music and how this helps you get into the zone.   If you want more Ella, check out her new book, Deliciously Ella: 100+ Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Recipes available wherever books are sold and don’t forget to make her favorite recipe from the book, Almond Butter Fudge (see recipe below) stat.   ALMOND BUTTER FUDGE The first time I made this fudge my roommates and I ate the whole batch within about three hours and then had to remake it the next day because we were craving it so much; it’s that good—dangerously good, even! Each bite is so gooey and chocolaty, it’s crazy to think it’s made from just four ingredients. The fudge is stored in the freezer, so you can make big batches of it to store for later, which means you always have something deliciously healthy to enjoy any time of the day.   Makes about 20 pieces   INGREDIENTS 7 ounces Medjool dates (about 20), pitted 10 tablespoons almond butter (recipe on page 22) 4 tablespoons coconut oil 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder   DIRECTIONS Place the dates in a saucepan with a little boiling water. Allow them to cook for 5 minutes, until they’re really soft and all sticking together. If there is any water left in the pan, then drain it and set the dates to one side to cool for a couple of minutes. Place the almond butter, coconut oil and cacao powder in a food processor and add the dates in before blending for a minute or 2, until a sticky paste forms. Line a 10-inch baking dish with parchment paper and pour the mix in before putting it into the freezer to set for at least 3 hours before serving. Store in the freezer. When you want to enjoy a piece, take it out of the freezer and allow it to warm up for a few minutes before eating. Top tip: Try adding chunks of nuts and raisins to this to change the texture and add more of a crunch.   Excerpted from DELICIOUSLY ELLA by Ella Woodward. Copyright © 2015 by Ella Woodward.  Excerpted with permission by Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Photo Credit: Clare Winfield