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 McKel Hill Live a Nutritious Life?

McKel Hill, MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Founder of Nutrition Stripped, a healthy living website dedicated to optimizing the wellbeing of women over the globe through recipes, nutrition advice, fitness and much more. It’s not hard to understand why the first time I chatted with McKel we could have talked for HOURS! And, by now we have! McKel is crushing it in the world of nutrition and as someone who’s been doing my nutrition thing for a long time, I love seeing this happen. McKel recently launched The Nutrition Stripped Society  an exclusive meal planning membership site with reset/detox guides aimed to take your health to the next level, grocery shopping lists, cooking how-to’s, batch cooking guide, cooking videos, fitness videos, workout tips, tips on wellbeing and ongoing support. Check it out and keep an eye out for the The Nutrition Stripped Cookbook which will be published in the fall 2016 with William Morrow. For a peak into this healthy girl’s life, check out here how McKel lives her most Nutritious Life:   How do you DRINK UP? Plenty of water with lemon and lime first thing in the morning, followed by my Matcha Tea Latte or Coffee, Elevated if I need a little pre-workout boost. Also I’m a huge tea drinking all day long whether it’s green tea, liver supportive tea, peppermint, or ginger. #gimmiealltheteas   How do you EAT EMPOWERED? Whole foods as much as possible, but I’m all about flexibility! I try to listen to my body and focus on nourishing from the inside out to be able to carry out my work and passions in life- it’s an added bonus that it gives me energy, clearer skin, stronger hair, and weight maintenance.   How do you LIVE CONSCIOUSLY? Meditation. Meditating each morning and setting up a morning ritual that is non-negotiable is, well, non-negotiable! It keeps me feeling energetic and spiritually centered which is a driving force during my days. If I don’t meditate I feel I have less space for clarity and focus.     How do you LOVE MORE? This is something I’m learning more, especially this past year finding balance in my professional and personal life, going through a break up, you know- life. Loving more in the present moment means self-love, love and support with friends, family, and the beautiful NS community that makes my heart smile.     How do you NURTURE YOURSELF? Meditation, taking the time to find balance and set boundaries with work, getting a monthly massage, routine acupuncture, taking a walk outside (daily), talking to friends and family on the phone, girls nights, alone time reading a book and drinking tea, helping others, eating well, and sleeping at least 8 hours.     How do you SLEEP DEEP? I’m routine about it and make sleep a priority- I always try to get 8 hours a sleep a night and do pretty well at that, but it takes discipline! 98% of the time I wake up around 4:30-5am each morning so going to bed early enough to match that takes willpower but also knowing when to let loose and pull those 2am bedtimes after a night out in the city. I share my favorite tips on sleep for a nighttime routine on the Nutrition Stripped Blog.   How do you STRESS LESS? Acupuncture, meditation, and journaling are my favorite ways to stress less and manage stress- acupuncture has really changed my life and wellbeing this past year. It’s been another tool to use in my “toolkit” for stress management and I’m a huge advocate for finding those tools so you can rule stress and not let it rule you.   How do you SWEAT OFTEN? I workout about 6 days a week in the gym, a combination of heavy weight lifting, sprinting, running, walking, swimming, all the things. I love working out and have since high school—it’s my happy place and part of my morning routine that’s non-negotiable! Other than that I love doing anything outdoors where I can both get in some exercise, breathe in fresh air and be in nature. I also started to incorporate more yoga for balance and posture, both of these things I cover and share with the members of the Nutrition Stripped Society because EVERYONE can do it- no yogi-skill needed. Learn more about McKel at nutritionstripped.com.