Being that summer is right around the corner, in my case, it's not already here but the last few days have been pretty sunny though, I always like to start treating my body to healthier intakes. I don't mean heavy diets, or extreme exercises, etc. because I really don't believe in being miserable while trying to stay fit. I keep believing in smaller portions, at certain times of days but also treating yourself to a dessert once in a week or so. I believe that everyone can start a healthier life style and intake, and this is coming from a someone who has barely time for herself. I decided to share with you 10 steps to a good start for your body for the upcoming bikini season.

• Start drinking more water. Most experts recommend eight glasses per day. The easiest way to do this is to spread out your water intake throughout the day. If you aren't drinking much water currently, try easing into it. You can add one more cup every few days until you reach eight or more per day.
• Strive to east 1-2 servings of fruits or vegetables at each meal or snack. This will add up to servings a day which is recommended for optimal nutrition. 
• Switch to whole grains. Go for the healthier whole grains in breads, pasta, tortillas and cereals. You'll be taking in more beneficial fiber and gaining all the other benefits of whole, rather than processed, grains.
• Get your sweet tooth under control. Start to slowly reduce your portion sizes and frequency of your intake of any sugared treats. Try switching to unsweetened breakfast cereals. Go from full-size candy bars to bite-size. And, if you are accustomed to eating desserts after every meal, switch to fruits as a dessert a few times per week. The less you eat the sweets, the less you crave over time (really!).
• Switch to lean meats. Avoid highly marbled beef, high fat port ribs, chops, regular ground beef and other fatty cuts. Try substituting lean ground beef, pork tenderloid and flank steak, along with fish and shellfish.
• Switch to lower fat dairy products. You can really influence your calorie and fat daily totals by switching to lower fat milk (like 1,5% as I do), cottage cheese, sour creame and more. If you enjoy fat-free work your way down to that. If you really don't enjoy the taste, then go to the lower fat varieties (that's what I do!).
• Find a couple of lower fat salad dressings that you enjoy. With all the vegetable you'll be eating as a part of your new eating style, a couple of healthier dressings options will go a long way towards making them more enjoyable. In addition to using on salads, you can use dressings for marinade, dips and sandwich spreads, and whenever you can use some extra flavor.
• Learn how to read and compare nutrition label information. This will help you avoid common mistakes made by people experimenting with healthier foods, such as overeating low fat items even though they contain as many calories as the full-fat varieties. Look at things like fiber, protein and sugar content to help you understand what you're feeding your body and how it makes you feel.
• Slowly reduce your portion-size. Most people who are carrying around some extra weight probably are eating too much food. By slowly reducing your portion size, you'll feel less deprived as you make your way down to a portion size you feel comfortable and satisfied eating.
• Although this isn't directly an eating issue, increase your activity! Heathy eating is only half of the equation. For ideal heath, your body needs to move and move more often. Again, start slowly and gradually increase your activity. Many experts recommend 30 minutes of exercise three times a week as a minimum for overall health.

Anyway, as I said I don't believe in being miserable while trying to stay fit because it won't help you. Music motivated me and it makes it much easier to finish my execises. I think I'll link a few of songs which motivate me the most. Song #1, Song #2, Song #3, Song #4 and Song #5 (in no particular order). Let's hope that we can all celebrate the upcoming bikini season and our summer vacation in our bikinis. Love Always, Lisa <3.