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What does it mean to build healthy habits?

August 3, 2021 · In: Lifestyle

There’s a lot of talk going on about “building” healthy habits. But, what does that really mean? Well, it can mean whatever you want it to mean! The beauty of building healthy habits is that they can be different for everyone. You get to choose how you operate your day to day life. It’s definitely easy to get caught up in what other people are doing, especially if we see they are getting the “results” that we want. But, rest assured, I’m here to help you figure out how to create your own habits and the questions to ask yourself.

Here is how I approach building healthy habits in a 5 step kind of way.

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Step One: Gratitude + Abundance

There is always something to be grateful for, no matter what. Even if you’re not having the best day, dig a little deeper and pick at least one thing you’re grateful for. For me, just the fact that I get to wake up in the morning is something to be so grateful for. Every morning I say three things that I am grateful for before I get out of bed. Then, I do the same in the evening. You can write them down to look back on or you can just say them out loud (or in your head).

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you have seen/heard me talk about my abundance journal. It has become a big part of my life! Often times when we hear the word “abundance” we think of money or we think of having a lot of something. That is definitely abundance but there is also other things, too. I’ve put my own little twist on it. What I do is, I keep a running journal of things that happen in my day to day life. So, this could be getting that parking spot outside my favourite cafe. It could be getting a new client. A product from a brand I love. Someone buying you a coffee. Those are all abundant things! Appreciating that there is abundance all around you opens up opportunities for the BIG things to come through!

Another part of abundance is giving abundance to others. Buying a gift card at your local coffee shop and leaving it with the cashier to use for a few people to get a coffee on you. You never know who needs that that day or if someone is looking for a sign of sorts.

Try it out and let me know how it goes! 🙂

Step Two: Setting Intentions for How You Want to Feel

It’s so easy to get caught up in setting big goals, especially around the time of the new year when everyone is making news years resolutions. Here’s the thing, if you’re setting these big goals like “I’m going to run 5 days a week” and you’re someone who hasn’t gone for a run in years or at all, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with setting goals like this but let’s reframe it a little bit.

Try to set intentions for how you want to feel. This could be, “I want to feel stronger.” or “I want to feel energized.” That could mean a lot of  things! Moving your body in a way that feels good for you. It doesn’t have to be a run every single day if that doesn’t feel good for you. You don’t have to force it.

Some of my ongoing intentions are:

I want to feel stronger.

I want to feel energized.

I want to feel hydrated.

I want to feel confident.

How do you want to feel? Use this as your starting point: I want to feel ___________ and take it from there.

Step Three: What feels good of YOU?

This is an important one, friends. What feels good for YOU? Not your friend. Not the girl on TV. For YOU. One thing might work for someone else but it doesn’t work for you and that is OKAY. We’re all unique beings and it’s truly a beautiful thing. We have to focus on what works for us in our day to day lives and when we do figure out, run with that!

This relates to food too, big time. Pay attention to what you’re consuming, how you feel afterwards, any symptoms that might appear (bloating, brain fog, acne, etc.). This can even be common “health” foods like kale, spinach, etc. Some people just don’t agree with those things and it’s ok not to hop on those trends.

Something I have been doing a lot more lately is sitting with the feeling of things. For example, if a new work opportunity presents itself, I close my eyes and think about what that job entails and I pay attention to the feelings that come up for me. What do I feel when I think of the work load? What do I feel when I think of the content I will have to create? Do I get a pit in my stomach kind of feeling? Do I feel my chest beating a little faster. Is my chest getting tighter? Do I feel all warm and fuzzy? These are feelings that can help guide you to make a decision of what’s right for you.

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Step Four: Removing labels

One of the best things I ever did for my health was removing labels. I’m not a vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, all the things. I eat what works for me. I’ve tried all the things and it didn’t work out so well! I tried to go vegan but it personally wasn’t right for me. But hey, if it works for you, I am here for it! That’s the beauty of removing labels. You don’t have to identify as anything. You can be a little bit of all the things if that works for you. Some days I eat all plants and other days I eat all the meat and I’m not ashamed of it!What I do with my clients is, I get them to focus on the abundance of nourishing foods that work for them vs. giving them a giant list of foods to avoid. You’re in control of that part. You get to decided what’s on your no no list.

And listen here…you’re not a bad person if you have a piece of cake. Feeling like you’re bad for having something you enjoy sometimes, makes you want to eat it more. Eat it and move on with your  life!

Step Five: My Feel Good Kitchen

I came up with the concept of My Feel Good Kitchen to help my clients to lean into their intuitive side. It’s such a fun process to lean into what your body wants/needs! Here’s how it goes:

It starts with grocery shopping. Scanning the produce aisles, feeling the food, picking out what you’re called to. You don’t always have to go in with a list. Sometimes that can be overwhelming. I like to go in to the grocery store and just explore all the abundance that nature has to offer and I think of meals I can make. It’s also a great opportunity to try something new!

The creating process. Spices you like to cook with, throwing in a pinch of this and a pinch of that. The beauty of cooking with spices is that there are so many flavour combos possible and sometimes you discover those while combining common spices in your cupboard.

Plating your food. Be proud of your creation! You made that deliciousness and now you get to enjoy it.

Sitting down to eat. Whether it’s with yourself or with loved ones, express some gratitude for the abundance of  nourishment on your plate!
unsplash-image-JDL3c2zSI_s.jpgI hope this gives you some inspiration to create your own healthy habits or revamp already existing ones.

As we are always evolving, growing and changing, your intentions can change, too. Nothing has to be concrete and set in stone.

Until next time my friends.

By: Tina Gravalos · In: Lifestyle

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Let’s talk sleep (it’s sleep month!) 😴 My Let’s talk sleep (it’s sleep month!) 😴 

My sleep has been off since the time change. 🙃 I also caught a cold which seems to happen around this time of year for me. 🤧 Anyone else struggling with sleep?

Sleep can be a tricky one because there can be a lot of reasons why you can’t fall asleep, you wake up often, etc. I’m usually a food first kind of gal but when it comes to sleep, I’ll turn to some supplements for a little support. My issue lately is an overactive mind. I think of everything I need to do the next day. 😂

I love that my pals @naturescanada have a huge supplements department and there is a section for sleep! From homeopathics to herbs and everything in-between. There’s something for everyone! I will say though, one thing might work for one person but not so much for someone else so sometimes it’s trial an error. And always talk to your healthcare provider before taking anything. 

Here are some of my picks:

Magnesium bisglycinate - one of my favourite all around supplements! Magnesium plays a key role in hundreds of chemical reactions in the body. It truly is a star mineral! I like it for relaxing muscles and just helping to feel more calm.

Pascoflair - a herbal sleep aid that can help with restlessness, stress, falling asleep faster, etc.

Sleep by Orange Naturals - homeopathics for restlessness and sleeplessness

Coffee Cruda by Boiron - another homeopathic for sleeplessness

L-Theanine with magnesium - one of my faves! I love this combo because l-theanine (found in green tea) is like a natural stress reliever. Paired with magnesium it’s like the ultimate relaxation combo

Ortho Sleep - this supplement help increase total sleep time, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and help to re-set the body’s sleep-wake cycle

Mental Calmness - this is l-theanine on its own - I used to take this one when I was in nutrition school before tests to help me relax and get focused. 

Nighty Night tea - a blend of herbs like chamomile, passionflower & spearmint

If you’re not sure where to start, the team of nutritionists @naturescanada are super knowledgeable and can help you in the right direction!

#sleepmonth #sleephabits #sleephealth
CARROT CAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES 🥕 Did a little CARROT CAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES 🥕 

Did a little edit on these from last year! I added some dried cranberries and swapped the almond flour for 1:1 gluten-free flour. 👌🏻

Here’s the how to:

(Makes 12-13 cookies)

Dry ingredients:

1 cup 1:1 gluten-free baking flour (I used @bobsredmill)
1 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup crushed walnut pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries 
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Wet ingredients:

1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded carrot

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Melt coconut oil and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. 

In a small bowl, add the wet ingredients, except for the carrots, and mix to combine.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.

Fold in the carrots.

Using a cookie scooper (or ice cream scooper) or a 1/4 cup measuring spoon, drop cookies onto baking the sheet and flatten them to about 1 inch thickness. Make sure to space them out.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.

Let cool for 10 minutes.

Enjoy! 🧡
SIMPLE 5 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CASHEW BUTTER BITES SIMPLE 5 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CASHEW BUTTER BITES 🤩⁠⁠
⁠⁠
These are great for meal prep or if you’re looking for something a little sweet but with no added sugar (dates are naturally sweet!). 

Makes 8⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Ingredients:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
❃ 1 cup walnuts halves⁠⁠
❃ 3 medjool dates, pitted⁠⁠
❃ 2 tablespoons cacao powder⁠⁠
❃ 2 heaping tablespoons cashew butter⁠⁠
❃ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Directions:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
1. Add walnuts to food processor and pulse until they are broken down into crumbs.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
2. Add the dates and pulse until they are mixed in with the walnut crumbs.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
3. Add the cacao powder, sea salt and yes, pulse again! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
4. Add the cashew butter and pulse again until the mixture is all combined.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
5. Shape the mixture into bite sized balls (about 1-2 tablespoons per ball) and put them on a plate.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
6. Refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes before eating.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
7. Top with flaky salt, if desired (highly recommend! 🤤). ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Enjoy! ♥️⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Notes:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
No cashew butter - use almond butter, sunflower butter or tahini⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Protein - add a scoop of chocolate protein powder⁠⁠
⁠⁠
My fav way to meal prep 👇🏻 If you’ve been My fav way to meal prep 👇🏻

If you’ve been around here since the beginning, I loved talking about meal prep! 

1. Utilize flyer deals! This is a great way to save a few bucks each week. @naturescanada has the ground beef I use on special + whole chickens to roast (plus other great protein options), which can be used for several meals! With protein like this, you can make different meal out of them to switch it up. Wraps, tacos, salads, etc. I also picked up some clementines, cheese, rice crackers, coconut milk and sometimes they have some flash deals for berries (and other fruits + veggies) that are great finds!

2. Batch cook/prep foods separately. This means batch cooking/prepping things like protein, rice, lettuce and other vegetables and fruits separately so that you can toss them together to make a meal. Maybe one day you want a taco salad and the other you want a taco wrap! This also keeps things fun and different so you don’t get bored of repetition. 

3. Similar to number 2, I like to have fruits and veggies washed, chopped and ready to grab for a snack. Usually with some cheese and crackers. ☺️

4. Grab and go. I like to make chia pudding or overnight oats sometimes. I can make a batch and get 2 to 3 portions out of it. For protein, you can add collagen or protein powder. Adding fruit on top + some granola (there’s some in the flyer too) is good too! 

5. Have some fun! Sometimes I’ll have some snack packs on hand! 🤭 I don’t have them all the time but I won’t lie, they make me happy. 😋

What are your favourite things to meal prep!? Let me know! 

PS. I have a link in my bio where you can check out the @naturescanada flyer. ☺️💚

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