We are towards the end of our Build the Base series, and we hope you have taken at least one healthy habit to benefit your lifestyle in a positive way. This week we are focusing on one simple yet effective habit that will make leaps and bounds in your life if you allow it to stick.

Preparedness

We have talked about this in the past and have emphasized the importance of preparedness, and this week we will work towards creating and implementing this habit into our lifestyle. Make it a goal this week to prepare and plan your meals. If you know you will be gone for a chunk of your day, don’t rely on restaurants to fuel your body. Take five minutes, sit down, and write out what you think you will need for fuel. Once you know what you will need, prepare it the night before or day of, along with snacks, (and extra in case of emergency!) so you know your body will be successfully replenished with food that you not only know where it came from and the ingredients that are in it, but you know that you will give you the energy and nourishment to get you through the day.

A couple of tips:

• Make enough at dinner for the next day, that way you are only cooking once for two meals. Cut a couple extra potatoes to roast, bake extra veggies, and BBQ a couple extra pieces of chicken. Lunch is done!

• Have some go-to snacks that you pack every day in your bag. A meeting may go long, you may have an open window in your schedule to make it to the gym but need a pre-workout snack, or you may work later than you thought. Be prepared!

• Put snacks in your car- You just never know when you might need them! When you use them, replenish your stash, it is obviously working.

• Plan your meals for the week (doesn’t have to be in great detail, just a rough sketch) so you aren’t put on the spot the night before as to what you should eat the next day. This can easily turn into pushing it under the rug, shrugging your shoulders, and not having anything ready. This can result to skipping meals (which is very common and one of the hardest things on your body) or resulting to eating out. Plan, prepare, and complete the goals you have this week. Be mindful of what you will need, and make sure you are prepared for every situation. This also helps with grocery shopping. If you know in advance what you are planning on eating each day throughout the week, grocery shopping becomes a lot easier and you aren't stuck in the middle of the week with an empty fridge.