Stay Healthy When You Don't Have Time

Sometimes it feels like we're always being told what to eat, how often and when to exercise. But many of us just don't have the time. So what else can we do?

One of the biggest reasons for skipping out on a healthy diet and regular exercise is that many people think they're too busy.
But nutritionist Rovenia Brock said that's just an excuse.

"A lot of people don't understand how to get started," Brock said. "But it is really quite simple to do."

When it comes to exercise, the rule of thumb is to try and fit in some form of cardio for 30 minutes on most days of the week. But who has the time?

"If you have 10 minutes, we can change your life," Brock said. "There's something called exercise sparks, where if you can exercise, whatever it is. You can walk. If you do that for 10 minutes, three times a day, then there's your 30 minutes."

You can get the benefits of weight training while doing daily activities, things like carrying the laundry or vacuuming.

"Doing the lunges and doing the squats as you vacuum clean, that's a way to tone up those glutes, to tone up your quads, to firm up the derriere," Brock said.

Most people know they're supposed to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but they say it's not easy.
Brock disagrees.

"A serving really is, if you're talking about vegetables, it's a half a cup," Brock said. "So it's no big deal."

She said a glass of juice, along with fruit on cereal or yogurt for breakfast, a salad for lunch, which can be at least two servings of veggies, and you're already at four servings for the day.

You don't have to always eat fresh. Substituting dried or certain types of canned fruit, even apple sauce counts too.

Another important recommendation is to eat fish twice a week. It's a good source of lean protein and it's packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are linked to heart health.

Brock said if you don't have time to cook, use pre-cooked fish like these tuna and salmon packets.

"This goes anywhere with you," she said. "I travel with it. I bring it to the office with me, so you can have it at home. You can bring it on the go."

If you don't like fish, try foods enriched with extra omega-3's, like eggs. Or sprinkle flaxseeds on things like salads.

"Don't become over overwhelmed," Brock said. "See it as the process that it is. It's not where you start out, but how you end up."