It’s a common misconception that living healthier must cost a lot of money. Some think organic foods are for the wealthy and everyone else can’t afford it. These statements hurt my heart and I want to help as many people as I can. This blog post is going to provide multiple ways that you can increase your health and vitality for little to no cost.

Healthier living for little to no cost

Let’s dive right into the FREE stuff. These are going to be things you can implement immediately that literally cost nothing.

Free:

1. Intermittent Fasting – I have written three consecutive blog posts on intermittent fasting. I urge you to read those by starting HERE and familiarize yourself with the technique. The bottom line regarding intermittent fasting is that you become conscious of when your “feeding” time is and when your “fasting” time is. The health benefits from truly letting your body rest and digest are numerous. COST: $0
2. Food Cycling – This is a technique that you can use to increase fat loss and metabolic burn. The principle is that you might cycle days in which you eat more carbohydrates to accomodate your lifestyle and exercise patterns. Ideally, you would combine lower carbs with days of HIIT, Tabata or Interval Training. You also might consider consuming more carbohydrates on days you lift heavy weights or do strenuous exercise. COST: $0
3. Hydration – Filtered water is great for your body. Every cell needs adequate hydration to perform it’s function. If you are under stress, drink caffeine and consume alcoholic beverages, you need even more. Not a big fan of water? Try non-caffeinated herbal teas and adding hydrating fruits and veggies to your big glass of water. Cucumber, lemon, and fresh basil are great adds to flavor up your daily water. I also recommend a re-fillable water bottle made of glass or stainless steel. COST: $0
4. Sleep – Sleep is probably the most over-looked piece of the puzzle when considering weight loss. Sleep can be elusive for those of us juggling career, children, homes, hobbies and more. My best advice for a good night’s sleep is to set the stage. Stop using devices that omit blue light 60 mins before bed. Get worries off your mind with a journal. Drink a sleepy time tea. Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and quiet. COST: $0
5. Improved Digestion – You need to fully digest the foods that you consume if you want to extract the appropriate nutrients and avoid belly bloat. Here are some tips. Stop eating on the go! Sit down, take three deep breaths, close your laptop and silence your phone. Chew your food. Solid foods should become near liquid before swallowing. Consider removing gluten and dairy from your diet if you are experiencing trouble going number two or have daily tummy bloat. Both of these things greatly impact digestive health. You do not have to have a true allergy to develop a sensitivity to foods. If all else fails try an elimination diet and journal how you feel. COST: $0

Low Cost:

1. Adaptogenic Herbs – These are herbal supplements you can take to help support your body’s natural hormone production. My favorite supplement that helps with an energy boost, supporting the menstrual cycle and libido is MACA. You are going to look for high-quality Peruvian Organic Maca root in powder form. I’ve seen this at Trader Joe’s for as little as $5.99 a bag. COST: $6 and up
2. Chia Seeds – These little guys contain fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates and brain supporting Omega-3’s. Look for the organic variety and add them to smoothies, baked goods (gluten-free of course) puddings, and more! Organic Chia seeds can be purchased at a great value when buying in bulk. Costco has affordable options, health-food stores with bulk bins, and generic store brands are a great way to get this into your diet without an added expense. COST: $5 and up

3. Organics – I think that buying organic foods; both proteins and produce, can feel daunting to people. I want to simplify it for you and help you eliminate more toxins, pesticides, and hormone changing additives from your food. Your first place to start when implementing more organic into your life, is with the “dirty dozen.” EWG has a 2018 report that includes family staples like apples, strawberries, potatoes and celery. READ the full report here. What this means is these are the top 12 produce items to focus your organic efforts. The good news is that many chain grocery stores offer organics for a reasonable price. Nation-wide Trader Joe’s has produce that is very budget friendly. Costco as well has bulk organic produce that helps with the bottom line. There are also local co-op options and growing your own garden. When it comes to purchasing your organic proteins I want you to think of your animals having a good life and one bad day. The better the quality of life for the animal, the better the quality of product. Let’s take eggs for example. It’s not enough to purchase brown eggs. You want your chickens to have been cage-free and organic. Open the carton, if every egg is a perfect shape and color you can bet it didn’t come from a chicken living her best life! Organic cage-free chicken eggs are a beautiful variety of shades and sizes. Purchasing orgainc meats like beef, chicken, turkey, and pork can raise the grocery bill. Reduce this cost by purchasing in bulk and exploring different cuts of meat. An organic whole chicken is much more affordable than organic boneless, skinless, chicken tenders. A little extra elbow grease will help save the budget and help bridge the transition to organics. COST: varies, buy dirty dozen & bulk

4. Fats – increase your health by upping the quality of the fats that you consume. You want cold-pressed virgin coconut oil. You want extra-virgin organic olive oil. You should be purchasing butter that came from grass-fed cows. If you are consuming nut-butters, also look for jars that are organic and have very minimal ingredients. Your peanut butter, for example, might have an ingredient label that reads: peanuts, salt. Please avoid canola oil and other oils that are proven hormone disrupters. My favorite oils are coconut, olive and avocado. To reduce cost purchase in bulk and shop around. High quality does not have to be name brand. Many chain grocery stores now carry their own brand of fats and oils that are literally the same product of their fancy counterparts. Save yourself a few dollars and buy generic. COST: $6 and up

5. Essential Oils – Sleep is essential to a healthy weight and using essential oils to help regulate your ciracadian rhythm is a fantastic tool. Essential oils from Vibrant Blue Oils are a great investment in your health to support system function. Vibrant Blue Oils offers blends to support brain heath, sleep, mood and much more. This company is sole-proprietor female owned and very high quality. COST: single vials start at $20 and up

6. Probiotic Rich Foods – raw fermented foods are deeply beneficial to your gut flora. When we support the gut we support our brain, mood and weight. Some of my favorites include Wildbrine brand fermended veggies like sauerkraut. I also enjoy wild brined olives. GT’s Kombucha is my favorite brand for an organic Kombucha with few ingredient and low sugars. Personally, I don’t eat cow-s milk dairy, but high-quality, whole fat yogurts are beneficial to the gut. Get adventerous and try sheep, goat, or non-dairy plant-based yogurts. COST: $3 and up

7. Balance & Thrive Healthy Hormones – Dysregulated hormones are a leading cause for lost vitality and malaise. Support your hormone fuction naturally with my eBook, Balance & Thrive Healthy Hormones. Inside you will find increased information for possible solutions to your greatest health concerns, 14 days of recipes, tests to consider and thyroid support. COST: $39 purchase here

I truly hope that you have found that you can acheive Healthier Living at Little to No Cost. It would mean a lot to me if you were to share this information with your friends. Simply click an icon below and share to Facebook or Twitter.

Have a question, ask in the comments below and I will answer as best I can.