Category: Wellness

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Easy Ways to Eat Healthier

Hi everyone! It’s Michael Gortenburg here.

For many, it’s hard enough finding time in the day to make yourself a meal to eat, let alone ensuring it’s got all your essential nutrients for the day. But healthy eating is critical to our lifelong health, so finding ways to incorporate it into our daily lives is crucial. Here are some ways I’ve found to help make eating healthier easier: 

Find smaller substitutions

Going cold turkey on all your favorite foods isn’t healthy or realistic. I’ve found it’s easier to find more minor ingredients in my day-to-day cooking that can substitute for something more nutritious. Healthy fats like olive oil are an easy way to ditch fats like butter in your cooking. Another easy substitution is whole or multi-grain bread or pasta instead of white bread to add more healthy grains to your diet. 

Prep your food 

Sometimes, the thing stopping us from eating healthier is having to prepare it. Prepping your food for quicker consumption can help make a short lunch break all the easier, to include veggies in. If you need help eating the daily recommended fruits and vegetables, pre-packing smaller bowls for yourself throughout the week can make it more convenient. 

Eat slowly 

Several studies have shown the benefits of taking your time while you eat. When you’re hungry, you might not even realize you’re rushing yourself as you eat, but it’s important to remember to sit back and take your time as you chew. Your body will be grateful. 

Focus on adding food to your diet

It’s much harder to stick with a healthier diet if you go cold turkey on all the other foods you love. Instead, you can focus on adding new, healthy foods to your diet. You don’t have to swear off eating pizza for dinner and instead can make sure you’re adding a side of carrots to the menu. There are also plenty of vegetables to sneak into your sauces without realizing it. 

Incorporating healthier choices into your lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. It can be a challenging change in your life, especially if you’re busy like me. I suggest implementing more minor changes to transition them into lifelong habits easily. These recommendations are just some of the ways to help with this transition!

For other tips on building a healthier lifestyle, check out my blog about how to work out more often. 

Michael Gortenburg, Founding Principal of Eighteen Capital Group (18CG) in Kansas City, Missouri. Also, follow Michael on Medium, Twitter, and Xing.

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Best Items for the Summer

Hi everyone! It’s Michael Gortenburg here.

It’s finally summer, and if it’s anything like the past few weeks, the heat will continue to be scorching. The high temperatures can stop you from enjoying the outdoors, but there are plenty of ways to beat the heat and make the most of your summer. I want to share some of the best items for summer that will keep you cool while you soak in the sunshine.

Portable Fan

Unless you’re planted on a beach, you may lack a breeze to help break the heat. A small, portable fan can bring the breeze to you and keep you cool wherever you are. I like to have it on hand when I know I’ll be sitting in the same spot outside for a long time. An outdoor concert or show becomes all the more tolerable in the heat when you’ve got this in your back pocket.

Compact Speaker

Whether you’re spending time soaking up the sun in the yard or hosting a barbecue for the neighborhood, a speaker is sure to liven things up. I recommend a more compact model so you can bring it with you on any trips to the park or beach. 

Reusable Water Bottle

Dehydration is no joke, and if you plan to spend any time in the sun, you should plan to stay hydrated. A reusable water bottle you can bring on the go will make it easy to drink and refill on your journey.

A Sun Hat

The best way to protect yourself from the sun is coverage. Any kind of hat, whether it’s a baseball cap to support your favorite team or a wide-brimmed hat, will protect your scalp and face from burning and help keep you cool while you’re outside. These seasonal hats come with all sorts of brim sizes, so you can pick how much coverage you want.

Picnic Blanket

If you’re anything like me, you love spending time outdoors during summertime. But sometimes places to sit, especially parks on a busy day, can be hard to come by. I suggest keeping a picnic blanket on hand for any park, beach, or concert outings. I prefer ones with an easy-to-clean, waterproof underside, so I don’t have to worry about any mess.

Summer is a beautiful season with plenty of great outdoor activities to explore, but higher temperatures can sometimes interrupt plans. I hope some of these items will help you beat the heat and enjoy your summer!

If you’d like to see some other seasonal travel tips from me, check out my blog here.

Michael Gortenburg, Founding Principal of Eighteen Capital Group (18CG) in Kansas City, Missouri.

Also, follow Michael on Medium, Twitter, and Xing.