Hey everyone!

As it's nearing summer, I know most girls are trying to get in shape to fit better into their bikinis. I'm going to be honest here, and say that I feel the pressure too. The pressure to look good, slim and healthy is immense, but health is about more than that.

Health is about feeling happy and healthy, not about how you look. It's about what you put into your body, and how you feel within yourself. Nevertheless, I know me at least, and most people, feel better when I've been eating healthy and moving around, so I thought I'd share some of my personal tips to health with all of you.

The first tip you've probably heard a million times, but I can't stress this enough. Drinking water cleanses your system, as well as fills you up so you don't feel as hungry most of the time. It's good for you and your body, and my biggest tip to help you drink as much water as possible is to carry a waterbottle everywhere. I never used to bring a water bottle to school or anywhere else, but now that I do, I find myself sipping on it during class when I'm bored, or similar. I also drink a lot of water in the morning, because my bottle is right there by my bed and I'm usually so thirsty when I wake up. This actually helps boost your metabolism too, which is always good.

Getting fit and healthy isn't an all or nothing thing. I used to think it was, and I've struggled a lot with it, but recently, I've been able to see it more as a spectrum. I know that I can have that slice of cake without gaining weight, and I also don't have to eat until I'm nauseous on my 'cheat' meals (which is something I've cut out, but more on that another time). This counts for exercise too. If you can't fit in an hour's workout, it's still better to do some squats in your room than cut it out completely.

Eating healthy is hard for everyone, but I know I personally struggle with bored eating after dinner. The biggest tip I can give to anyo
ne trying to improve their diet slightly is to make sure you get in a healthy breakfast. It's the easiest meal to eat healthy (at least in my opinion), and it just sets your day in a good mood. Oatmeal is my personal favourite, and I have it every single day without fail, but I also enjoy smoothies and such.

As mentioned above, my challenge is just eating while I'm bored or as a form of procrastinating before doing homework. I've found that the best way to prevent this is to brush my teeth after tea and dinner. When the taste of peppermint is fresh in my mouth, I don't feel the need to eat anything. This is of course only after I've had a meal and I'm only eating out of boredom, and I obviously allow myself to eat until I'm full, and please make sure you do too!

If you do wish to get a workout in, my biggest tip to make sure you've planned it. Otherwise, most of my afternoon is just spent procrastinating, and I most likely won't end up doing it because I don't know what I should be doing. However, if I've already made up my mind on what workout I should do and when, it's a lot harder for me to cancel, and I'm way more likely to complete it.

Those are all the tips I have for you, but please keep in mind that I don't know any more about this stuff than the average interested teenager, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I hope some of this was of help to you, and please let me know if you want any more health/fitness posts, because I love writing them!