Health and the Writer By Camy Tang

Whether you’re a writer who also works a full-time job or are a busy stay-at-home-mom, it’s hard to stay healthy. I researched and figured out a bunch of tips and tricks to help me stay in shape without carving out of my precious writing time. I also found some tips to help me have just general better health. Pick and choose which of these will work for you.

Eating out:

Most restaurant servings are actually two or three portions. Try to only eat half of what's on the plate. You can fill your stomach a little before the entrée comes with a side of steamed vegetables, a broth-based cup of soup, or a salad with the dressing on the side—that way, you aren't tempted to eat your entire entrée.

You might also consider ordering vegetarian—those dishes tend to be slightly lower in calories and fat. Since I eat out a lot for lunch at work, I try to order vegetarian when I can. The high-fiber vegetables will make me feel full faster than meats, and I found I don't have the afternoon food coma from a vegetarian lunch.

Another option is to order an appetizer for your meal instead of an entrée. If you don't mind sharing with someone, order one healthier appetizer and one not-so-healthy appetizer and split the two.

Limit yourself to one or two pieces of the bread and butter on the table. Also, make sure you have a glass of water or a water bottle with you and drink plenty of it to cut the edge off your hunger. Try not to order high-sugar soft drinks at restaurants, especially with their free refills. Before you know it, you've drunk two to three cans of high-calorie, high sugar cola. A good alternative is iced tea with artificial sweetener or diet drinks.