How to keep healthy on a budget

Eat cheap but clean!

A craze amongst fitness gurus on my instafeed is fruit water. This is a very simple way to drink sugary drinks without all the chemicals and fizzyness.

1. Choose your favourite fruit(s). Good combinations are apple and mint, apple and raspberry and cucumber and mint. 
2. Fill a bottle 3/4 full- I used an old tonic water bottle.
3. Dice the fruit small enough to fit through the neck of the bottle but large enough for it to look nice.
4. Place the fruit in the bottle and refrigerate for 24 hours before drinking.

If after 24 hours it is too bitter or sour, add some natural sweetners or stevia (a natural sugar extract).

Not eating takeaways can not only be beneficial to your health, but can save you tonnes of money. If you do decide to have a cheeky Indian takeaway,  swapping pilau for boiled rice and a peshwari naan for chapatis can save over 500 calories in one sitting. Along the same lines of substituting foods for healthier alternatives, swapping normal potato for sweet potatoes is a great idea. Sweet potatoes contain vitamins and minerals that normal potato doesn't, and it's also classed as one of your five a day, which interestingly normal potato is not!

You must remember that making healthy choices is important, it is just as important to treat yourself once in a while. Have that chocolate bar or can of coke, or even that massive bag of Haribos your Sister is hiding behind the tins of beans!

Keeping fit!

Gym memberships can range from £10 to £50 a month, which may be too much for some people- me certainly! A great way to keep fit for less is using your surroundings. Run in your local park, or take your dog for a walk. Simply walking to the shop over driving, or play with your younger siblings than sat on your phone can also burn off a few calories and get you moving! Even shopping burns calories, as the saying goes, "shopping is my cardio!".

I have also discovered the "8 minute ab workout" on YouTube, which is incredible. You feel the "burn" within seconds, so you know it works! 

Mental health

Doing things you love and seeing your friends is a sure fire tip to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Alternatives to shopping or the cinema, which can be very expensive, include picnics and sleepovers. Girly nights with face masks (which can be picked up at as little as £1 in shops such as Wilkinsons) and Ryan Gosling films (or even a lads night in with your xbox) are not that expensive and you could always ask your guests to bring a few bits such as tortilla dips and a bag of popcorn, which will bring the cost down for you!

Remember, everything is healthy in moderation and you have the right to treat yourself. Just remember try not to take healthiness and weight loss to the extreme. If you feel like you are struggling with your weight there are plenty of organisations that can offer you loads of help!