It's lunch time, you're out with some friends and everyone peruses the restaurant menu. They fancy a burger and fries, but you sit there contemplating the leafy green salad that catches your eye at the next table. What do you do? Succumb to the burger band-wagon or look as though you are on a diet only eating "rabbit food" for lunch?

Why does it seem that there is a movement toward health, yet people are continually reprimanded for trying to eat healthier, deemed as those on a "diet?"

The world is becoming more impatient and try to shed pounds quickly, rather than in a healthy manner. That's where these misinformed perceptions go awry. A man eating a salad brings his masculinity into question, and a female monitoring what she eats automatically means diet, while a female who is constantly eating means she eats too much.

Diets are often restrictive, follow a set plan, include pills, lots of liquids, smoothies, special foods, detoxing, etc.

As a collegiate athlete, and health and fitness enthusiast, it is troublesome to go into the world and be judged on my food or caloric intake. The picture below inspires me every day and I hope you find some inspiration, too. Diets are often restrictive, shorting your body of the nutrients and calories it needs to properly function. Diets may offer quick results, but can be dangerous, and are not beneficial in the long run. Fuel your body and live happy and healthy. If weight is part of your goal, a healthy lifestyle will be more efficient than any diet.

You don't have to be an athlete to find this applicable. Here are 10 ways to start a healthy lifestyle, whether you are an athlete or not.

1. You Do You

Don't let someone tell you that you're on a diet. Tell them you want to live long and be healthy. They can eat what they want to eat, and you eat what you want to.

2) Eat Breakfast

You've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make it a mission to make sure you eat it. Working out on an empty stomach can boast metabolism and burn more calories, but for the most part, your first meal is the most crucial. If you get adequate sleep, then your first meal should be breaking the fast during that beauty rest (i.e. "Break-fast"). The right breakfast fuels your body for the day, giving you energy, nutrients. Breakfast Benefits

3) Get A Workout Buddy

Exercising by yourself can be boring and you might lose interest after the same routine. Check out your local gym for fitness classes and turn it into a date with a significant other or friend. Surrounding yourself with people who have your same habits and goals, make it easier for you to stay on target and also keeps you accountable. You're less likely to but that snooze button in the morning if there is someone waiting for you who you'll inconvenience if you don't show up.

4) Eat the Rainbow

Each meal should have a different protein, vegetable, carb (the good ones!), and healthy fat source. Try to eat less heavily processed and packaged foods, salt and oil. Generally the rawer the food, the better it is for you.

5) Don't Drink Your Calories

Opt for water instead. Anything else will be loaded with unneeded calories and less nutrients than selecting food instead. According to Yoni Freedhoff, MD, assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, people are likely to "consume virtually the same number of food calories as you would have had you chosen a calorie-free beverage (like water)." Look at the nutrition label of the drinks you consume; see the calories and the sugar content, and you may think otherwise next time you go to order it or grab a glass of it. Are those calories worth it? You decide.

Read Professor Freedhoff's Article Here

6) Keep A Food Log/Journal

By keeping track of what goes into your body, you can better understand your nutrient deficiencies and what else you need to eat to keep your daily intake balanced. Based on a recommendation I received from a Team BeachBody Coach, I use the MyFitnessApp, made by Under Armor. It accounts for my height/weigh/age and my fitness activity level, as well as my fitness goals. There's a barcode scanner to scan food you eat, and you can search for food, as well as input recipes for meals you prepare yourself. It keeps track of all my nutrients and shows a pie chart for macronutrient percentages. It also tracks my exercise, allowing me to replenish what I lose in intense workouts. As an athlete, I love this app!

7) Love Yourself

Mental Health is just as, if not more, important than physical health. Our brain dictates our actions and our actions provide the results. If one does not have good mental health, it may be difficult to attain or maintain good physical health. Start by loving yourself and accepting all that you are, no one is perfect, and there is always ways to improve. Positive thinking can also go a long way. Keep a journal and write down five good things that happen each day. A positive mind will lead to positive results.

8) Drink More Water

Aim to drink 1.5 L of water per day. The benefits of water are endless; healthy skin and hair, helps control calories, regulate body fluids and temperature, and keep the body functioning properly.

Read more here

9) Get At Least 7hrs of Sleep

Getting the proper amount of beauty sleep will rid you of bags under your eyes, will keep you energized throughout the day, keep you away from energy drinks, boast your metabolism, and can potentially make you less grouchy if you are someone who has an ugly side when sleep deprived. So get that shut eye.

10) 20 mins Exercise (of YOUR choice) 4x per week

Exercise makes you happier, smarter, more energized, less stressed, and improves important organs for your overall health. The key is to find what you enjoy. If exercise feels like a chore, people are more likely to give up, not be consistent with it, and will not make it a priority if it is not fun. Go golfing, play a sport, go for a swim; do whatever will keep you moving, active, and keep the blood flowing.

Read U.S. News Report

Your health is what you make of it. Find what works best for you, but these are just 10 tips to get you started on a long and happy life :)