In order to develop new patterns that will make a true difference in your health, try following these small lifestyle changes that you can actually stick to!
Here is what I am committing to for 2014. Why don’t you join me and make this year your healthiest:
- Go green: Eat something green with every meal. (Yes, this includes breakfast.) Try spinach, kale, broccoli, or any dark-green leafy vegetable. These vegetables are packed full of nutrition and are low calorie. Eating more greens is not only good for you, but good for the environment too! I am good at getting green veggies at lunch and dinner—so I am committing to green Energizing Smoothees or spinach scrambled egg whites in the morning.
- Stop the sugar madness: When people ask me what they should drink, I always say “just water,” that is because the largest single source of unneeded calories in your diet comes from both soda and fruit juices. See how close you can get to just drinking water.
- Clean up your water: Since you are now only drinking water, you need the best. This means your water must be filtered. Bottled water is not a healthy choice. It is full of chemicals you don’t want in your body and plastic bottles are an environmental disaster. So avoid them if possible. If you want to get the whole scoop on water, check out our clean drinking water post.
- Count your steps: Buy a pedometer and commit to 10,000 steps every day. A good pedometer you can get online is called a Fitbit® Zip.™ Focus on 10,000 steps or more per day and you will feel good energy.
- Prioritize sleep: Modern life makes a good night’s sleep very difficult. (There is just too much to do!) The problem is that losing sleep makes you less smart and more forgetful, reduces your sex drive, depresses your mood, makes you crave carbohydrates, and leads to weight gain. Commit to at least seven hours of sleep every night (eight would be better) and you will see dramatic improvements in your health. I find that I feel so much better when I get at least 7 ½ hours.
- Check vitamin D levels: Research on how valuable vitamin D is to our health is exploding. Vitamin D helps support bone health, maintains the immune system, is associated with maintaining brain function, and may be a factor in reducing development of chronic diseases such as arthritis. Have your doctor check your vitamin D blood level (25-hydroxy-vitamin D), and supplement (or get enough sun) until your levels are between 50-80 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml).
For personalized nutrition consulting or special discounts on nutrition products e-mail me at lifequesthealth@aol.com
Enjoy life to the fullest! ~Michele
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