As you are starting of the New Year with goals for a healthier lifestyle, make sure to do what's best for you, not what everyone else is telling you or doing.
My friend (and colleague) Joey often says: “do what’s easy and works.” It may sound like a simplistic statement yet it is actually quite profound. Many people feel as if they have to make a drastic overhaul to their diet, their life or their exercise program or they shouldn’t bother changing anything at all. However, if you take this approach – “do whats easy and works” - you will reap the rewards of doing something as opposed to doing nothing and staying the same.
In addition, try taking the easy approach. If you were to do one easy thing to improve your health today what would it be? Once you’ve mastered one (give it several days to a week’s time), move on to another one. This approach is so simple, yet effective and empowering that you’ll soon realize there is no “perfect” ideal to live up to when it comes to diet and exercise but the most important thing is to move in a positive direction every day.
Here are a few easy things you can do to improve your health.
• Drink 8 (or more) glasses of water daily - bring water with you wherever you go
• Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night (teenagers and those who exercise strenuously may need more)
• Eat vegetables with every lunch and dinner
• Go through your refrigerator and throw out anything that has expired or has been left in there too long or is high in calories or saturated fats
• Do the same thing with your kitchen cabinets (give unexpired, non-perishable items to your local food bank)
• Make the switch to higher fiber foods (brown rice, higher fiber cereals, whole grain bread)
• Eat or drink 3 servings of dairy or dairy alternatives per day (with calcium and vitamin D)
• Sit down with no distractions for at least one meal per day - chew slowly!
• Take a dietary supplement that may improve your health especially a multivitamin and vitamin D3
• Accept the fact that you don’t need to do everything at once
• Always take the stairs
• Fit in 10 minutes of walking at lunchtime
If you take this approach you will soon realize that what once seemed insurmountable now seems like something you can tackle, one improvement at a time.
Which one are you going to start today? Next week? Next month? It doesn't matter, just do one at a time and you will get there easily!
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