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Health & Fitness

Healthy New Year!

How many times have you heard the term "New Year's Resolution" so far? This is the quintessential time of year when people jump on the "time to get healthy" band wagon. People make all kinds of unrealistic declarations like "I'm going to work out every day!" Or, "I'm never eating dessert again!" Not surprisingly, those pledges, while made with the best of intentions, rarely stand the test of time. My advice: Keep it simple! Even small changes made in your daily life can have a huge impact on your long term health.  

 

Here are some small changes to consider:

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  • Reduce your consumption of processed food: I encourage you to visit my new favorite blog: 100 Days of Real Food. Why is it a good idea to reduce your intake of processed food? Lisa Leake summarizes it so well here, I won't even try to explain it.  
  • Purchase a pedometer: Boston-based personal trainer Helena Collins calls the affordable little pedometer "the most effective fitness tool known to man"- or woman. "Becoming aware of how much you move is such motivation to move more," she says. "Not only for you, but for your whole family. Kids love pedometers - it becomes a family challenge about movement, not exercise." Once you have worn it for a few days and determined your usual number of steps, set a goal to beat that number. You'd be surprised at the drive you will have to take one more walk around the block (or the house, or the kitchen...) when you are a mere 500 steps from your daily goal!

  • Eat more fruits and vegetables: "Eat your veggies!" is a statement mothers everywhere have been proclaiming for years. Do you need more motivation than the obvious benefits you're already aware of? Guess what? It's cool now to have a high plant-based diet! On his 44th Birthday last month, Jay Z embarked on a 22 day vegan challenge (with wife Beyonce coming along for support of course). Why 22 days? Because studies have shown it takes 21 days to break a habit. If increasing your "cool factor" doesn't motivate you, and you are still challenged to bridge the gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day, Contact me about a sample of Juice Plus.

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  • Get more sleep: Studies have shown that the quantity and quality of your sleep impacts your health, mood, weight and even your sex life. Do you want to live longer, be more productive and creative at work, get sick less often or reduce stress? If you aren't getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night, start by going to bed a ½ hour earlier each night.

  • Drink more water: Proper hydration helps your body carry nutrients to your cells, avoid constipation, remove toxins from your organs and keeps your skin looking healthy. In addition, switching from highly caloric beverages like soda or juice to zero calorie water will make a big difference in your overall calorie intake over the course of a week.    

  • I'm not suggesting you adopt all of these changes today. That would go against the philosophy of keeping it simple. Pick one or two changes (from this list or others that are more relevant to you) that you believe you can adopt without too much stress or burden. It's highly likely that once you begin feeling some of the benefits of these changes, you will be inclined to try out one or two more. You may also want to consider attending my 3 Steps Toward Optimal Health program workshop on January 7th (find details here) to learn how to transition to a healthier and sustainable way of eating.

     

    "The most minute transformation is like a pebble dropped into a still lake. The ripples spread out endlessly." ~ Emmanuel


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