Healthy Habits to Follow

In honor of National Nutrition Month, here's some habits to get you going on your quest for a healthy lifestyle:

Water - you hear and read about it everywhere, but still many people reach for sugary soft drinks to quench their thirst. You need water. Your body is made of more than 60% water. To break it down, blood is 92% water, the brain and muscles are 75% water, and bones are about 22% water. Eliminating soda, teas, and sports drinks will change your body significantly. You will feel much better the more hydrated you are, and the elimination of all that excess sugar will help with fat loss.

  Walk - get moving. Even if you have a desk job (like most people) make it a point to keep moving throughout the day. Take the stairs over the escalator/elevator. Need to speak to someone in the office?  go to where they are instead of shooting them an email.

 

Protein & Fiber - make it a point to have protein and fiber rich foods at each meal. Whole grains, fruits or veggies, and meat (or other protein source) will help fill you up and keep your body going. 

Plan Your Meals - Have a calendar in the kitchen and try to plan out recipes for the week or even the month ahead! If you have the recipes and ingredients readily available, it makes it easy to stick to healthy eating if you map it out. Write it down and commit to it.

Plan Your Workout - similar to meal planning, pencil in your workouts. Make it a point to have it on your schedule so that you stay committed. Look at your calendar and see where you can fit an hour of time to exercise each day.

Bring a Buddy - Don't go at it alone! Recruit a friend, family member, coworker, or significant other to join your journey. It's great to have a support system and you can work tag-team style motivating each other to stick to your plan. Plus, if you commit to each other you'll feel guilty letting the other down if you mess up. Or if you're a more competitive person, think of it as a challenge, maybe even make a bet with your wellness partner.