5 GOOD HABITS YOU MAY WANT TO PICK UP!

Hey Howdy Hey! Most people really want to be healthy. But, many see it as just too much work. Here are a few easy suggestions that can make a difference in your health:

1. As You Seek to Improve Your Health, Aim High, but be Realistic
Unless you are a super achiever, you don’t have to make grandiose resolutions. Experts say it’s better to aim for something realistic that you really can do rather than work toward an almost impossible goal  and realize after just a couple of days that you’ll never succeed, and then quit trying altogether.

2. Choose a Healthy Snack
A snack now and then provides a welcome energy boost and a break. For instance, you might start a healthier diet program by deciding to eat healthy snacks (like organic fruits or vegetables) rather than candy bars and soft drinks. Fruits and vegetables provide important nutrients and don’t cause the spike in blood sugar that can leave you feeling flat once the candy bar sugar rush has passed.

3. Where You Eat Makes a Difference
According to Cynthia Harington, a nationally recognized Nutritionist and founder of the Rose Quest Nutrition Centre in Mishawaka, “Try sitting and eating at a table in the kitchen or dining room. Over the past 30 years, many of my clients have confirmed my belief that eating in front of the television or computer may stimulate ‘mindless eating’ – continuing to eat even after one is full because the plate full of food is still in front of you and you’re focused on something else.”

4. Portion Control Matters – Choose Your Dishes Carefully
Serving size matters, and choosing your dishes carefully can help you control the size of your portions. Reach for a skinny glass. Harington has found that her clients feel they have had more to drink if the same amount is served in a tall, skinny glass than in a short, fat glass. The tall, skinny glass makes the serving look larger. Plates and bowls come in all sizes. Go for the 9-inch plate rather than the 11-inch plate and the same size helping will appear larger. Harington added, “I’ve observed that the bigger the bowl or plate, the more people will eat.”

5. Start Learning to Read Nutrition Labels
We all know, reading nutrition labels can be a challenge at first, but if you can zero in on even a few of the facts, they could help you maintain better health. For instance, you might want to check the number of servings in a package or on the bottle, the amount of sugar, sodium, or calories. Harington explained, “For instance, the amount of sodium the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and the AHA  recommend has an upper limit of 1,500 mg for most of the population. So, the 800-plus milligrams that you can find in a single frozen dinner can be problematic for some people. Knowing how to avoid foods which could present a health risk to you is important.”

Have an awesome week!