Sometimes it’s the little things that count. Here are some small changes you may consider adding one at a time to your current routine. Play with them, see where they fit in, and decide whether they make a difference. When a change gives you more energy or gets you feeling a little better, note it and stick to it and it will just become part of your life — kind of like brushing your teeth.
1.Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Staying hydrated keeps your energy level high all day! It can also play a big role in weight loss and disease prevention. Most of us walk around dehydrated. Figure out a fun way to drink water — add lemon or lime, find a cool glass and straw that you love, fill a colorful pitcher or to-go containers – so you always have water near by. Tell your kids your goal and they’ll keep you on track! (And they’ll think about drinking more water too!
2.Have your sandwich over lettuce.
Whether you are out and about, or in your kitchen. If you decide to have a sandwich, wrap, burrito or burger, eat it over a bed of greens and skip the bread.
3.Sit to eat.
So often we eat on the run. This means we graze all day on things we don’t really want and are always rushed. Make sure to sit and eat. If you only have 10 minutes this may mean you eat in the Whole Foods café, or you find a park bench. But give yourself the gift of starting and finishing a meal with presence. You will feel way more satisfied.
4.Embrace the smoothie.
The smoothie is a powerful thing! Green smoothies can get veggies into your body that you may not normally make time to eat. Chocolatey and fruity smoothies made with nuts instead of dairy and dates instead of sugar can help curb sugar cravings and kick dairy habits. (Many women say that eliminating these two things make a huge difference in their lives.)
5.Plan your week of food.
Look at your upcoming week for 15 minutes every Friday. Figure out what you will eat, when you will be too busy to spend time in the kitchen, and how you can use the weekend to make it all feel easier and doable.
6.Play with meatless Monday.
Even if you are someone who thinks she needs meat, play around with one day a week that you eat only veggies. Monday is a great day to choose because it is somewhat of a phenomenon (the popular “Meatless Monday”), so you can know you are not alone, and find lots of ideas and support on social media.
7.Read labels.
Read labels of processed and packaged food. Look for natural ingredients, and avoid those you don’t understand and the many types of hidden sugars. Have a list of things that you know are “good” and stick to those brands.
8.Move your body for 10 minutes a day.
So often when we start an exercise routine, we start with hour-long classes that take huge chunks of time and make us so sore that we can’t make it back. Instead, commit to 10 minutes a day. Maybe you go for a walk or a run. Maybe you dance or hula hoop with your kids. Maybe you sneak downstairs and do yoga in the early hours of the morning.
9.Stop eating 3 hours before you go to bed.
If you go to bed at 10, eat by 6:30. Then refrain from late night snacking. A good trick as you’re easing into this routine is to brush your teeth after dinner – it really helps to cancel post-meal sugar cravings.
10.Make something new each week.
If you are in an unhealthy rut, make an effort to make one new thing a week — a new salad, a new dip, a new healthy sweet treat. If you are in a place you feel pretty good about, chances are that when things get busy, you go back to your favorites. Try making something from a new culture, a little more involved than your usual, or with an ingredient you haven’t played with.
Which doable change will you try first? Write it on a post-it, and put it in your wallet. The burrito guy, might look at you kind of funny when you ask for the stuff on top of salad, but forget about him, and notice how great you feel!
