10 Small Steps To Improve Your Health
Many of us make health-related resolutions, such as to lose weight, stop staying up late or join the neighborhood health club. While it is common to set high goals, experts say that setting smaller goals could do more for your health.
Small steps are achievable and are easier to fit into your daily routine. They are less overwhelming than a big, sudden change. I like to call it small pivots to Optimal YOU status. The secret is to start small. Small is Mighty when it comes to making changes that change everything! Here are 10 small changes you can do right now…
small changes
1. Keep an eye on your weight and work on making sure you are not gaining extra lbs.
Even if you gain just a pound or two every year, the extra weight adds up quickly. I play with 3 lbs. If I see the scale go up by 3…I am ON it! Your joints and heart do not like to carry extra weight so keep an eye on it and monitor mindfully. The goal is to maintain your healthy weight and limit fluctuations that stress the body and stretch your skin.
2. Take more small steps.
Use a FitBit or cell phone app to count your daily steps; then add 2,000, the equivalent of one extra mile. Keep adding steps, 1,000 to 2,000 each month or so, until you take 10,000 steps on most days. Go for it! It really makes a difference in maintaining your healthy weight. Simple pivots like parking further away to walk into the store or taking the stairs instead of the elevator make it easy to get your steps in…
3. Eat breakfast.
Breakfast eaters tend to weigh less and have better diets overall. For a filling and nutrition-packed breakfast, try my favorite breakfast: Top Oat Groats with fresh fruit slices, nuts and low-fat or fat-free milk or almond milk.
4. Switch three grain servings each day to whole grain.
If you're like the average American, you eat less than one whole grain serving a day. My general rule is to avoid “white” (breads, potatoes, pastas). Whole grains are packed with nutrients including protein, fiber, B Vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium) A diet rich in whole grains reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and even some forms of cancer… sign me up!
5. Have at least one green salad every day.
Eating a salad (with low-fat or fat-free dressing sparingly) is filling and may help you eat less during the meal. It also counts toward your five daily cups of vegetables and fruits. I make a habit of shopping often for fresh veggies…at least 3 times a week. There is nothing better than a crisp fresh salad! There are convenient fresh produce delivery services that will bring your fresh salad ingredients right to your front door! No excuses.
6. Trim the fat.
Fat has a lot of calories, and calories count. Purchase lean meats, eat poultry without the skin, switch to lower-fat cheeses, use a nonstick pan with only a dab of oil or butter. My plant-based diet keeps me in the low-fat zone naturally.
7. Consider calcium by including two or three daily servings of low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt.
Dairy calcium is good for bones and may also help you lose weight. And for those of us that can’t have dairy, you have options too…here are some of my favorite calcium-rich foods:
Fortified almond milk and rice milk
Fortified Orange Juice
Canned pink salmon with bones
Fortified cereals (read the labels!)
Green leafy Vegetables (spinach, kale, turnip and collard greens)
Beans (Garbanzo, kidney, navy and white)
Veggies like cooked broccoli, cabbage, edamame and acorn squash
Papaya, dried figs and oranges
9. Lose just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight.
The health benefits are huge—-lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides. Exercise more and eat less. Plain and simple. Make a point of it each day…
10. Keep track of your eating.
Write down what you eat in your food journal over the next couple of days and look for problem spots. Often, just writing things down can help you eat less. And I don’t know about you, but I can’t bear to write “chocolate bar” in my food journal…that alone is motivation to cut out the snacking!
make it happen
Start today. Have a plan with a strategy that implements tiny pivots in the right direction. Always point your arrow forward. Each day that you practice your tiny shifts in the right direction, you improve the quality of your life and increase longevity. Start with just 2 tiny habits from the list above and as they become rituals, add on and watch your Optimal Lifestyle blossom! I will always cheer you on! It’s never too late to point your arrow and pivot toward your best Life!
