Cheryl A. Major is a volunteer contributor to WestfordCAT News. Subscribe to our free, online newsletter for all your local news.
We’re halfway through 2017! Can you believe it? So… let’s talk about some healthy eating habits you can adopt this year. A habit can be either good or bad, so let’s make sure your new habits are healthy ones that will serve you well this year and beyond!
When we view healthy eating habits as a choice and not something that’s been forced upon us, we become empowered and excited to incorporate those habits into our life style. We can choose to make healthy eating habits our everyday eating habits and not something we start every few months and abandon in a few weeks or a month.
I’ve put together 10 habits to get you started on your healthy eating adventure! (Actually, I got a bit carried away, so here are the first five. Get cracking on those, and then we’ll do another five next week!)
- Add something new to your diet – Don’t think of your new habits as dieting or deprivation, and don’t think about taking something out of your diet. Instead, add something new you haven’t tried before. Try a new fruit or vegetable that you’ve never tasted. Make it fun and a new adventure.
- Eat a good breakfast – Starting your day off with a good breakfast will keep your energy level up. Be sure you have a good balance of protein, healthy fats and a small amount of fresh fruit on your plate. Grabbing a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice will spike your sugar levels with a rush of energy, only to let you crash and be really hungry by mid-morning.
- Snack your way to healthy – Too often we look to decrease our intake of calories and forget that the point of eating right to stay healthy is not to starve ourselves but to nourish ourselves. Healthy snacking in-between your main meals is a great way to keep your blood sugar level. If you “graze” during the day, you will be less likely to stuff yourself because you’re starving at your next meal.
- Increase your fluid intake – Clean, pure water is always your best choice for fluid intake, but if you want a variety of flavors, try a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a tiny bit of organic juice added to your water to give it a bit of flavor. You can also try a squeeze of orange or lime if you wish. Avoid the powdered sugar drinks and diet drinks like the plague. They’re not good for you, and whatever you do, don’t drink soda! Green tea or in the summer, iced green tea is a refreshing alternative.
- Mix it up a bit – If you get bored with salad, feel free to be creative. Creating a different salad for every day of the week is easy when you mix it up a little bit. Adding things like hard-boiled eggs, sardines, garbanzo beans and anything else you can think of gives the standard salad a great pick-me-up. Sliced fruit can add a bit of pizzazz, too, but avoid dried fruit like cranberries as they are loaded with sugar and most often contain preservatives so they retain their bright, pretty color. Try “spirilizing” your veggies! Here’s a great book to give you ideas and inspiration… Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals
By incorporating these first five of your new 10 healthy eating habits into your daily routine you’ll feel better which will help you stay on track and make these great habits just that…habits!
Helping You Achieve Major Wellness!
Cheryl A Major lives in Westford and is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Her TV show Thin Strong Healthy airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of her blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com Cheryl offers ongoing information and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier. Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CherylAMajor. She is also a full time residential Realtor with Coldwell Banker with more than 25 years experience.
Questions? Email Cheryl at cheryl@thinstronghealthy.com and be sure to put Health Question in the subject line. Your question and its answer will be included in a future article
