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Jeanette McVoy

10 Simple Steps To Improve Your Health

Posted by Jeanette McVoy on Apr 3rd, 2015

Many of us make health-related resolutions, such as to lose weight, eat healthier, stop smoking or join theneighborhood health club. While it is common to set big goals, experts say that setting smaller goals could do morefor our health.

“Small steps are doable and are easier to fit into your daily routine,” says James O. Hill, Ph.D., Director of the Centerfor Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. “They are less overwhelming than a big,sudden change.”

Here are 10 to try:

1. Control your weight gain

Even if you gain just 1 to 2 pounds every year, the extra weight adds up quickly.

2. Take more small steps.

Use a pedometer to count your daily steps. Keep adding steps, 1,000 to 2,000 each month or so, until you take10,000 steps on most days. Adding 2,000 is the equivalent of one extra mile.

3. Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up.

Its a habit the majority of individuals in the national Weight Control Registry follow, and several research studies showthat people who eat breakfast weigh less than those who don’t. Researchers think this is because the morning mealhelps you manage your hunger better during the day. It is very important to eat lean protein with your breakfast everyday. Protein is the body’s top fuel choice and it is more filling than carbohydrates and fat.

4. Don’t count calories, measure portions.

Many research studies have shown that people tend to dramatically underestimate the amount of food they eat.

5. Have at least one green salad every day.

Eating a salad (with low-fat or fat-free dressing) is filling and may help you eat less during the meal. It also countstoward your five daily cups of vegetables.

6. Avoid saturated and trans fat.

Purchase lean meats, eat poultry without the skin, switch to lower-fat cheeses, use a nonstick pan with only a dab ofolive oil. Want a shortcut to figuring out if a fat is healthy? Take a look at it at room temperature. Healthy fats like oliveoil are liquid at room temperature, and these liquid fats are the one least likely to clog your arteries

7. Eat protein with every meal.

Protein is your metabolism’s first choice. The protein in food is broken down into its individual components, calledamino acids. Some of these are used for your body’s housekeeping functions (maintaining muscle, makinghormones, and general cell repair), but the rest is burned.

The fact that the body doesn’t have anywhere to store excess protein is probably why you fill up on protein faster thanyou do on carbs or fats. Eating it gives you built-in appetite and calorie control.

Think about it! You probably could eat a quart of ice cream (mostly sugar and fat) if you tried but would struggle towolf down an equivalent amount of lean meat, poultry, or fish.

8. Eat six times a day.

Your meals should be spaced every 2-4 hours to keep your insulin levels stable, to help you manage your hunger,and to maintain your energy levels.

9. Lose just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight for huge health benefits.

It can lower your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides.

10. Keep track of your eating.

Write down what you eat over the next couple of days and look for problem spots. Often, just writing things down canhelp you eat less.

Hope you enjoyed this information!

To Your Health!

Jeanette

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