One of the top New Year’s Resolutions usually involves eating better and getting healthier. Have you ever made this your New Year’s Resolution? Don’t wait another day. Get started on your journey to being healthier today. Based on the most common habits people have admitted to me over the years, here are my top 5 easy ways to improve your health in 2019.
1. Make smart drink choices!
Beverages can be a huge source for extra calories and sugar which can lead to weight gain and related health issues. Exchanging soda, fruit juice or other sweetened beverages for low-fat milk, coffee, tea or water can save calories and unwanted sugar. Low-fat milk provides some calories but also supplies calcium, potassium, some B vitamins and protein. Coffee, tea and water provide zero calories but offer hydration and some antioxidants. Decaffeinated coffee and tea offer those benefits without the stimulant. But then again, a little caffeine can be okay too. Add a little flavor to water with some fruit slices or a little splash of juice.
2. Limit sugar!
While a little bit of sugar occasionally can be okay, too much on a regular basis can wreak havoc on your health and your waistline. Dietary guidelines recommend limiting added sugar to no more than 10% of your total daily calories. That means no more than 200 calories from added sugars for someone on a 2,000 calorie diet. One 20-ounce soda has over 200 calories. For Americans, sugar-sweetened beverages like soda account for the majority of added sugars consumed. For an easy way to limit added sugars, see recommendation #1.
3. Include more fruits and vegetables!
Most Americans do not eat the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Why is this a problem? Because some of the nutrients Americans are missing, like potassium and fiber, are found in fruits and vegetables. Getting the recommended amount does take some planning. Try adding fruit or making a fruit smoothie for breakfast. Snack on carrot and celery slices during the day. Add a vegetable with lunch and dinner. Choose vegetable plates when eating out. You will reap the benefits of the extra fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients.
4. Make more of your grains whole!
Grains can be a healthy part of your diet. The problem is we eat too many processed grains in the form of white flour, white bread, pasta and white rice. The extra processing removes most of the bran and the germ which contain many vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Nearly 75% of the nutritional value can be removed when a grain is refined. Try switching to whole grain flours, breads, pasta and choose brown rice.
5. Limit portions!
The number one cause of obesity is not necessarily the type of food we are eating but how much we eat. I have met several people that eat all the wrong things but are still not overweight because they are not eating those foods in large amounts. The quantity of calories still outweighs the quality of the calories when it comes to gaining weight. Some foods are lower in calories and therefore we can eat more of them without much impact on weight. Other foods are very high in calories and can sabotage a diet quickly. Of course, I am concerned about the quality of the calories too for good health but when it comes to losing weight, it really is mostly about the calories. So, enjoy your food, just don’t eat too much.
