Protimefit's 12 Steps To Improving Your Health
Many of us make health-related resolutions, such as to lose
weight, stop smoking, or join the neighborhood health club. While it is common
to set high goals, experts say that setting smaller goals could do more for our
health.
"Small steps are achievable and are easier to fit into your
daily routine," says James O. Hill, Ph.D., Director of the Center for
Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
"They are less overwhelming than a big, sudden change."
Here are 12 to try:
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.
2. Take more small steps. Use a pedometer 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.
3. Eat breakfast. Breakfast eaters tend to weigh less and have
better diets overall. For a filling and nutrition-packed breakfast, top Whole
Grain Total® with fresh fruit slices and low-fat or fat-free 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 servings a day.
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 counts toward your five daily cups of vegetables and fruits.
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.
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.
8. Downsize. The smaller the bag, bottle or bowl, the less you
will eat.
9. Lose just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight. The health
benefits are huge-lower 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
can help you eat less.
11. Drink optimal amounts of water. Women should drink a minimal
of 2.7 liters of water daily and men should drink a minimal of 3.7 liters of
water daily.
12. Fasting for at least 8 hours daily can be beneficial for your
health by boosting your metabolism, detoxing, controlling weight and
increasing growth hormones.
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