Daily Dish the Fork Lift blog
Here’s to a Healthy 2017!
Health Notes by Dr. Liz
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With a New Year comes a new you… right? This year let’s focus on a few key areas for better health but without the grand plans of dropping “all” those extra pounds or exercising “every day.” These simple tips will get you going on the right track for a healthy year ahead.
With a New Year comes a new you… right? This year let’s focus on a few key areas for better health but without the grand plans of dropping “all” those extra pounds or exercising “every day.” These simple tips will get you going on the right track for a healthy year ahead.
- Eating out without overeating. Plan on taking home half the entrée for leftovers or splitting with your dinner date (this also helps save on your food bill).
- Downsize your portions. Rather than omitting favorite foods in an effort to lose weight, give downsizing a try. Shaving off 25% on portions of higher calorie foods such as dressings, sauces, sweets and added fats can make a big impact on total calorie intake, and make a notable change around your waist.
- Try something new. Give new veggies, fruit, grains, beans or other plant-based foods a try. You never know what you will really like and the nutritional variety will be great for your health.
- Use a phone app to stay on track. MyFitnessPal and other smartphone apps help you be realistic about your daily eating and physical activity through tracking technology. These apps (used daily or a day or two at a time) ask you to enter food eaten and time spent doing specific exercises. Research studies show this may help many people lose weight and/or become more consistent with their fitness plans.
- Pick a fun fitness related goal for the year. Enter yourself (and recruit a few friends) for a charity walk or run or maybe your first organized bike ride! This goal will keep you committed to fitness routine as well as doing something positive for the community.
- Allow ample “down time” nightly. Sleep and non-technology time is vital for revitalizing your body and brain. Research shows that restful sleep for 7-8 hours nightly can help avoid stress and even assist in weight control, as too little sleep is associated with overeating and weight gain. And avoiding “screen time,” such as phone or tablet use, an hour before bedtime helps the brain wind down for a more restful sleep.
Need a little help forming your healthy eating and exercise plan? Check out this 21-Day Plan, complete with shopping lists, meal suggestions, recipes and more!
