RESOLUTIONS MEET REALITY: WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

How are this year’s resolutions doing? Chances are, you may have fallen off the resolution wagon, especially if you were overly ambitious. Fear not it’s never too late to make small, sustainable changes in your lifestyle that result in big health improvements. Review your hardest-to-keep resolutions and adapt them into goals you can easily maintain.

Here are five common resolutions transformed into small, healthful changes that can become part of your life - for good.

1. Your resolution: Exercise one hour every day

Realistic goal: Add movement every day in 5- to 10-minute increments. Take a short walk around the office, stroll outside during the lunch hour or after dinner, jump on that exercise bike in the basement for a spin each morning or dance to music while you’re getting dinner ready. Sticking to a short period of movement a few times a day is a great way to boost energy and start building the exercise habit. While most of us find it hard to commit to big chunks of time, it’s tough to say no to 5 or 10 minutes. Arrange to walk with a friend if that helps keep you on track.

2. Your resolution: Drink eight glasses of water every day

Realistic goal: Increase water consumption by one glass at a time when you first wake up, or before lunch and dinner. Drinking water before meals helps you feel full and aids digestion. If water doesn’t entice you, make it easier for yourself by finding a water bottle that’s easy to carry around. Add a splash of lemon or lime for flavoUr. Once you’re in the habit of drinking water before one meal, it will be easier to add a glass before other meals as well.

3. Your resolution: Cut out all sugar

Realistic goal: Find healthy alternatives to reduce your sugar cravings. Try a zero-calorie sweetener. Add it to your favorite baking recipes, smoothies or add a sweet touch to unsweetened beverages.

4. Your resolution: Cut out all snacking

Realistic goal: Find healthy, easyto-prep snacks to stave off cravings for junk food, and to prevent you from overeating at mealtime. Small handfuls of nuts, raw veggies and fruits are obvious choices. Limit your snacks to 2-3 times per day. If your sweet tooth is your downfall, use a natural sweetener to sprinkle or drizzle on berries, or add a spoonful to your tea or coffee.

5. Your resolution: Stick to a specific diet

Realistic goal: Examine the diet you’re trying, whether it’s keto or paleo or something else, to identify the most important elements, and don’t go cold turkey. The keto diet is mostly about cutting carbs and sugars, plus highly processed sugar-free diet foods. The paleo diet also emphasizes proteins, cutting all dairy and sugar. Because both of these trending diets recommend eliminating both sugar and any artificial sugar substitutes, a sweetener is a great alternative. Cutting all carbs or dairy can be too challenging for most people try reducing the “forbidden items” gradually to wean yourself from your usual eating habits.

Don’t give up on those resolutions, even if you’ve slipped a little already. Adjusting your expectations will help you adapt more healthful habits you can stick with for a long, healthy life. And that’s a resolution worth keeping.-BPT