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By Terry Orr
I
wasn’t sure what how to improve on last year’s article "How to Achieve Your
Goals with Healthy Habits ` Written by Leo Babauta" – but I did find an
interesting list of 101 Healthy Habits to share with you. Those that are in red are items that several
others mention in their articles as well. Hope that you enjoy!
101 Healthy Habits that
Anyone Can Follow by Anastasiya
Developing healthy habits can be
overwhelming if you do not know where to start. A lot of people fail at healthy
living simply because they try too many things at the same time and they end up
not sticking to anything. They get back to their double cheeseburgers and
“exciting” evenings in front of the TV and keep getting bigger as their health
problems increase.
Developing healthy habits that stick is
not that complicated if you choose the simple ones and progress slowly. Here
are 101 healthy habits that you can choose from. Just pick one habit at a time,
conquer it and then try the next one. It is that simple!
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Healthy
Eating
1.
Always eat a big breakfast
2.
Add 1/2 cup of fruits to your breakfast
3.
Drink 8 glasses of water and carry a bottle of water with you
all the time
4.
Start a food diary and track how much you are actually eating (with 2/3 of the Americans
being overweight or obese overeating is a real problem today). The general
guidelines are 1600 calories for women and 2200 for men (active people would
obviously need more)
5.
Substitute fresh and dried fruits and berries for candies and
granola bars
6.
Eat fish on most days of the week. Choose fatty fish like
salmon, herring and trout as often as possible
7.
Eat only whole grain cereal. Look for at least 3 g of fiber and not more than 10g of sugar
in one serving
8.
Add walnuts to your breakfast or salad to increase your omega-3 consumption
9.
Add sunflower seeds, almonds and hazelnuts to your meals to
increase your vitamin E consumption
10. Eat red meat once a week
or less
11. Choose only lean meat and
poultry
12. Do not fry shrimp or any
other shellfish. Grill, boil or bake it to reduce cholesterol
13. Eat fresh fruits as snacks between meals
14. Eat at least one apple daily
15. Choose fat free or low fat
dairy products
16. Eliminate foods made with
trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils)
17. Make every meal balanced: 40-50% carbs, 25-35%
protein, 20-30% fat
18. Include at least 1/2 a cup
of beans and other legumes in your meals daily (legumes are high in protein and
fiber, but very low in fat and carbs. They will keep you full longer, lower
your cholesterol levels and nourish your body with important nutrients)
19. Consider going
semi-vegetarian completely or at least for a week every month
20. Ditch soft drinks
21. Limit your consumption of
juices. Opt for freshly squeezed juices to get the most nutrients and dilute
them with water to reduce calories
22. Have small treats every
week. Choose a treat that you like the most and have it every week to keep your
healthy eating enjoyable (eating a pizza or a chocolate Sundae is not a treat, it
is pigging out)
23. Do not eat heavy meals
before you go to bed. If you are hungry go for some fruit, a small bowl of
whole grain cereal or yogurt
24. Exclude foods made with
high fructose corn syrup
25. Eat lots of brightly
colored vegetables (spinach, tomatoes, carrots, beets etc.) because they are
rich in anti-oxidants, flavonoids and vitamins
26. If you are trying to lose
weight, decrease each of your meals by 25%
27. Use coconut oil for
cooking. Most liquid oils (like olive oil, canola oil etc.) become toxic and
turn into trans fats once they are heated to 200 degrees whereas coconut oil
stays stable up to 360 degrees
28. Use olive oil and balsamic
vinegar as dressing for your salads. Forget about Ranch and Thousand Island for
the sake of your heart and arteries
29. Drink dry red wine with
fatty meals (limit it to 2 glasses for men and 1 glass for women)
30. Drink coffee (you can enjoy up to 3
cups of coffee daily and reduce your risks of developing type 2 diabetes,
Parkinson disease and colon cancer)
31. Soak meat for 6 hours in a
wine or beer based marinade before grilling. It will reduce the amount of
carcinogens (chemicals linked to cancer) and other harmful substances for up to
88%
32. Eat hot and spicy stuff
33. Eat oatmeal in the morning
34. Choose cottage cheese and
yogurt instead of regular cheese and sour cream when cooking
35. Eat dark chocolate to cope with cravings and
to protect blood vessels as well as to prevent cardiovascular disease (do not
go overboard though, one or two squares daily is all you need)
36. Eat whole wheat bread with at least 3 g of fiber
in each serving
37. Use mustard instead of
mayo on sandwiches
38. Follow a Mediterranean
diet to decrease risks of cancer and heart disease (Mediterranean diet is rich
in lean proteins, fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil and red wine)
39. Eat only wild caught fish,
grass-fed beef and free range chicken to ensure that you get the best nutrients
without chemicals or contaminants
40. Go half-organic
41. Follow “The Less – The
Better” rule when eating
42. Do not eat in front of the
TV, a computer or while reading a newspaper
43. Drink loose green and
black tea without sugar
44. Decrease your daily sodium
intake
45. Make snacks not more than
100 calories. A 500-calorie piece of cake is not a snack, it’s a meal
46. Add at least one serving
of fruits or vegetables at every meal (one serving is about 1/2 of a cup of
sliced produce and 1 cup of leafy greens). Aim at getting 5-9 serving of fruits
and vegetables daily
47. Drink vegetable or tomato
juice instead of fruit juices
48. Stack your fridge with healthy
products weekly to avoid last-minute carry outs, unhealthy frozen dinners
and eating out
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Exercise
49. Walk for at least 30 minutes
every day
50. Start your day with
morning exercises
51. Buy a pedometer and make
at least 10,000 steps every day
52. Schedule your workouts
beforehand
53. Have 10-15 min workouts
several times throughout a day (you can do push-ups and sit-ups, go up and down
the stairs, walk around the block, have a mini Yoga workout)
54. Get yourself a dog and go
for a walk with it every day
55. Walk with a weighted west
to burn more calories and to prevent bone loss
56. Add weekly Yoga sessions
to relieve stress and improve you mind and body connection
57. Buy a jumping rope and
jump as often as you can
58. Exercise with your kids
and your partner
59. Add muscle strengthening
workouts at least once a week
60. Start a physical activity log
61. Get at least 2 hours 30
minutes of moderate activity weekly (brisk walking, dancing, gardening,
swimming) or at least 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity weekly
(jogging, cardio aerobics)
62. Follow “The more – The
better” rule with your physical activity
63. Sign up for a community
event like a walk for a cause, 5K, triathlon etc.
64. Increase your physical
activity by 10% weekly
65. Make your own motivational
collage and keep it in front of you all the time
66. Stretch out every 1-2 hours at work
67. Invest in a mini home gym
– buy a few dumbbells, resistance bands,a jumping rope, a medicine ball or a
stability ball. This way you can squeeze in a short workout at any time
68. Buy exercise DVDs, find
workouts on YouTube or sign up for a workout podcast and work out at home
69. Employ an “I think I can
do” attitude to stay on track with your workouts
70. Create back-up plans for
your workouts in case of obstacles, e.g. “If there weather is bad I’ll …”,
“When I have to work late I’ll …”, “When I am tired I’ll …”
71. If you are a runner or a
walker then buy new shoes every 300-400 miles
72. Find your best workout and
start it today
73. Try new activities monthly
to keep you enthusiastic about working out
74. Use your imagination when
working out (imagine that you are climbing a mountain when you are working out
on an elliptical machine or that you are competing in a marathon while running
on a treadmill)
75. Add balance exercises to your
workouts – complex movements force your mind to work harder engaging
multiple parts of your brain as well as multiple muscles (try dancing, Pilates,
Yoga)
76. Join an online community
where you can track your progress and talk to people who have similar interests
or goals as you do. Most popular fitness magazines have free (or almost free)
personal trainer tools and online communities on their websites
(menshealth.com, shape.com, runnersworld.com). Other great websites are
sparkpeople.com and bodybuilding.com
77. Get inspired. Read blogs, websites or
magazines that share exercise success stories and find your inspiration every
day
78. Walk a few laps around the
mall before you start shopping
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General health
79. Use sunscreen all the time
80. Spend 15 min in the sun daily to boost the production of
Vitamin D in your body
81. Take Vitamin D supplements
in winter or if you do not spend enough time outside
82. Take multivitamins and
mineral supplements
83. Go to sleep earlier and sleep longer (get your
8 hours of zzz-s daily)
84. Do not forget about your regular medical checkups. You can visit www.HealthTestingCenters.com to schedule a
testing
85. Keep your vaccinations
up-to-date
86. Keep track of your health. Control your cholesterol
levels, your body measurements, your food intake, exercise and just the way you
feel to avoid serious problems in the future and to realize when something goes
wrong. A great website to track everything is thecarrot.com
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Mental and Emotional Health
87. Laugh every day, several times a day
88. Make a list of up to 100
personal pleasures and pursue one every week
89. In order to gain balance in life make a list of things “My
life would be complete if …” and see what areas of your life you need to focus
on
90. Make a list of the
happiest moments of your life and think about one of these moments every day.
This will be decrease your stress levels and make you a happier person
91. Keep an uncluttered to-do list. Avoid to-do lists that
are longer than 9-10 tasks and update them as you go
92. Add mini relaxation
sessions (1.5 – 2 minutes) throughout the day: close your eyes, relax, breathe
slowly and deeply, imagine a peaceful and serene place
93. Read books every day
94. Play brain games as often
as possible (Games for Brain, Brain Games)
95. Feel younger no matter
what your age is – do things that are not “appropriate” for your age, hang out
with younger people, be optimistic and less serious about life
96. Learn a new skill every
week
97. Spend money on memorable
vacations and trips with money you’re saving rather than shopping.
98. Try balance exercises with
your eyes closed – this will improve your brain’s plasticity. Stand on one leg
with your eyes closed or try Yoga poses with closed eyes
99. Ditch TV
100.
Practice media detox days weekly (no TV, no cell phone, no
Internet)
101.
Become spiritual (consider prayer, religion, meditation,
positive beliefs). Spirituality is linked to longevity, better health and lower
stress levels as well as a general sense of well-being.
Stay
healthy and Keep is balanced!
References and Links:
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