Instead of one New Year’s Resolution, try making 12 this year! I know it sounds impossible, but unlike most resolutions, these will be easy to keep once you see and feel the results!
Here are 12 things you can do to improve your health over the next 12 months (try one per month if you have trouble multi-tasking). Of the major influences on disease (according to integrative medicine guru Dr. Andrew Weil) -- genetics, stress, toxicity, and nutrition -- what you eat is by far the easiest to control so start now and make 2012 your healthiest year yet.
1. Eat more leafy greens. Leafy greens are high in calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are also full of fiber, folic acid, many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Learn how to cook them (braised, stir-fried in sesame oil, etc) and you might even like them!
2. Eat sockeye salmon - it doesn't matter if it's canned, frozen or fresh; sockeye salmon by nature cannot be farmed and contains more bio-available Omega-3 fatty acids than any other food. To learn more about the benefits of Omega-3s, click here.
3. Reduce your intake of refined, processed and manufactured foods. These are almost always the most high-glycemic load foods, which cause your body to produce too much insulin. Over-production of insulin is now thought by many physicians to be the key piece in the poor health puzzle because it contributes to low-level chronic inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease and obesity.
4. Eat berries. Not only do they have a very low glycemic load compared to other fruits, they are full of disease-fighting anti-oxidants and taste incredible. I often eat fresh berries when I want something sweet after a meal. During winter, throw some frozen berries into a smoothie with high-protein Greek yogurt.
5. Eat more legumes. Beans are practically nature’s perfect food – an ideal balance of protein and carbohydrate; they are also high in fiber and low in fat. Try putting a half cup of beans on your salads in place of animal protein at least a few times a week or do the meatless Monday thing and have beans and brown rice or roasted vegetables over curried lentils instead of meat and potatoes to start the week of right.
6. Consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Many doctors now recommend 1000 mg if Vitamin D 3 a day, especially if you work indoors, live North of Georgia on a map or obsessively apply sunscreen for fear of burning or wrinkling. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to MS, many forms of cancer, weak bones, and mental and emotional disorders. Another plus - you are supposed to take your supplement with a meal that contains fat (healthy fat please!).
7. Reduce your intake of factory-farmed animal products. Factory farmed animals are generally sick and unhealthy animals. When they become sick (from being kept in tight quarters and overfed foods that are not natural to their diets), they are given large doses of antibiotics, which then contaminate the meat, milk and eggs we get from them. For sustainable animal products in your area, check out this great resource.
8. Get turmeric, ginger and cinnamon into your diet. Turmeric has been linked to preventing Alzheimer's, and ginger is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, which means it can mitigate many of the "diseases of aging." Cinnamon has been shown to lower blood sugar so sprinkle it generously on toast or oatmeal or toss a tsp in a banana smoothie.
9. Eat dark chocolate. Let me be clear -- do not eat dark chocolate after you eat your ice cream; rather, try to satisfy your sweet tooth with dark chocolate instead of something high in empty calories. To get the health benefits, which include providing a high dose of anti-oxidants and potentially lowering blood pressure, go for an organic variety with 70% or more pure cocoa.
10. Get over your fear of fat. The latest scientific research does not support the widely-held belief that an extremely low-fat diet is optimal for good health and disease prevention. Some of the world's healthiest peoples eat as many of 40-60% of their calories from fat. However, you should eat the right fat. Monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, seeds and nuts, avocado, fatty fish) are great for you, and most people do not eat enough of them. Even saturated fat has its place in the diet but should be consumed in moderation (eggs, grass-fed beef, an ounce of unprocessed cheese or pastured butter here and there). Bed sure to read labels and do your best to avoid products containing trans-fats or partially hydrogenated oils.
11. Eat actual whole grains. Despite what Kellogg's and Kraft want you to think, whole wheat bread or any food made from flour is NOT a whole grain; it's pulverized and processed (there is no bread or bagel tree, right?). Whole grains take some work to chew and include things like quinoa, steel-cut oats and brown rice. You can find delicious whole grain recipes here.
12. Enjoy eating (stop and smell the herbs!). Eating is meant to be enjoyable, not fraught with anxiety. If you follow the rules above, you will enhance the quality of your diet, and when quality goes up, quantity often goes down. Try to stop eating while driving, walking or watching TV. Food should be tasted and savored, not shoved in the mouth at a stoplight! At least a few times a week, stop whatever else you are doing and savor each bite. Not only will you likely eat less, but you will enjoy it more.
Have a Happy, Healthy New Year!
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