New Year, New Habits

Whatever your new year’s resolutions might be, here are six healthy habits you might want to try:

1. Drink a full glass of cold water before every meal. This will help to fill your stomach so you feel full faster. Some research even suggests that the cold temperature of the water may boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories.
2. Put your fork down between bites of food. This technique helps to slow down your eating pace which allows time for your stomach to tell your brain that you are full.
3. Chew every bite of food at least 5 times. This benefits you because it slows down your eating while improving your digestion. It also gives you a chance to better recognize when you are full.
4. Add a serving of fruit or vegetables to every meal. Most of us do not get the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Even if you already eat fruits and vegetables, this is a great way to fill up your plate and replace some other less nutritious or high-calorie foods.
5. Eat one meatless, plant-based dinner every week. Try to eat more fish and experiment with plant-based proteins like beans, nuts, soy, and tempeh.
6. Start cutting back on the sugar in your drinks. If you like sweet tea, try cutting it with ¼ unsweetened tea, then move on to ½ sweet and ½ unsweetened and so on. If you drink sugar in your coffee, try cutting back your amount by ½ teaspoon at a time. If you drink regular soda, try substituting with diet sodas, then try reducing your overall soda intake and replace it with water or seltzer.

Each one of these habits is pretty simple to start. Try starting with one new habit a week and get ready to see the healthy results!