5 Easy Ways to Lead a Healthier Life

Let's face it - the idea of dieting and exercise is not enjoyable to most of us. If it were, there wouldn't be so many of us overweight or obese. However, we can make small changes every day that will help us on the way to a healthier life. Little by little you will start to see improvements.

1. Turn off the TV. The average American watches around four hours of TV per day. That's 28 hours per week. I know some people who double those numbers. I'm not saying you shouldn't watch TV at all - just turn it off once in a while and do something active. Walk to a friend's house, work in your garden, clean your house, or find a new hobby. Just find something else that you enjoy doing that will get you moving.

2. Drink water. Water helps fill you up and is needed by every part of your body. It helps flush out toxins, helps keep your organs healthy and working at their peak. Lots of people have problems with this one because they just don't like the taste. Instead, they drink sodas. The problem with this is that regular sodas have a lot of calories. Diet drinks aren't really any better. They contain artificial sweeteners that also provoke an insulin response, just as if you had sugar. If you can't get your 8 glasses of water in without some flavor, try adding some real fruit to it. Many people put lemon slices in their water. I'm not much of a lemon person myself, so I like orange slices. Experiment a little. Try freezing your favorite fruits and using them as ice cubes. Strawberries and raspberries are especially good for this, and you don't get the chemicals you find in flavored waters.

3. Drop the junk food. This was a hard one for me. You don't realize how reliant you are on fast food and vending machine snacks until you try to go without them. Junk food adds a lot of calories with very little nutrient value, so all it gives you is more weight to carry. If you are really craving those chips, indulge once in a while, but not every day.

4. Check the portion size. A serving of cheese is usually one ounce. Cereal is usually 1/2 cup to 1 cup. Try measuring out your servings and see how many calories you are really consuming in a day. The answers could shock you.

To make portions easier, try using divided plates. Some are made specially for portion control, but I use the plastic ones I bought at Wal-Mart. Use the largest section for your vegetables - they have the lowest calories and you can load up on them. The next largest slot should be your protein, and the smallest is for your carbs. This is a good way to help take the guesswork out of portion control.

5. Exercise on purpose. This doesn't have to be a long, arduous task. Start by making small efforts every day until it becomes a habit. If 30 minutes a day is too much for you, start smaller. Try 20, and if you can't do that, try 5. Just make the commitment to do it every day. Maybe you could start your day with 15 minutes of walking. Maybe you could do 10 minutes of stretching every day before bed. Or, maybe you could do jumping jacks before watching your favorite show.

It's not that hard to get on the right track, but you have to be consistent. Make the effort every day, and soon, it will be second nature. Soon, you will start to feel better and may even drop a few pounds in the process.