5 Steps I Took to Feel Healthier

Over the past year I've really started to buckle down on my health. I quit smoking, I started watching what I ate, I even forced myself to take a look at the scale every once in a while. The following list contains five easy steps I took to make moderate changes to my lifestyle. These changes have helped me lead a healthier lifestyle not only physically, but mentally as well.

1. I Slow Down

I used to breath food, not eat it. Instead of taking regular-sized bites, chewing, swallowing, and repeating, I would literally inhale food. Often times a large chunk of whatever I was eating got caught halfway down my wind pipe due to my food respirations. Now I make a concerted effort to slow my eating process. I taste my food, I enjoy my food, and most of the time I end up eating less since I realize I'm full earlier.

2. I Enjoy Food

Food is incredible. It allows us to explore a whole sense that is usually overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. When I started to realize this, I was overwhelmed by the possibilities of taste. It's just like all the finer things in life-art, music, fun, you name it-as I started to really take notice of it, I developed a respect for it. Suddenly Hot Pockets and cans of Pepsi weren't as appetizing as they once were. Things that were worth respecting started to make their way into my dietary agenda, while foods that weren't worth respecting (fast food, processed food, etc.) started to make their way out. It's almost as if I became healthier on accident.

3. I Try New Things

As I was becoming more conscious of what I was eating, it seemed natural to try and branch out to satisfy my curious taste buds. When a local Chinese fast food joint went out of business near my house, I was eager to see what filled the space. Turns out it became a Vietnamese restaurant-Vietnamese? I had never eaten Vietnamese. The restaurant specialized in a type of soup called Pho (I'm still working out the proper pronunciation, but I think it's more of a "fuh" than a "foe"). The greatest part about Pho is that it's super filling without being super processed or unhealthy-it's basically just broth, meat, and noodles seasoned with Sriracha, hoisin, fresh basil, lime, and bean sprouts (and sometimes fresh jalapenos). Cutting out my usual Big Mac or New York sized slice of pizza and replacing it with the Pho left me just as satisfied while probably cutting out tons of fat from my diet. There are so many good, healthy dishes from across the globe just waiting to be tried. Pho may not be the healthiest in terms of sodium content, but it hits the spot and it's for sure better than most of the stuff I used to eat.

4. I Eat Local

Local foods have healthy side effects that may fall under the radar. For one, supporting your local community just feels good. The farmers and small businesses that work hard to compete with larger corporations need all the support they can get. For two, the food usually tastes better. For three, the food is usually healthier. When I first visited my local farmers market, I was astounded to see how many different kinds of vegetables there were. I discovered butternut squash, which I am now officially addicted to. I grill it, I roast it, I make soup out of it, I do whatever it takes to enjoy this great vegetable (it's healthy-high in vitamins A and C, it's filling-one bowl of soup leaves me very satisfied, and it's easy to cook-just halve it, core it, and throw it in the oven for an hour). Cutting out the packaged and processed foods and opting for more wholesome, homegrown dishes has made me feel healthier. I'm no doctor or nutritionist, but I'm willing to go with my gut instinct on this one.

5. I Moderate

This was one of the hardest concepts for me to understand, and I'm still working on it, but it's such a big MUST on my healthy-living list. Having the self-control to say "that's enough" when there's still food left on my plate is one of the hardest things I deal with when eating. I'm always tempted to take the last couple of bites or take another helping or give a lot of undeserved attention to fatty meats and carefully ignore the greens. I have to constantly tell myself, "I am in control of what I eat." But it's paid off. After about a month of curbing my consumerist habits, I finally started to wean myself off the "just finish it" mentality. I can finally say to myself, "If I eat the skin on the chicken, I have to compensate by eating less meat and more vegetables." I make sure I balance my unhealthy habits with my good ones. The beauty of this type of moderation is that I'm not cutting out the unhealthy (which are always the best), but rather cutting down the unhealthy. I still get to eat the foods I want.

Bonus: I Drink (water, that is...)

I used to underestimate the power of hydration. A big glass of water a half hour or so before a meal really helps me eat less, yet still feel replete. Also, replacing soda or coffee with water or tea has made a big difference when trying to cut some empty calories during my day. The soda thing is huge. Even the "diet" or "lite" or "zero" stuff isn't healthy. Just because it doesn't have calories doesn't mean that it's good for you. Water is actually way more satisfying as well. If I'm in the mood for something with flavor, I'll squeeze a lemon in my water or make some tea.

All of the changes I made work in tandem. For example, as I got used to drinking water instead of soft drinks, I didn't feel the need for something sweet with my meal. This carried over to dinnertime. After my dinner I usually had a desert, but since I wasn't drinking soft drinks, I wasn't reminded of the sweets and I just didn't need them anymore. It's almost as if each of the changes I made make the other changes easier to adapt to, which in turn made my lifestyle adjustment not only healthy, but effortless as well.