Resolutions You Can Keep in 2010

My priority in 2009 was to lose weight and get healthy. I would love to have lost more weight, but I broke my foot halfway through the year and lost ground on that goal. With my foot in a walking boot cast most for the summer and a long road of healing ahead of me, I focused on keeping healthy habits. Here are a few resolutions I did keep this year that you can easily keep in 2010.

Eat more fruits and vegetables - This is always the impossible task. The experts agree that the government guidelines in the new food pyramid are nearly impossible to achieve. So what are you to do? I started out by focusing on greens. I learned to love Kale and really include vegetables whenever I could. I also went looking to close the nutrition gap. I struggled to eat the vegetables, and soon turned to Greens First™. I found it through my chiropractor but this is also available online, and at health food stores. Free samples are available usually wherever its sold. Adding less than 45 calories a day, and including 10 fruits and vegetables in a single great tasting serving, it was a painless way to close the nutrition gap. Greens First™ contains no sugar but it's shocking how great it tastes. Despite the green color, I look forward to waking up to the taste of it every day. The health benefit for me was energy and balance. I feel better every day I take it. Here is a link to the Greens First white paper to learn more:

http://www.greensfirst.com/gestion/greensfirstwhitepaper.pdf

The second change I made was to add baby aspirin to my routine. This recommendation came from my doctor after evaluation. Over the age of 40, I'm not too old to face a heart attack. So I prevent a heart attack and stroke with a daily aspirin. Taking a daily aspirin is not without risk. Here is a great article from Mayo Clinic that will help you understand the risks of aspirin therapy:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/daily-aspirin-therapy/HB00073

Finally, the third thing I changed is the amount of water I drank. A friend of mine is a naturopath. I explained to him my health concerns and drinking more water was the first thing he suggested. He actually suggested I drink half my body weight in ounces of water. I thought he was crazy. Who can drink that much water? To my surprise, within 2 or 3 days it became really easy. If I fell short, I was still drinking a gallon of water a day. I try to get 20 ounces in the morning, 20-30 ounces in the afternoon and another 20 ounces in the early evening. Caffeine-free, sugar -free, alcohol-free fluids count. You don't have to only drink water. There are numerous health benefits associated with water from increased metabolism, improved cell function and weight loss. I feel terrific when I drink all that water. My experience drinking water was an immediate weight loss of 2-3 pounds, increased energy and the feeling of wellness. I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, it was a change I needed. Every cell in my body screams for it now, and I wonder how I ever lived without its benefits.

Making changes in the New Year doesn't have to be painful but I'm proud of my progress. I made changes that improved my health. I can try again to lose weight and build on what I have started.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION ABOUT YOUR HEATLH!

Happy New Year!