Create a healthier lifestyle 1 week at a time

By admin On Mar 14, 2022

Instead, try setting weekly mini-goals, which can help make intentions like losing weight, lowering your cholesterol, or adopting a plant-based diet less daunting and achievable.

This is how I have always worked with clients: I teach them about slow, gradual behavioral changes that, when combined, result in significant health improvements over time.

The good thing about setting small goals — and what makes them achievable — is that they don’t require major changes to your daily routine. To be successful, these goals must be realistic and specific, with measurable results.

Here is an example of a simple week-by-week guide to eating well and being healthier:

Week 1: Improve your breakfast by making it high in protein

If you eat a high-carb breakfast and are struggling with mid-morning hunger and energy slumps, add protein to your morning meal. Protein will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and keep you feeling full.

Healthy breakfasts that incorporate protein include Greek yogurt with flax seeds and berries; egg white and spinach omelet; a tofu scramble; smoked salmon with light cream cheese on Wasa bread; cottage cheese with slices of cantaloupe or other fruit; almond butter with banana slices on whole-wheat bread, drizzled with honey; Breakfast quinoa with raspberries and walnuts; Where chocolate cherry chia pudding.

Week 2: Add a vegetable to lunch and dinner

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It’s a simple way to make your plate more plant-based while increasing fiber. Here are some creative ways to add vegetables to your daily diet.

Include spinach leaves in a sandwich; snack on baby carrots and hummus; add a mixed green salad as part of dinner; enjoy mashed cauliflower instead of baked potatoes; roasted Brussels sprouts, rainbow carrots or diced eggplant on the side; add broccoli, mushrooms or cherry tomatoes to pasta; stir-fry with peppers, kale or hearts of palm; or enjoy sliced ripe tomatoes or sliced cucumber with a small amount of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Week 3: Add two fruits each day

Adding fruit to your diet will boost vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, and is a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth without consuming added sugars. It’s easy to make as an on-the-go snack or add to a meal.

Add strawberries or blueberries to breakfast cereal or yogurt; grab a clementine for a snack; eat a banana with almond or peanut butter to relieve midday hunger; cut a kiwi in half and eat it with a spoon; have berries with whipped cream for dessert, or peaches with fat-free whipped topping; or enjoy apple or mango crisps as a portable snack.

Week 4: Add an 8 ounce glass of water with each meal

It’s an easy way to remember to hydrate. Replacing water with higher-calorie beverages can also help you cut added sugars from your diet and limit your alcohol intake. To brighten the water, add lemon or orange slices to plain water or seltzer water.

Week 5: Take a tea break

Green tea and black tea are rich in anti-aging polyphenols and contain theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation. Tea in general can contribute to your daily fluid intake; Additionally, all teas – including herbs – can be helpful in curbing hunger. Try to choose the tea you like the most and take time out of your busy day to sip and recharge.

Week 6: Cut your portions in half

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One of the easiest ways to cut calories without having to measure or weigh food is to simply cut your portion sizes in half.

For example, the eyeball can cause an 8 ounce serving of chicken, fish, or meat to become 4 ounces; similarly, a 2 cup bowl of pasta divided in half becomes 1 cup. Choose your largest portions of protein and starches each day and reduce them by dividing them into two halves.

Week 7: Find 20 minutes of fitness a day

Adjusting to fitness can be difficult, especially with a busy schedule. Start small by doing 20 minutes of cardio, stretching, strength training, or any other activity that makes your body feel good. Exercise can boost circulation and improve your mood, and can also help you eat better and sleep better.

Week 8: Replace refined grains with whole grains

Try eating a sandwich with whole-wheat bread instead of white bread, enjoy oatmeal for breakfast, choose whole-wheat pasta or crackers instead of refined versions, and opt for brown rice (including included with sushi) instead of white rice.

Whole grains contain more fiber and vitamins and have been linked to health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Week 9: Add one “Meatless Meal” per week

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Vegetarian diets are associated with many health benefits, including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Plus, plant-based diets are also better for the planet. To eat more plants in your diet, designate one dinner a week as a “meatless meal.”

Some options include tempeh tacos instead of beef tacos, bolognese with mushrooms, eggplant meatballs or one Veggie burger instead of a beef burger. For more ideas, check out “The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook.”

Week 10: Replace a high-sugar food with a less sugary version

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Choose a food that you eat frequently that is high in sugar and replace it with something healthier.

Examples include sliced fruit instead of sweet jam on toast, salsa instead of ketchup, or “nice” frozen banana cream instead of ice cream. You can also use cinnamon instead of sugar as a spice for cereals, oatmeal, and baked goods.

Week 11: Stop buying trigger foods and drinks

It can be hard to resist tempting foods and sweets when they take pride of place in your kitchen. There’s a lot to be said for Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Make it easier to stick to your goals by avoiding your trigger foods. Do not bring cookies, chips, sweets, high calorie drinks or other similar foods from the supermarket.

Week 12: Get more sleep

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Sleeping more isn’t just important for concentration during the day, it can also translate to slight weight loss over time. In a recent randomized trial, overweight adults who increased their sleep time from 6.5 to 8.5 hours over a two-week period reduced their calorie intake by an average of 270 calories per day – an amount that translated into a weight loss of 26 lbs. over three years.

To improve your sleep, put away blue light-emitting devices such as cell phones, laptops, iPads, and televisions at least 45 minutes before bedtime. Light can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that plays a role in synchronization of circadian rhythms.

By making these changes to your daily diet, you’ll naturally crowd out unhealthy foods and drinks while creating a healthier lifestyle one week at a time.

Lisa Drayer is a nutritionist, author, and CNN health and nutrition contributor.