1. Drink plenty of water. This is probably my favorite thing, partly because it’s so easy. I make sure I have a water bottle with me every single day at work, and I drink water all day long. When I’m at home I always have a tall glass of water nearby. I’m generally a pretty thirsty person so this resolution is a no-brainer for me, but it’s an easy fix for anyone. Drinking more water improves your digestion and can really do wonders for clearing up your skin. Grab a bottle and fill it up!
2. Take care of my teeth. I’ve always been pretty good about taking care of my teeth, but now I’m borderline obsessive. I floss almost every day and use mouthwash every night after I brush. I keep a travel toothbrush and floss in my desk drawer at work. I make sure to get my teeth cleaned and checked twice a year. Cavities and root canals are painful, expensive, and easy to avoid. Trust me on this one, I know teeth.
3. Say no to soda. Listen, I used to be a Diet Coke addict. I’d drink at least one a day. I also occasionally drank regular Coke or Sprite. Now I don’t drink any soda, at all. Well occasionally I’ll have a ginger ale on flights, but that’s mainly because I need to maintain the ritual so that the plane doesn’t crash to the ground. Other than that, no soda. It stains your teeth (although so does coffee and tea, sigh), the carbonation can bloat and upset your stomach, and even diet sodas can wreak havoc on your diet. I want to eat my calories (mmm sugar) instead of drink them. I mainly drink water, tea, and coffee. Every once in a while I’ll have fruit juice, but it’s not something I buy at the grocery store on a regular basis because it also contains a lot of sugar.
4. Switch to whole wheat pasta. This is a little thing that I decided to do because I don’t taste any difference from white pasta to whole wheat, but every little bit helps. I also bought whole wheat flour and make pizza dough and pancakes using half whole wheat and half white flour. Try it--you probably won’t even notice the difference!
5. Get plenty of sleep. You guys, I love sleep. I was never one of those people in college who could function on less than 7-8 hours of sleep. Occasionally I’d have to stay up late or get up early to study, but I never pulled an all-nighter. I think I’d turn into a zombie. As it is I usually go to bed around 11 and get up at 7 for a solid 8 hours of sleep. If I don’t get enough sleep I find it very hard to act like a normal human being the next day. I always end up cranky, distracted, and prone to carb and sugar binges. Getting plenty of sleep is key to keeping me happy and healthy.
6. Go outside every day. Even when it’s rainy and gross, I try to make sure I just walk outside for a few minutes and enjoy not being in a building. On the nice days I spend my lunch hour outside and walk home from work. On the weekends I run outside, and I’ll often take a walk or head to the nearest park with a book. Being outside really perks up my mood. It reminds me that even if I’m having a small struggle with something, there is a lot going on around me that is much bigger than whatever I’m worrying about. Then I can usually take a few deep breaths of fresh air and feel much better about everything.
7. Find a form of exercise I love. I know that not everyone likes running, and they are days that I ask myself why the heck I keep doing this, but overall I really love it. It’s easy, I can do it by myself without having to coordinate a bunch of other people but I can also do it in a group. There’s always room for improvement and every run is different. I can do it outside, I can do it inside, it’s relatively inexpensive, and I love it. Finding a form of exercise that I love makes it so much easier to stay active and healthy.
What about you guys? What are things that you do to improve your health? Any vices? I’m still working on my love of sugar and fancy coffee drinks. Mmm, coffee.
2. Take care of my teeth. I’ve always been pretty good about taking care of my teeth, but now I’m borderline obsessive. I floss almost every day and use mouthwash every night after I brush. I keep a travel toothbrush and floss in my desk drawer at work. I make sure to get my teeth cleaned and checked twice a year. Cavities and root canals are painful, expensive, and easy to avoid. Trust me on this one, I know teeth.
3. Say no to soda. Listen, I used to be a Diet Coke addict. I’d drink at least one a day. I also occasionally drank regular Coke or Sprite. Now I don’t drink any soda, at all. Well occasionally I’ll have a ginger ale on flights, but that’s mainly because I need to maintain the ritual so that the plane doesn’t crash to the ground. Other than that, no soda. It stains your teeth (although so does coffee and tea, sigh), the carbonation can bloat and upset your stomach, and even diet sodas can wreak havoc on your diet. I want to eat my calories (mmm sugar) instead of drink them. I mainly drink water, tea, and coffee. Every once in a while I’ll have fruit juice, but it’s not something I buy at the grocery store on a regular basis because it also contains a lot of sugar.
4. Switch to whole wheat pasta. This is a little thing that I decided to do because I don’t taste any difference from white pasta to whole wheat, but every little bit helps. I also bought whole wheat flour and make pizza dough and pancakes using half whole wheat and half white flour. Try it--you probably won’t even notice the difference!
5. Get plenty of sleep. You guys, I love sleep. I was never one of those people in college who could function on less than 7-8 hours of sleep. Occasionally I’d have to stay up late or get up early to study, but I never pulled an all-nighter. I think I’d turn into a zombie. As it is I usually go to bed around 11 and get up at 7 for a solid 8 hours of sleep. If I don’t get enough sleep I find it very hard to act like a normal human being the next day. I always end up cranky, distracted, and prone to carb and sugar binges. Getting plenty of sleep is key to keeping me happy and healthy.
6. Go outside every day. Even when it’s rainy and gross, I try to make sure I just walk outside for a few minutes and enjoy not being in a building. On the nice days I spend my lunch hour outside and walk home from work. On the weekends I run outside, and I’ll often take a walk or head to the nearest park with a book. Being outside really perks up my mood. It reminds me that even if I’m having a small struggle with something, there is a lot going on around me that is much bigger than whatever I’m worrying about. Then I can usually take a few deep breaths of fresh air and feel much better about everything.
7. Find a form of exercise I love. I know that not everyone likes running, and they are days that I ask myself why the heck I keep doing this, but overall I really love it. It’s easy, I can do it by myself without having to coordinate a bunch of other people but I can also do it in a group. There’s always room for improvement and every run is different. I can do it outside, I can do it inside, it’s relatively inexpensive, and I love it. Finding a form of exercise that I love makes it so much easier to stay active and healthy.
What about you guys? What are things that you do to improve your health? Any vices? I’m still working on my love of sugar and fancy coffee drinks. Mmm, coffee.
