Healthy New Year

You only need three resolutions for 2015 to become healthier.  Only three!  And research shows that these three are the most important for healthy aging, longer life and feeling better overall.

Are you ready?  (Insert drum roll here)

1. Quit smoking.  No more excuses. Throw those packs and ashtrays away and become a non-smoker. 

I don't need to tell you why or coax you more.  You already know it.  If you don't smoke, yippee...you only need two resolutions.

2. Plan your meals and eat more plants.  I didn't want to say the diet word because it is loaded with meaning for everyone.  We've all tried diets that fail.  We are told confusing things about what to eat and what is a healthy diet.  But planning meals and eating more plants at every meal will automatically mean we are eating healthier.  The worst way to eat is on the fly, eating quick fast food or grabbing what's most convenient.  Because without planning, what is most convenient is processed food like chips, pizza slices, fries and sweets.  If each of us committed to preparing more foods at home, grocery shopping on the edges and not the middle aisles and eating an apple when hungry we would automatically be eating a healthier diet.  Try it and stick to it.

3.Walk 10,000 steps a day.  If you already exercise you can keep doing what you are doing.  But if you have become less active as the years have gone by, this is the time to change.  Walking is something that most everyone can do.  It requires no equipment and only a good pair of shoes.  The step trackers can help.  Park further away from your destination.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Walk your neighborhood and see things you could never see from the car. 

If these resolutions seem elementary to you  because you are already a vegetarian mountain climber or elite athlete, your year can just be doing more of what you already do.  Your resolution might be "be nicer".   For the rest of us, keeping it simple is the way to start.