12 Steps to Better Health

January• It's Super Bowl time and time to be active and kick off a year of good health. Put yourself in training camp and get started on a regular exercise routine - find ways to have fun while getting fit.February• Be your own Valentine! Heart month is the perfect time to start getting back in your kitchen. Make it a goal to have at least 5 home-cooked meals each week that are low in fat. Focus on eating less fat and more fiber in all of your meals.March• Nutrition month is here - take a checkup on your eating plan. Are you eating at least 3 whole grains each day? Do you regularly eat about 2.5 cups of veggies? Or 2 cups of fruit? Do you vary your protein to include beans and nuts and fish and keep it all lean or low in fat? Are you getting about 3 cups of milk per day?• Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more information.April• April is cancer awareness month. Eat a low-fat salad every day this month to help boost your intake of vegetables.May• Do a spring cleaning on your beverage habits - don't drink your calories! Try to consume more beverages that don’t contain a lot of cream and sugar.June• Fruit and Vegetable Month - let's take a look at your snack habits - now that all of those beautiful fruits and veggies are coming into the store, start eating more of them for snacks in place of packaged snack foods.July• Vacation - plan an active vacation where you can ramp up your fitness - get outdoors and have fun hiking, biking or hiking.August• Back to school - take the time to learn how to read a nutrition facts label. Compare labels when you shop and try to lower the sodium you consume that is in canned goods, frozen foods and packaged meals. Remember that a daily value of 5% or less is optimal for fat, cholesterol and sodium. How many servings are in that package? The serving size might be a lot smaller than you think for many calorie dense foods.September• Be aware of the calories in favorite foods especially when eating out. Visit your favorite eateries online and develop a list of items you can eat that won't blow the fat, calorie or sugar budget.October• Portion control. Are you upsizing or downsizing what you eat? Take care this month to order everything smaller when eating out. Use smaller plates in your own kitchen.November• Holidays are around the corner - time to come up with a holiday survival plan. Plan lighter meals and take lunches from home. Enjoy the season without going overboard.December• Give yourself 5 new fitness gifts - this may be exercise classes, a gym membership, new athletic shoes or clothes or home gym equipment.