If you are looking for motivation to get healthy, then March is your lucky month! No, not because of St. Patrick's Day; it's National Nutrition Month® and the theme is “Bite Into a Healthy Lifestyle."
You may think you're healthy if you’re simply not sick or you eat your veggies daily. Maybe you say that your health is defined by factors out of your control like genetics and environment. The World Health Association has a more comprehensive take on health. It says, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (1)”
So let's get you to this complete state of health, one bite at a time. Here are some healthy lifestyle choices from our SAGE dietitian team (keep checking back, we will continue posting tips to help you stay motivated through the month and beyond):
- Eat real food. Limit processed and factory produced foods as well as added sugars.
- Cook from scratch when you can and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
- Get moving every day. Whether it's yoga, strength training, group fitness or another form of exercise, find something you like and do it!
- Sleep at least 8 hours per night in a dark quiet room.
- Drink water. Aim for half your body weight in ounces per day. If you weigh 150 pounds you would drink 75 ounces or just about 9 1/2 glasses of water each day.
- Manage stress. We know this is easier said than done, but stress produces high levels of a hormone that over long periods of time can be harmful to your health. Practice deep breathing, talk with a friend or find another way to relax. Physical activity is a great way to counterbalance stress (see #3). You can knock out two healthy habits with one activity!
We are a result of the CHOICES we make when it comes to health. Celebrate National Nutrition Month® and Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle.(1) Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.
