Small steps to a healthier you

To make a change stick, it has to become a habit. This is as true of healthy eating as it is for incorporating exercise into your lifestyle. Habits don’t form overnight. And they can take months to solidify; they require effort, time and patience. Completely changing what you’re eating can be intimidating and overwhelming and might discourage you from eating healthier. Smaller, gradual change can lead to greater success.

By focusing on one or two steps at a time, be it diet or lifestyle related, the changes will more likely form a habit. Once habits have been developed, add more small changes on top. Studies have shown that making small changes – such as eating every few hours, putting food on a plate instead of eating out of box, and eating a proper breakfast upon rising – can lead to sustainable weight loss and a healthier diet. 

Here are some small changes that will help set you on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

1. Buy whole foods, one-item foods. This means you have to put them together yourself to make them into a meal. This one habit alone will lead to a significantly healthier lifestyle. Look for recipes that have a vegetable, several veggies or a grain as the focus.
   
2. Drink water in favour of soft drink and other “sugar-ified” drinks. Drink a glass half an hour before meals.
   
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners and anything that contains them.
   
4. If you drink coffee, take it black.
   
5. Reduce portion sizes by using small plates and bowls. Leave the table satisfied but not gorged.
   
6. Use grains instead of meat to add substance to a meal. Choose quinoa, couscous or lentils as your base, add veggies, broth, spices and fresh herbs and discover simple dishes and new flavours.
   
7. Snack on nuts, fruit, or raw veggies.
   
8. Plan ahead – you know what your day is going to be like. Prepare meals and snacks the night before and have them ready for the next day. You will have something handy to eat and have less excuse for grabbing something at the convenience store, the fast food drive-through, or your workplace cafeteria.

That’s all well and good you might say, but habits are hard to create. If you struggle with creating new habits, I recommend reading Leo Babauta’s blog, Zen Habits. His blog is all about habits and you might find this particular one especially helpful: I suck at habits; how do I get better? 

Choose one or two from the above list and get started on creating new and healthier habits. As you acquire new ones, begin to add more, gradually layering more habits on top of older ones. Small changes lead to bigger ones - this is the key to success in your journey to better health.