1. Keep on moving.

Nothing is better for your body than exercise, especially as you age. Not that you have to be a marathon runner for your entire life, but keeping your heart healthy by giving it a workout once in a while is a must. Usually 30 minutes of physical exercise is recommended daily. Keep in mind that this is a minimum.  If your workplace has a wellness facility – use it.

2. Cut the fat.

It’s easy once you get used to it. Stop eating fast food, buy lean meats, use skim instead of whole milk, opt for anything that says low fat. It may sound hard at first, but once you cut a lot of the bad fats out of your diet, your body will begin to feel better, you will have more energy, and you will begin to crave those things your body needs.

3. Kill sugar cravings.

Sugar cravings are natural but that does not mean that you have to go running to the store for ice cream. Sugar occurs naturally in fruit so go for natural apple juice instead of soda or, a fruit smoothie instead of ice cream.

4. Say no to sodium.

Most processed and preserved foods are high in sodium, which can be dangerous to your health. Too much salt can lead to heart problems, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Check the labels on the food you purchase and compare products to be sure you are choosing the lower sodium product.

5. Keep it natural.

Preserved foods and conventional (non-organic) produce are worse for you than you may think. Our bodies are natural organic entities, which means that only natural, organic things should be put into them. All of the chemicals that go into preserving food and, and all of the pesticides that are used for keeping bugs off produce, have adverse health affects on our bodies.

6. Drink more water.

Sounds simple enough, right?  Consider this, more than 70% of Americans are dehydrated. Which is scary because water has amazing health benefits! It keeps your energy high and your appetite low, not to mention the benefits to your skin – and breath!

7. Get up.

If you work in an office job, as millions of Americans do, the benefit to taking a mid-day walk is huge! It will boost your energy during your middle-of-the-day slump, which will make it easier to finish the day strong. You will be a more productive and healthy employee!

8. Write it down.

If you are trying to lose weight, have lost weight, or are worried about gaining weight (which should include all of us now), keep a food journal. The benefits of writing down your eating, sleeping and exercising habits are huge. It keeps you aware of what you are doing wrong and clued in to what you are doing right. Plus, nothing is more satisfying than seeing your progress as you reach your goals!