It’s been a year! On December 31, 2010, I drank my last diet soda and haven’t had one since. I had been thinking of removing them from my diet for a while. I tried different strategies of buying smaller serving sizes and limiting them to only certain occasions, but finally stopped “cold turkey.” It wasn’t easy at first but after several weeks I didn’t miss them much, and now I don’t at all.
Do you have a new healthy habit in mind for 2012? If so, you might find yourself in what’s called a stage of change: precontemplation, contemplation, or preparation. I know it’s not easy to make a long-term change (your goal), but take heart it can be done!
When you consider your health is there an area you’d like to improve? Maybe you want more sleep, increased fruits or vegetables or more regular exercise. For many, improving the number of dairy servings per day would be a good health habit to start. Adults and kids often miss the mark on getting adequate dairy in their diet which can lead to untended consequences of low calcium or vitamin D levels. Getting the recommended three servings of low-fat or fat-free nutrient-rich dairy foods each day plays a crucial role in helping promote bone health, healthy blood pressure and a healthy weight.
For you, change might take a different path and may not be as simple as starting or stopping a behavior. I encourage you to take the challenge of choosing one new health habit for the year. Let us know what you decide. Best wishes for a healthy 2012!
Tracy Noerper, MS, RD, LDN, SNS
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