Easy New Year’s Resolutions December 28, 2017

Another New Year, another batch of promises you may be inclined to break by February. These simple and pragmatic adjustments to your daily routine and diet can actually be achieved with minimal effort – and become a lifelong habit by the time you tear off the next calendar page.

Drink More…Water. Make a commitment to yourself to add 1-2 more glasses of water a day. Don’t care for the stuff? Make it hot and add lemon, or give unsweetened, 0 calorie seltzer a try instead of soda. Swap out an evening glass of wine for a glass of water and you’ll see several pounds drip away (and more spending money in your wallet) over the course of just a month.

Minimize Processed and Packaged Foods. Choose 2 meals out of the day where you commit to avoiding processed or packaged food items. Focus on fresh or whole ingredients like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and eggs. If this is impossible based on budget or your schedule and lifestyle, aim to replace any in-between snacks with whole, unprocessed foods.

Say Adios to Salt. Just say no! Keep extra salt off of the dinner table, don’t add it to that boiling pasta water, and limit the occasions where you eat out. Restaurants are notorious for over-salting meals. Always check the “sodium” levels if you do opt for processed and packaged foods, and gravitate to those that are labeled as “low sodium.”

Get Physical On The Go. You don’t have to be able to afford a gym membership to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Try some of our easy lifestyle fitness tips that you can begin at work or at home. Park far from the store when you go grocery shopping. Take the stairs at every chance and nix the elevator. Be on the look out for ways to move and you’ll notice a big difference in your stamina over time.

Get in the Right Mindset. Travel a lot? Always commuting somewhere? Try some of these fun health & wellness related podcasts and adjust your outlook on your body and capabilities.

Remember: Lifestyle changes must be reasonable and work for your daily routine. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Start simple by making small health changes to your diet that you can monitor and maintain, and build from there. Happy New Year!

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic is a free clinic in Charleston, SC, that provides free medical care to eligible patients, just like any family practitioner or internist. The Free Clinic serves uninsured adults living at or below 200 % of the Federal poverty level who live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw or James Islands. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.