Healthy habits don’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Here are three easy and free changes that you can implement today! Combined with a regular exercise routine, these small steps can be life changing! 

  

  1. Put your phone to bed — in another room.The blue light from your phone suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps your body fall asleep, and reading news or social media makes your brain active, making it harder to shut off and go to sleep(1). Instead of sleeping with your phone under your pillow or next to your head, try putting it outside of your bedroom at night. If you use it as an alarm, keep it as far away from your bed as possible so you aren’t tempted to reach for it in the middle of the night. 

  

  1. Start reading labels.That organic yogurt with the really cool label might appear to behealthy, but check the label as it may contain several grams of sugar that you may not realize. The American Heart Association recommended daily sugar limit is around 37 grams for males and roughly 25 grams for women. For more information on hidden sugars, check out my sugar blog.  

  

  1. Track your food.Writing down what you eat is the best way to get a sense of the quality and quantity of your nutrition. It also helps prevent mindless eating — you might think twice about that handful of chips if you know youhave to write it down. You can use good old-fashioned pen and paper or an app like MyFitnessPal, LoseIt!, or MyPlate Calorie Tracker. 

  

Contact me for more healthy living tips! 

 

References 

1) Czeisler, C. (2013). Perspective: Casting light on sleep deficiency. Nature,497(7450),S13. 

2) American Hearth Association. (2018). Added sugarshttps://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars