A bonus day of healthy living

A bonus day of healthy living

24 extra hours this Leap Year month, 24 easy ways to welcome wellness

Not only is February Heart Month, but it's also a Leap Year month. That means a whole extra day added on to February's usual 28, and a whole extra day to be good to yourself and your health. (Leap Years happen every four years so that our calendar can match up with the Earth's motion around the sun).

What will you do with your extra 24 hours? Here are some easy tips to try, one for each hour of the extra day, to help you feel and be healthier.

Eating or Drinking
1. Snack smarter. Don't reach for the same old chips, crackers or cookies. Instead, enjoy some raisins, an apple, carrot sticks or a cup of low-fat popcorn.

2. Can the cans. Carbonated soft drinks - even the "diet" versions - are loaded with caffeine, chemicals and preservatives that damage teeth, bones and other body parts. Fruit juice is better, but watch the calories. You can't go wrong with good old fashioned water to stay hydrated and keep your energy levels up.

3. Skip the salad dressing trap. Eating lots of salads? Great! Dousing them with high-fat dressings? Bad! Next time you cruise the salad bar, choose a tablespoon of olive oil instead.

4. C lick off TV eating. Watching TV with food in hand leads to "unconscious eating" and weight gain. If you need to occupy your hands, try knitting or a game puzzle, or stand up and stretch.

5. B an bottomless plates. When serving a meal, avoid having platters and bowls of food on the table: this encourages repeat helpings. Instead, fill plates and then bring them to the table.

6. T ry TriVita's Leanology. In just moments, you can order your Leanology Starter Kit and be on your way to a healthier, slimmer you. Already have the Starter Kit? Stock up on exclusive Leanology Capsules and tasty nutritional shakes (for more, see pages 6-7).

Exercise
7. G et FREE workouts. Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Park far away from the store. Bag your own groceries. Think of these habits as free health club memberships: they're everywhere!

8. Break your desk chains. Do you sit in front of a computer all day? Get up and walk around the office, stop in to talk with a co-worker instead of sending an email and walk briskly to the water fountain.

9. Dance. Solo or with a partner (brooms count), try a little two-step, cha-cha or... remember The Hustle?

10. Delight your dog. Take a walk with your best friend.

11. B e phone fit. Stand up when talking on the phone. It's a weight-bearing posture that does a little something for bone health. (And if you're sitting when the phone rings, rising makes you move).

12. Be a walking wonder. If you do nothing else, walk. Walking has the lowest drop-out rate of any physical activity. PLUS: for every hour of regular, heartbeat-raising exercise we do - like brisk walking we add two hours to our lives.

Healthy Habits
13. Snuff out smoking. Cutting down on (or cutting out) smoking? Instead of lighting up, light up someone's life with a note or phone call.

14. P ay yourself for health. Start a "good health" money jar. Every time you resist the urge to overeat or smoke or skip your walk, put some coins in the jar. When the cash adds up, reward yourself with something fun.

15. Take supplements daily. Get the essential nutrients and vitamins you need in quality TriVita supplements, and take them every day.

16. A toast to you. If you drink alcohol, practice moderation and avoid high calorie distilled spirits. Better idea: club soda or water with lemon or lime.

17. Protect your sleep. To snooze more soundly, ban the TV from the bedroom and avoid exercise and alcohol within a few hours of bedtime.

18. Connect with others. Contact with people, especially in later life, improves health. So go to church, volunteer and keep in touch.

Stress-busters
19. Practice Trivita's 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness. Every single one, from breathing deeply to practicing acceptance, is proven to reduce stress and increase relaxation and happiness.

20. Meditate. Think about all the ways in which you're blessed. Pray. Picture a calming scene.

21. Tense up. Deliberately tense every muscle in your body all at once:
wrinkle your forehead, clench your teeth and fists, tighten everything and hold it for 7-10 seconds. Then relax all these muscles and breathe deeply several times.

22. Zone out. Focus on relaxing your muscles one area or zone at a time. Start at your feet and work toward your head, or vice versa.

23. Listen to music.

24. Get the health habit. All the elements of good health help reduce stress: eat right, sleep well, exercise, limit caffeine and alcohol intake and nourish your wellness with vitamins and nutrients from TriVita.

Thanks
 
French Montreville
fmontreville@yahoo.com
1-617-487-4340
http://www.myempoweringteam.ws/
Independent TriVita Business Affiliate, Trivita ID# 13011183