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If you're tired of seeing your weight fluctuate, you may need to add some healthy habits to your weekly schedule.
Start Small
Consider these five small improvements that you can make this week that can add up to big results towards your goals for managing or losing weight.
Stock your kitchen. You can make room for the good things by getting rid of junk food. Keep healthy snacks on hand, along with staples for light meals.
Plan your meals. Write out a menu for your daily meals and snacks. You'll be able to tell at a glance if you're getting all your required nutrients, and you'll probably eat less!
Cook more. Restaurant meals and frozen food products tend to have more calories, salt, and sugar. Preparing your own food allows you to control the ingredients and calories to satisfy your health and nutrition goals.
Control portions. Foods can sometimes be so tempting that they lure you off your diet. Reduce your serving sizes so you can enjoy
Diet and exercise may be the first things that come to mind when you think about taking care of your heart. However, what you do overnight counts too. Experts have been aware of a link between sleep apnea and high blood pressure for many years. Now, ongoing research is discovering similar interactions related to insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Sleep deficiencies can contribute to many heart conditions, and heart troubles can make it difficult to sleep.
Understanding How Sleep Affects Your Heart
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one third of adults get less than the minimum recommendation of 7 hours of sleep each night, adding to their risk for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
What does that mean for you?
Count your hours. Most adults need to aim for 7 to 8 hours nightly. Lack of sleep can disrupt your hormones and cause calcium buildup and other changes in your arteries. On the other hand, excessive
Diving head-first into a weight loss plan can be difficult to maintain long-term if you don't plan to create a lifestyle of healthy habits.
Some people try to lose weight through intermittent fasting or simply swearing off junk foods. Others try to make major changes to their diet but quickly begin missing their favorite snack foods. Before they know it, they revert to their old habits and wind up gaining back the pounds they lost (and more).
Take It Day by Day
Consider these five daily habits that you can make to your diet to help stay on-target with your personal goals for managing or losing weight.
Drink water. Staying hydrated facilitates digestion. Quench your thirst with plain water and tea instead of beverages loaded with calories.
Focus on whole foods. Cutting back on packaged items will eliminate most empty calories. Make vegetables, fruits, and other natural foods the core of your diet.