(Family Features) With dreams of bettering their lives, people of all ages pledge to create resolutions with the start of every year. Many people discover, however, that it’s easy to make a resolution but difficult to stick to it.
With these helpful tips from Sunsweet and Dawn Jackson Blatner, registered dietitian, certified specialist in sports dietetics and licensed dietitian nutritionist, it’s easy to get back on a healthy living track:
- Get Back on Track
Falling off the wagon can be discouraging, but don’t let your mind get in the way of your might. Track your daily meals and snacks to help you stay focused on what and how much you are eating. Writing in a food journal is a great way to look back over your week to see what you did well and could do better next week.
- Pack Your Lunch
Being in control of what you eat throughout the day is powerful in staying on track with your resolutions. Why hit the greasy food truck outside when you can whip up a fresh salad at home? Sunsweet’s Quinoa, Grape and Prune Salad is an easy, protein-packed lunch that will power you through the day.
- Choose Right at Snack Time
The 3 p.m. slump is almost unavoidable. You’re three hours past lunch and it’s too soon for dinner. Instead of reaching for an unsatisfying bag of pretzels or chips, bring Sunsweet Ones Individually Wrapped Prunes or nuts from home to curb the afternoon hunger. Ones are lower in sugar than other dried fruit and have a low glycemic index of only 29. Prunes are digested and absorbed slowly by the body, which helps to sustain energy over a longer period of time compared to foods with a higher glycemic index.
- Get Moving
Everyone has a lot on their plate and with a busy schedule comes loads of stress and anxiety, but much of that can be alleviated with exercise. If you think about it, 30-40 minutes of exercise a day is only 2 percent of your day. Small changes, like walks around the block or using an app to count steps is a great way to track your movement throughout the day.
- Make it Fun
Instead of making drastic resolutions early in the year, and inevitably falling off the wagon a month or two later, embrace a Healthy Living Lifestyle. The key to lasting, lifelong health is to make changes you enjoy. Make eating well and exercising fun and it won’t be hard to stick with.
Staying on track takes will power and determination, but by squeezing a few easy hacks into your day you’ll be on your way to reaching your wellness goals.
