New Year's Resolutions You Can Keep

By Nancy Faass

Once the New Year comes around, many of us are tempted to make radical life changes. Too many late nights? Eat a little too much? Maybe you've vowed, "Never again!" Or perhaps you've been skipping meals in an effort to balance out your life. But this kind of radical change is not sustainable over the long term.

Strategies for the Long Haul: Exploring changes you can stick with. If your strategy is skipping meals, you might try a one-day fast. You can opt to lighten your diet once a month or once a week if the weather's not too cold. Try fasting on fresh juices (that are moderate in carbs) or limeade. If juice is too sweet, try a day on fresh chicken broth or home-made turkey soup, seasoned with electrolytes.

Making one change at a time. When we want things to get better faster, it's a temptation to throw everything at the problem. But if we make multiple changes at once, when things start to improve we have no way of knowing what's making the difference. Another approach is to try one solution at a time. For example, maybe you want a new approach to breakfast—it could be as simple as bringing a piece of fresh fruit and some nuts with you in the morning. Set your sights on change that is doable and that makes a noticeable difference. Then build on your successes.

Substituting a healthy habit for one that's less healthy. When you have big-time food cravings, try a delicious salad made with low-glycemic fresh fruits such as apples, pears, oranges, peaches, plums, or berries. Tasty combinations for dessert or TV snacks include: chopped romaine with half a diced tart apple; spring greens with raspberries, or fresh spinach leaves with tangerine slices. Add extra-virgin olive oil and/or salad dressing (one that's low in sugars).

Chocolate cravings. When chocolate is your preferred choice, remind yourself that a protein bar or shake can be a healthy response to cravings. Since they all include refined sweeteners, look for one that has fewer "available" carbs. You want a total carb content that's below 30 grams and protein of 10 grams or more.

Balanced snacks. When you're working hard and find that you're extra hungry, that's a legitimate message from your body. You may be putting in long hours on the job, packing and moving, or taking care of small children. Consider having a healthy snack about every three hours and be sure to include some protein in your snacks, like nuts, cheese, a protein bar, canned salmon, or organic deli meat.

You're likely to come up with your own favorite combinations. As with any other food or supplement, monitor your own unique response and trust your body's wisdom.

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