Keep a Food Journal

Participants in the Healthy Holiday Challenge have been keeping track of their fruit and vegetable intake. Why not keep track of what you eat each day? Many experts agree that simply recording what a person eats each day can encourage people to eat fewer calories. 

When someone keeps a food journal it can encourage healthier eating. For example it can reduce or maybe even eliminate mindless eating, such as eating chips while you watch television. Or can make someone reconsider when they go back for seconds. 

A food journal does not have to be complex. It is a simple record of what is eaten and drank each day. Someone that keeps an accurate log may be able to identify items they can cut out of their diet which may lead to a healthier version of themselves. Some experts also say keeping a food journal can assist when someone is trying to lose weight. 

Consider keeping a food journal. It will help keep you focused on your diet, may provide motivation to eat healthy and could help you attain or maintain your goals. The extra effort you put forth to keep a daily food journal may bring you exciting results.

Stay Active

Exercise offers many health benefits. Something as simple as a brisk walk a half an hour each day can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and several forms of cancer. Brain function can also be improved with regular exercise.

A study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston showed that regular exercise lowered the risk of dying prematurely by 30%.

Enjoy Your Friends and Family

Maintaining a circle of supportive friends or family members is very beneficial to good health. That circle can help celebrate the good times and provide support during the bad times. Adults with strong social support have a reduced risk of many health problems including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy body mass index (BMI). Studies have also found that older adults with an active social life tend to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.