A Healthier You in 2015 #1

        Happy New Year!! To ring in the New Year and inspire a healthier you this year, over the next several weeks I will be giving you some of my top tips for improving your health! This week I am giving you my low down on my favorite “diets” or as I like to call them lifestyle approaches for health. A healthy lifestyle includes consumption of foods that promote health, prevent chronic disease and help manage your weight as well as includes physical activity. There are two diets or healthy lifestyle approaches that I recommend, the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and the Mediterranean Diet, because they focus on balanced eating and encourage healthy lifestyle habits that are sustainable. The biggest issue with a lot of fad diets like Paleo and Atkins is that they restrict important food groups cutting out essential nutrients from your diet and often leaving you unsatisfied and going back to your old ways. So my new year’s resolution for you is to make health goals you can stick to and my hope is these diets will help give you some inspiration and guidance.

1. DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)

       The aim of the DASH diet is to prevent and lower high blood pressure by focusing on foods high in potassium, calcium, fiber and protein that promote heart health while cutting back on foods high in sodium. Some of these foods include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low fat dairy, whole grains and heart healthy fats. The diet also promotes making gradual changes to your diet, eating foods in moderation and encourages exercise, all of which is important for weight management. For more information of the DASH diet check out this link from the National Health Institute.

2. Mediterranean Diet

         The Mediterranean diet is another diet that aims to improve your health and prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The foods recommended are similar to the foods consumed by those living in countries near the Mediterranean Sea. These folks have been found to live longer and suffer less from chronic disease. The diet is high in produce, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seafood, moderate in eggs, dairy and poultry and low in sweets and red meat. For more information and recipes check out this website .

What are your New Year’s health goals?

What are some of your health tips that you have found successful?