12 Months 12 Healthy New Habits - MSN Health & Fitness

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April

New habit: Step 1--eat breakfast. Step 2--make sure the breakfast includes a good protein source and some healthy fats.

The skinny: Research is clear that eating breakfast improves morning cognitive skills. That should be reason enough to make sure you get a breakfast for the next 21 days this month to make this morning meal a habit.

But perhaps even better yet, nutritionist Julie Burns says the right sort of breakfast can also help the body burn fat more consistently and keep the weight off. One study shows non-breakfast eaters are more than four times likely to be obese than breakfast eaters.

Action steps: Shoot for at least 300 to 400 calories if you tend to not be a breakfast eater. Add proteins, such as eggs, organic breakfast meats and turkey bacon. One idea is a smoothie made from milk, whey protein, fruit and a couple of ice cubes. Burns says adding a handful of walnuts or almonds to your oatmeal will control appetite and keep your blood sugar on an even keel.

Develop some standbys for your more challenging morning situations, such as what you can make at home for a fast meal before rushing out the door. Hard-boiled eggs are good items to prepare the night before and pair nicely with a piece of fruit. Smoothies can become your car drink, with or without the espresso shot added. Also, pick a route to work where you can grab a healthy breakfast to-go, if that fits with your morning M.O.

May

New habit: Clean out the snack drawers at home and work.

The skinny: Gregory Florez is a personal trainer by profession. But he preaches this nutrition habit to every client. Just becoming more aware of our snack habits is healthy. Florez doesn’t say kick out all favorite foods as much as put more healthy choices in that snack drawer.

“Snacks can still be fun,” he says.

Action steps: If in doubt about the nutritional value of a snack item, toss it. The best items for snacks: trail mix; almonds; walnuts; dried fruit; high-protein/low-fat/low-sugar energy bars; and beef/turkey/salmon jerky.

When grabbing dried fruit or nuts, keep it to a handful apiece. And always drink at least 8 ounces of water at snack time, preferably about 15 minutes before the snack to curb “hunger” that is really more about thirst.

June

New habit: Drink at least one cup of green tea each day.

The skinny: Research is mostly positive about this gentle but still caffeinated beverage, ranging from its anti-cancer protective effects to heart benefits. Nutritionist Julie Burns is a big fan for many reasons.

“It has an abundant amount of antioxidants [to protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease] but also is found increase your metabolic rate to burn more fat,” says Burns, who has converted more than one Chicago Bears player to sip green tea during team meetings. “Green tea also has the amino acid thiamine, which is a natural relaxant. I am in favor of anything that can calm down people. The effects of just one cup of green tea each day can be huge.”

Action steps: A simple list of options. Drink a cup in the morning if you prefer. Replace your afternoon coffee with green tea. If you want more than one cup, Susan Kleiner, a Seattle nutritionist and co-author of the new book The Good Mood Diet, says up to five cups of green tea is healthy if you still want a morning espresso drink (two shots maximum). Or you can go for up to seven cups daily if you swear off coffee altogether.

Next: Healthy New Habits for July-August-September

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