FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 20, 2018 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 37
wellness
5 tips for staying on track in the new year
While many people oft en wish maintaining
good health was as easy as following
an equation, health doesn’t have
a start or end date. Once the allure of
the new year wears off , it can be easy to
let those resolutions go by the wayside.
When you focus on making small, positive
changes, you can move your health
goals forward throughout the year, no
matter where you are on your health
journey. To help stay on track, consider
these easy-to-implement ideas from
registered dietitian Annessa Chumbley:
Write it down. Using a nutrition journal
and keeping a record of everything
you eat and drink can help track progress
and reveal small changes that need
to be made. Alternatively, downloading
a fi tness tracking app can help keep
you accountable digitally. With a variety
of options available for most operating
systems, there is almost certain to be
one to meet your needs, whether you’re
looking for a companion app to track
progress or something more in-depth to
help guide you through workouts and
meal planning.
Start your day with protein. A
high-quality protein source can set
the stage for sustained energy levels
throughout the day. Having an on-thego
source of protein on-hand, such as
Premier Protein’s ready-to-drink chocolate
and vanilla shakes featuring 30
grams of protein and 160 calories and
1 gram of sugar, can help ensure you’re
starting the day with a proper foundation
for success.
Hydrate all day. Hydration is a foundation
of good health. Before bed each
night, put a 16-ounce bottle of water in
the bathroom then drink it fi rst thing in
the morning for a daily energy boost.
For an easy and healthy way to add fl avor
to your water during the day, consider
putting an herbal tea bag of your
choice in it. For example, Chumbley
recommends ginger as a digestion-helper,
mint as a caff eine-free way to awaken
and chamomile to calm.
Make healthy swaps. Looking for
alternatives is an easy way to eat healthy.
Consider swapping out heavier carbs
for vegetables such as grilled Portobello
mushrooms as pizza crust or zucchini
noodles instead of pasta. Swap mayo
for avocado when eating egg, chicken or
tuna salad. You can also use the sweetness
of ripe bananas to decrease the need
for added sugar in recipes like cookies,
muffi ns and pancakes. For an additional
nutrition boost, consider adding a
scoop of gluten-free protein powder like
Premier Protein’s line of 100% Whey
Powders, which are available in chocolate
or vanilla milkshake fl avors and feature
30 grams of protein and 3-4 grams
of sugar per scoop, plus no artifi cial fl avors,
colors or sweeteners.
Get moving. Commit to stepping outside
and taking a daily walk. Whether it’s
1 mile or a walk around the block, you can
burn calories and receive the added benefi
ts of mental clarity, increased energy
and improved digestion.
“Use these tips as one small thing that
can make a powerful positive impact on
your day,” Chumbley said. “Choose one
of these and do it every day. Keep the
strategy simple so you’ll be more likely
to stick with it. When implementing
these health tips, think ‘progress’ not
‘perfection.’ If you are progressing, you
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
are successful.”
Find more tips and products to help live
a healthy lifestyle at PremierProtein.com.
Courtesy Family Features