Replacing ONE sugary drink with water (or sugar-free herbal teas) will improve your waistline as well as your blood pressure readings AND cholesterol!
Why not a fun yogurt drink instead of that pop or sugary juice? Click on image for link to my Instagram page & RECIPE!
Study summary: The author and researcher (Duffrey) found a reduction in the amount of daily calories coming from sugary drinks improves individual scores on the Healthy Beverage Index. This Index is a scoring system designed to evaluate individual beverage patterns and their relation to diet and health. The Index data shows that higher scores correlate to better cholesterol levels, and lowered risk of hypertension. The broader goal of the index is to help people identify what and how much they drink each day, as drinking habits can impact eating habits as well!
“Our capacity for doing the same thing over and over again, until it becomes second nature, is our pillar of strength and one of the greatest factors in our progress.”
Bottom line is this, although it can be very difficult to alter certain dietary habits, you must always remember that every small step towards better health WILL have great benefits!
As the great mystic poet Rumi has said, “If all you can do is crawl, start crawling”!
So go ahead, starting today, take one small step towards better health. If you need to be more active, take the stairs today, do some gardening, or go for an easy evening stroll. If you need to cut back on sugar, do the above! If, you don’t eat enough greens, add just one serving a day – raw with your favorite dip or steamed lightly or if you just want something to munch on, how about kale chips (can be purchased at most health food stores or recipe here). if you’re sleep deprived, make an effort to start your bed-time routine half hour earlier or start a bed-time routine if you don’t already have one. If anxiety gets the better of you, leave sticky notes around reminding you to practice mindfulness. We can all take that one small starting step to better health. Don’t pressure yourself to run if all you can do is crawl.
Consider this:
“The fact…that we are creatures of habit is one of the greatest assets we possess; habits, both spiritually and physically, are an advantage to us; they can be mighty tools with which to carve a more worthy images of ourselves.
Our capacity for doing the same thing over and over again, until it becomes second nature, is our pillar of strength and one of the greatest factors in our progress.
This, coupled with our wonderful innate adaptability as a species, gives us both an elasticity and power possessed by no other form of life….. ” ~ Ruhiyyih Rabbani, Prescription for Living, Reprinted January 2013, p. 116-118
Wish you all the best on your journey to better health and well-being!
Dr. Negin Misaghi, ND