Healthy habits don’t have to be started in January, everyday is a new day to start eating healthier and living a more active lifestyle. Here are some ideas and habits to get into for starting a new healthy and active lifestyle!

1. Working out does not have to be at the gym! Going outside and going on a walk, run, or bike ride or even simply walking your dog is a good dose of physical activity. Simply setting a steps goal (the average person should walk around 10,000 steps a day, which is approximately 4.5 miles) is a great alternative for people who don’t like going to the gym or “working out”.
2. Enjoy spring vegetables! Take advantage of the lovely asparagus, radishes, peas, beets, and more. See our Spring Recipes article to get some ideas for your spring cooking adventure!
3. Write down everything you eat. Many fitness celebrities has advertised the use of a “food journal” where you list all the meals and snacks you ate that day. Cassey Ho, a successful fitness YouTuber, in article in her blog introducing her fitness journal, wrote, “This is a way to be conscious of what you’re eating. A lot of people think they’re eating clean, but they forget the chip or that tiny macaron they had as a snack. Everything counts.”
4. Drink water before and after every meal. In an article in Women’s Health, researchers conducted an experiment between groups who drank 16 ounces of water before each meal and a group who stuck with the reduced-calorie diet. In the end, it was discovered that, “After 12 weeks, the preloaders lost nearly three pounds more than the folks who followed the reduced-calorie diet alone.”
5. Make water interesting! Adding fruits, chia seeds, etc. can make water much more enjoyable for people who don’t like the “taste” of water. Another alternative is drinking sparkling water like La Croix and San Pellegrino. The average person should drink 8 8oz of water per day (the 8×8 rule), according to Healthline.
6. Make your favorite food healthy! Experimenting with making vegan mac and cheese or cauliflower crust pizza can be a little irritating, but also super fun! You can also learn a lot of cooking skills along the way.