Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated, but does it require commitment. It takes 21 days to create a new habit and 6 months for that habit to become ingrained in your routine. Since life can get in the way, I recommend small changes one step at a time. The following list represents five simple health tips that you can incorporate into your life and have a big impact on your health, energy, and vitality. Pick one item at a time and do it for at least 3 weeks before adding another component to your lifestyle. When you’re doing it without having to constantly be reminded, you’re ready to move on to the next item.

1) drink half of your “idealweight in ounces of water per day. If your goal weight (not your actual weight) is 120 pounds, you should drink 60 ounces of water per day. Even mild dehydration will cause a 3% drop in your metabolism from baseline. That means you’ll gain 1 pound of fat every 6 months! Drinking water minimizes bloating and water retention in women. These symptoms are often the result of a lack of hydration. Drinking plenty of water is how you flush out fat and toxins stored in your fat cells, and it can also prevent muscle cramps. When muscle cells don’t have adequate fluids, they don’t work as well and performance can suffer. When you exercise, you should try to drink 3 to 5 ounces of water every 20 minutes. Drinking your 8-10 glasses of water in one sitting is not enough. For maximum effectiveness, staying “evenly” hydrated throughout the day is our body’s way of metabolizing fat. In addition, adequate hydration maintains healthy kidney and intestinal function. Getting adequate hydration also gives your skin a more youthful appearance. Symptoms associated with mild dehydration are weakness, muscle cramps, headaches, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, palpitations, and anxiety.

two) Check your vitamin D levels. More than 80% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. This is especially prevalent during the winter months. Research shows that adequate levels of vitamin D can boost your immune system and lower your risk of cancer. You can buy vitamin D3 in supplement form or you can spend some time in the sun, although your body can only make vitamin D from UVB rays and during certain times of the day. There is a smartphone app called Dbodyguard. This app will let you know at what time of day, based on your geographic location, the sun is at the right angle and generates UVB rays so your body can create vitamin D. In some geographic areas there will be times of the year when you won’t be able to generate vitamin D from sun exposure and will need to get it from supplements or special tanning beds. This app takes into account all scientific data as well as your personal profile, which includes skin pigmentation, weight and age. When you’re ready to start getting out in the sun, enter the type of clothing you’re wearing and start the timer. When you have maximized your vitamin D production for the day, an alarm will sound to end your session. For those of you who don’t enjoy the outdoors or live in a place where you can’t make vitamin D, there are plenty of vitamin D supplements. Look for vitamin D in the form of D3. The recommended daily amount is controversial, but 1000-5000 mg is generally recommended. For more information on this topic, visit mercola.com

3) Go to bed before 10 at night. Since I know this is going to be a challenge, start by going to bed a little earlier each night and work your way up to 10pm over a three week period. The latest sleep studies indicate that the deepest, most regenerative sleep occurs between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. If your body is chronically deprived of “regenerative sleep” between 10 p.m. Morning. At 10 p.m., your body goes through a series of transformations following the increased production of melatonin. Melatonin not only helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle, it is also responsible for the repair and restoration of your body. A reduction in your mental and physical activity is necessary for this 10 pm shift to occur. Watching TV, reading from an electronic device, or bright LED watches affect melatonin production and the subsequent chain reaction that puts your body into a deep sleep. This is a good reason to buy paperbacks and a book lamp! You can also listen to relaxing music. Getting a good night’s sleep can create longevity and health. Getting a sound night’s sleep helps you fight stress, maintain a healthy weight, and keep your energy levels high. A simple health tip for those who want to lose weight: sleep a minimum of 5 hours a night.

4) Eat more fruits and vegetables. When we eat a diet rich in whole foods, we feed our bodies thousands of micronutrients that stabilize blood sugar and cholesterol, decrease weight, boost the immune system, reverse heart disease and prevent cancer. An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a mushroom a day will help keep cancer away! The micronutrients found in fruits and vegetables are very powerful antioxidants. Micronutrients create many cell-protecting compounds. Many of these compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and phytoestrogens, have significant health benefits and are an essential component for optimal health. Carotenoid-rich micronutrients are found in carrots, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, and spinach. Deep red, purple, or black vegetables provide rich sources of polyphenols. Flavonoids are found in nuts, seeds, grains, green tea, red wine, kale, and lemons. Phytoestrogens are found in soybeans and flaxseeds. If you don’t have access to a variety of fresh produce, supplement your diet with a good whole food concentrate formula. It is important to incorporate raw and cooked vegetables into your diet. A simple health tip is that grilling vegetables is easy, fast and delicious! Cut the vegetables into small pieces, drizzle with olive oil, add salt, pepper and a little cayenne pepper. Grill at 420 degrees for about 20 minutes. To change it up, add raw walnuts or dried cranberries in the last five minutes of cooking. You can squeeze fresh lemon juice or shake some Parmesan cheese on top for extra flavor.

5) Exercise for 20 minutes a day.. No need to kill yourself in the gym for hours at a time. You can reap huge benefits with just 20 minutes of activity a day, and even walking the dog counts! If you can think of exercise as a play date, then it can be something to look forward to instead of something to do! Find something you enjoy doing and do it. It can be tennis, swimming, walking, jogging, weightlifting, Zumba aerobics, dancing, pole dancing, kickboxing, boxing, cardio barre, Nia, yoga, cycling, jumping rope, hula hooping, climbing stairs, or just shooting sneakers. Think of something you loved to do and then do it again! If you can commit to something physical for 20 minutes a day, you can have a huge impact on your health and really boost your metabolism! Running on a treadmill for 20 minutes a day at 4 mph will take 26 days to lose 1 pound of fat. That’s a total of 14 pounds of fat in a year with this simple health tip. That’s a lot of pant sizes! There are so many fun ways to lose weight and get fit while improving heart health, reducing stress, increasing endorphins, and building muscle.

None of these simple health tips are rocket science. In fact, I bet you already knew most of this stuff, you just don’t do it. I spent years searching for complicated diets and supplements to get me in optimal shape. The best medicine I had, I already knew, I just didn’t do it. Make your New Year’s Resolution a lifestyle change to incorporate healthy habits three weeks at a time!