7 easy steps for better health

1. Keep drinking coffee.

To find out why, see “New Year’s resolutions: don’t quit coffee!” on the Seven Coffee Roasters website.

2. Stop drinking soda.

Soda is just bad for you. Sugar-full, sugar-free, it doesn’t matter. It offers nothing of use to your body. I know it, you know it. Replace it with iced tea or, if you like a nice bubbly drink, try flavored sparkling water.

3. Eat more salad.

Some people say, “By the time you add a fattening dressing and cheese and bacon, there’s so much fat and calories that you’d be better off ordering the burger.” I disagree. If you need all those tasty toppings to get yourself to eat lettuce, then go for it. Eating more dark leafy greens and fresh produce is one of the best things you can do for your body.

4. Cut down on your white bread intake.

You don’t have to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon (this isn’t about gluten), but do take an inventory of how much bread you’re having each day. For many Americans, bread is involved in every meal of the day. The rub is that flour-based foods are linked with excess blood sugar, digestive issues, and weight gain.

Instead of a whole sandwich, try an open-faced one with extra lettuce. Have your tuna or egg salad or cheese with high-fiber crackers instead of bread (tip: whole-grain crackers or Triscuits have way more fiber than pretzels or saltines). Add frozen vegetables to your pasta (and a side of salad!).

5. Exercise at home.

When your source of exercise requires special clothes and driving to a facility, you’re less likely to do it, right? You can get a great workout at home riding an elliptical trainer or jumping around in your family room to a workout video. If you haven’t found a form of exercise that you can stick to, try one you can do at home. I recommend trying out different workouts for free on YouTube before investing in DVDs. My favorite is Jillian Michaels.

6. Never eat till you’re full.

Never! (Okay, we get a pass at Thanksgiving; getting stuffed at Thanksgiving is an American tradition.) Eat until you are satisfied but not full. Your stomach adjusts to what you give it, so when you are stuffed, two things happen: you give your body more food than it needs and the extra is stored as fat; second, you stretch your stomach and then it takes larger amounts of food for it to feel satisfied. When you start eating smaller meals, your stomach shrinks.

7. Have an apple a day.

Not all old health advice is wrong—much of it is brilliant. Apples are rich in fiber and digest quickly, helping to clean out your digestive tract (i.e., help keep you regular). They contain loads of vitamins and minerals that help prevent conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. That’s why they make a regular appearance on lists of healthiest foods.