Healthy Living: Baby steps to health

SEATTLE - The dreaded New Year's resolution: New statistics show that nearly 189 million adult Americans will make one, and around 23 million of us will fail at them. So instead of setting ourselves up for failure this year, let's ease into a healthier lifestyle by taking baby steps with Life Coach Deborah Enos. 

"We set the bar so high, we can be so hard on ourselves, and then at the end of the day we just get frustrated so then there’s the box of cheese its, there’s the bag of cookies and we just dive right in."

Deborah says give yourself a little grace and set an attainable goal. Here is the first step Deborah says you can take, drink 10 to 12 ounces of water when you first wake up.  

She says when we wake up, most of us are dehydrated and when we are dehydrated we are more likely to have food cravings, experience headaches, and just feel sluggish. You can add things to your water if you have a hard time wanting to drink it. Try lemon, but be mindful it is acidic, cucumber, or powdered multi-vitamin drinks, just be sure to look for added sugars.

Deborah says we have to break the cycle of dehydration, "If we get up and just immediately go into coffee, we kind of stay behind that dehydration 8 ball where we are just always in a state of dehydration which means we are always looking for more food."

After drinking water, the next baby step Deborah suggests we take is to add protein to your morning coffee or tea. When you buy collagen protein, look for ones that dissolve completely and are flavorless.

"It is a pure protein. So your body is gonna feel very satiated after it has some protein, so it’s gonna feel full, it’s gonna really help to turn your brain on, turn your energy on, and if that coffee does kill your appetite, at least you have had a good hit of protein, which is gonna help you to avoid carbohydrates cravings."

Next, Deborah says don't skip on the green vegetables! She says we should be getting at least 3 cups of green vegetables each day. While that may seem like a lot, the American Cancer Society actually suggests we get 10 to 15 servings of vegetables a day, so we are kind of getting off easy with this baby step. 

"I get the big bag of greens at Costco, I saute them up, and then I take a little steamer tray, put it into just a glass bowl, pour all of my greens into that, and then it will continue to just kind of let off excess fluid into the pan. That’s how I store them in the fridge with a little lid, and then when I saute eggs in the morning, I can just take a little bit, put it in my pan, and my greens are already done!"

Deborah says green veggies are so important when it comes to our health because green vegetables are full of B vitamins that can help combat some of the feelings of depression and anxiety so many of us are experiencing right now. 

Deborah says if you just can't seem to part with the carbohydrates, look for whole grains and high fiber content, Deborah likes at least 3 grams of fiber for this! Oatmeal is a popular carb for breakfast, but Deborah says be sure you're adding a scoop of peanut butter or collagen to get that protein punch you need to start your day.