A Healthier You In 2012
By Lina Younes
At the beginning of the year, I decided that 2012 was going to be the year for me to get healthier. I thought that if I used that as my guiding light for the months ahead, this resolution would likely survive beyond the month of January.
Granted that in order to get healthier, I needed to make some changes to my daily habits. Lifestyle changes and making better choices are definitely required to be successful in reaching my goal. There is no doubt that losing weight seems to be in everyone’s top five New Year resolutions. However when the pounds don’t come off as fast as we like, we are likely to be disillusioned and return to our unhealthy practices. So, what are some of the lifestyle changes that I’ve made to achieve my healthier goal? Well, I’ve started by making healthier eating choices. How about eating more fruits and vegetables? How about looking at our old cookbooks for creative recipes that not only include healthier foods, but add some variety to the menu? How about exercising more? I’m not talking necessarily about going on the treadmill that has been collecting dust in the basement. I mean we can take longer walks even when we walk our dog. That’s a nice way of getting some fresh air and getting some exercise without really trying. Also, don’t forget the sun block even if it’s wintertime.
What other choices can we make to have a healthier lifestyle?
- Well, reducing the amount of clutter around the home is a great start to get in the right state of mind.
- Increasing our recycling rate is another good habit at home and at work.
- Testing your home for radon will also help you to have a healthier home.
- Reading the label first before using household chemical products and pesticides
These are just a few of the healthy habits that should lead to a healthier 2012. Why don’t you commit to taking action for a healthier you and a healthier environment? Visit EPA’s Pick 5 for some suggestions.
As always, we would like to hear from you. What have you done to make 2012 a healthier year for you and your family?
About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and currently serves as EPA’s Multilingual Outreach and Communications Liaison in the Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
I’m going to do what I have been doing the last year or so. I gradually cut out most processed foods. I cook almost everything from scratch. I didn’t do this all at once. Just very gradually started switching what I was eating to whole foods. I also have been exercising on a regular basics at a gym fairly close. I would love to say that I don’t need to exercise at a gym but they have all these great classes which are included in the monthly fee and it keeps me motivated to continue exercising. By doing these two things
(eating whole foods and exercising) I have lost quite a bit of weight, but once again, it has happened slowly over time. I still need to lose more weight to be in a healthy weight zone, so I’m looking forward to sometime in 2012 or 2013 to reach that goal!
It can be done. Keep up the good work.
Increasing our recycling rate is another good habit at home and at work. But health diet is so important for health life.
I can be healthier in 2012 if I am going to have an exercise and a good diet.