By Anne Davis/Special to e-KNOW

Follow these ten simple steps and create better eating, sleeping and healthy living patterns in your life. The key is to be consistent. Too often we give up at the very moment that results are beginning to show.

1. Exercise for half an hour at least four days a week.  Join a gym or an exercise class or just get outside.  Go for a bike ride. Take your dog for a walk – borrow your neighbour’s dog if you don’t have one and both of you will benefit!  Even a slight increase in walking speed will make a big difference in your stamina over time.
2. Drink a full glass of water before you sit down to eat a meal.  The water will help to fill you up and rehydrate you at the same time.
3. Eat slowly and chew your food well.  Slowing yourself down while eating allows you to digest your food properly and to notice when you feel full.
4. Cut back on the amount of carbohydrates you consume (excluding green veggies).  Carbohydrates cause blood sugar to rise.  Limiting them to 70-80 grams per day will help you to avoid cravings and feel less sluggish. You must also increase the healthy fats and protein components of your diet to give you energy (compensates for the lower intake of carbs).
5. Plan your meals or cook them ahead of time.  Always have something nutritious on hand that is quick to prepare so that you don’t indulge in “snacky” high calorie foods because you’re too hungry to wait for dinner.
6. Don’t eat sweets on an empty stomach; the dip in blood-sugar that comes after you eat them spurs you on to eat more of them.
7. Eat small meals with nutritious snacks in between (eat every two to three hours, whether you’re hungry or not).  Your body will be able to process what you eat more easily and you’ll eat less overall.
8. Eat more vegetables – raw, steamed and especially green, leafy ones, and don’t forget to add a dip, butter or olive oil to give you extra energy.
9. Keep consistent sleep habits.  Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day trains your body into a sleep pattern.  You’ll fall asleep more easily, sleep more soundly and wake up more refreshed.
10. Practice deep breathing from your abdomen for 15 minutes each day.  Deeper breaths relax muscles, feed every cell in your body and release endorphins which are natural pain killers.  Longer exhalations rid your lungs of stale air and toxins.

These small steps will make a big difference in the way you feel and the amount of energy you have.  It takes 21 days of consistent effort to create a new habit. So get started today and in no time at all these new habits will be second nature to you!

Ann Davis is a Kimberley-based writer.

Sources: The Snackwell Effect & www.healthguide.org