Habits To A Healthier, Better-looking You In The New Year

To look better and live healthier

To look better and live healthier. Those are just two of the most common resolutions people come up with when a new year is about to start. But as always, they are easier said than done. In order for a person to get those well-defined muscles and smaller waist, he or she must sweat it out.

However, aside from a person's sports activity, or the lack of it, it is his or her daily habits that influence his or her weight. Examples of these are eating and sleeping habits and the way a person whiles away the time. So, for a better-looking and healthier you this 2011, here are some habits you need to adopt.

1. Eat as far from the food source as possible.

It was found by researchers that when people eat food far enough from its source (e.g., serving themselves from the stove), they tend to eat less. The reason: researchers theorize that the distance makes people think twice of coming back for more food. Who would have thought being a little bit lazy can keep a person from getting fat?

2. Get enough sleep.

It has been said countless times that sleep is a contributing factor in a person's weight. Researchers at Wake Forest University found through a study that the enough amount of sleep to get your ideal weight is six to seven hours. In the study, the participants who didn't have enough or who had more sleep gained more abdominal fat. Researchers concluded that people with less sleep tend to eat more because of the feeling of exhaustion, whereas those who sleep longer retain more fat in the body due to less activity.

3. Minimize TV time.

Watching TV doesn't burn much calories. Watching TV for as long as you like is okay as long as you are doing something else at the same time, such as a household chore. Apart from this, if you want to keep yourself entertained while burning those excess calories, start on the reading habit.

4. Cut back on the soda.

Apparently there is no need to elaborate on this, but for a clearer picture of why too much soda intake is bad for your health and figure, here are the researchers' calculations:

can per day = 26 percent increased risk of being overweight or obese

to 1 can per day = 30.4 percent increased risk

1 to 2 cans per day = 32.8 percent increased risk

More than 2 cans per day = 47.2 percent increased risk

5. Eat slowly.

Here is one tip from the scientists on eating: savor the food and you wont get fat. Savoring the food you are eating signals your brain to make you feel full sooner. So don't hurry in swallowing everything on your plate or you'll overeat.

6. Eat enough fat.

Eating fat is not bad as long as you are not eating too much of it. In fact, fat can help you in maintaining your weight, as it can make you feel satiated for a longer period of time compared with carbohydrates.

by: Patty Acorin

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