Ways to Stay on Track When Making Healthier Choices

— Written By and last updated by Nancie Mandeville
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲
Choosing healthy food options

Making healthier choices can improve our quality of life and may also increase our longevity. Perhaps you’ve tried to quit smoking, exercise more, or eat a healthier diet and discovered that making the change to a healthier lifestyle can be difficult. Research shows ways that are proven to increase your chances of success.

The first step in achieving success in making healthier choices is creating an awareness of your behavior and habits. Regular things that you may do, such as, staying up past midnight on weekdays or drinking coffee in the morning can become habits. They happen without much thought. Becoming aware of these behaviors and what triggers them can help you develop ways to disrupt unhealthy behaviors and trigger new ones.

It is essential to make a plan that is centered around small, sensible goals, and clearly identified actions that you will take to achieve these goals. For example, if you normally go to bed after eating dinner, try going to another room and working on a small home improvement project or craft in the evening. Put some thought into what you think you will need to be successful. Perhaps, it may require you to research “Do It Yourself” hobbies or prepare another area of your home to enjoy reading or another activity.

It’s a great idea to get friends and family involved. They can offer support. You can also ask them to join you.

Some obstacles may occur, so plan ahead to meet these challenges. Think about what situations might occur to disrupt your success and strategize to make healthy choices during stressful times.

Finally, track your success. You can use a paper journal, a mobile app to make notes or a computer program. Research shows that people that track their success are more likely to succeed when striving to make healthier choices.

Written By

Cheri Bennett, N.C. Cooperative ExtensionCheri BennettExtension Agent, Family and Consumer Science Call Cheri Email Cheri N.C. Cooperative Extension, Richmond County Center
Posted on Mar 19, 2019
Was the information on this page helpful? Yes check No close
Scannable QR Code to Access Electronic Version