1. Think Positive – Setting aside five minutes a day to focus on the positive, giving thanks for the good things in your life, can make a tremendous difference. Re-orienting yourself towards the positive will give you a new perspective, and help attract more good things into your life.

2. Get Enough Sleep – Few people these days give enough respect for their rest, skimping on sleep in favor of catching up with work or worrying about what tomorrow will bring. When you block off a proper amount of time for sleep, you’ll attain a healthier weight, reduce stress, boost your immune system, and even get clearer skin.

3. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables – Everyone knows this is the right thing to do, but somehow good intentions seem to melt away more rapidly than the snows of winter. Start by making it a rule to eat one fruit or vegetable at every meal, and your body will thank you for it.

4. Get Active – A lot of people get gym memberships at the start of the year, go and work out a few times, and then return to their old couch potato ways. Instead of being too ambitious, vow to set aside 20 minutes every day to be active, whether it’s a walk around the block, a quick workout at the gym, or simply doing calisthenics in the privacy of your own home.

5. Drink a Glass of Water – Yes, that strange and “unpleasant” liquid forms more than 70% of our bodies, and yet many people avoid drinking water. Experts recommend that if you drink a small glass of water before every meal, you’ll be sure to stay hydrated, feel more full (and thus less prone to over-eating), and help your body perform vital functions like repairing and rejuvenating cell tissue, regulating hormones, and even burning calories.

6. Read More – Most people read emails and other texts for work, but when is the last time you read for pleasure? Even setting aside 10 minutes to read a passage from a religious text, magazine article, or book chapter will help you to relax while also stimulating your mind.

7. Learn a Foreign Language – Becoming completely fluent in a foreign language is hard work indeed, but anyone can learn one word a day. Not only will this help stimulate your brain, but it’s also a fun challenge!

8. Make a List – If life seems overwhelming, one of the best ways to get back in control is to learn how to make lists. Just the act of writing things down will help you organize your thoughts, and few things feel as good as crossing off items from your list of things to do.

9. Travel – Air travel is becoming more affordable than ever, with plenty of amazing destinations just a few short hours from where you live. Even if it’s exploring an American city that you’ve never visited, it’s always reinvigorating to go somewhere new.

10. Learn New Recipes – One of the secrets to eating healthier is learning new recipes. Many of us fall into the habit of eating the same old thing, day after day. Pick an exciting new recipe that looks appealing, and try it out. You might just surprise yourself with how tasty new ingredients and dishes can be!

11. Eat More Soup – Many of us consider soups to be relics of childhood or meals for when we’re sick, but soups are one of the healthiest dishes around. Whether you make it from scratch, or heat up pre-made soup, you’ll be getting a rich mix of vegetables and nutrients, plus ensuring that your body stays hydrated.

12. Do Something Nice – Whether it’s as grandiose as paying for the customer behind you in line, or simply leaving a nice comment for an online article, doing a positive act will recharge your spiritual batteries.

13. Tell Someone You Love Them – In this crazy, hectic world, the people whom we love mean everything to us, and yet sometimes telling them that we love them is the hardest thing of all. Even if it’s via text, reach out to the people that matter most to you and tell them unambiguously that you love them.

14. Eat Mindfully – Between blaring televisions and radios, fidgeting with our phones, and lots of conversation, we often wolf down our meals without even realizing what we’ve just eaten. Turn off the noise, and slow down, eating every bite with mindfulness. Not only will you be more grateful and conscious for your food, but you’ll also form a better connection to your body’s needs.

15. Spend More Time with Animals – Even if your lifestyle can’t accommodate adopting a pet, people simply feel better when they’re around animals. Go to a zoo, ride a horse, visit a wildlife sanctuary, or volunteer at your local animal shelter, and you’ll feel more relaxed, happy, and connected to the important things in life.

16. Kiss AND Tell – Sometimes, it seems as though once we’ve found a romantic partner, we soon slide into lazy habits of taking them for granted. Take the time to write down or say aloud to your partner all of the reasons why you cherish their presence in your life, and how happy you are that they’ve agreed to share their life with you.

17. The Bucket List – Write out a list of the things you want to do before you die, and then vow to do at least one in the next 30 days. Whether it’s as exotic as skydiving or as mundane as visiting the ocean for the first time, don’t let work and the grind of daily life keep you from fulfilling your life’s ambitions.

No matter what you decide to do for 2016, make sure that you invest your time, energy, love, and money on making your life the best it can be!

The post 16 Healthy Habits for 2016 appeared first on SmartChoiceMD.

Get Plenty of Quality Rest

The one thing that people continue to sacrifice first tends to be their rest, foregoing sleep so that they can catch up on emails, do housework, or watch another episode of their favorite show. Our bodies use the hours of sleep to do vital repair and rejuvenation work, strengthening our immune system to be able to fight off stress and viral invaders during the day.

Eat Shitake Mushrooms

These once-exotic mushrooms are now becoming recognized for their unique healthy ingredients. Long used in traditional Chinese medicine, shitake mushrooms contain special ingredients that help boost your immune system. These tasty mushrooms can add delicious texture to a healthy salad, or can be tossed into a stir-fry or soup.

Eat Your Vegetables

There’s nothing mysterious about vegetables – they’re packed full of vitamins, minerals, and other essential ingredients, and everyone knows that eating more of them is good for you. If you’re not sure how to add more vegetables to your diet, try a new routine of eating a salad every day for lunch, or follow the old maxim of “meat and three” vegetables for dinner.

Stay Hydrated

Some experts believe that a significant portion of illnesses that people suffer from today could be avoided or lessened if people stayed hydrated. Whether you’re drinking water, sipping on tea, or enjoying a nice hot soup, your body depends on plenty of liquid hydration to perform vital functions, including fending off viral invaders.

Reduce Stress

The holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year, which is why it is more important than ever to reduce your stress load. Whether it is not overdoing it at a New Year’s Eve party or getting enough rest, performing regular exercise to burn off frustration and excess calories, or learning simple meditation and relaxation techniques, lowering your stress levels is one of the best ways to stay healthy.

Some people get so caught up in their busy and hectic levels that the only time they get enough rest is when they’re sick. Instead of waiting to suffer from sneezing, coughing, chills, fevers, and a sore head to get some down time, vow to take care of yourself, managing stress and learning to relax. Then you’ll feel healthy, strong and vibrant when life throws curve balls your way.

The post How to Stop a Cold Naturally Before It Starts appeared first on SmartChoiceMD.