10 Ways to Improve Your Day in Just 5 Minutes

1. Make your bed. This isn't about being a clean freak. It's a small ritual that can help create a calm environment for you in your bedroom -- and a soothing bedroom is part of "sleep hygiene" -- little habits that can help you sleep better. Author Gretchen Rubin recommends making your bed as a daily habit in her book, The Happiness Project. Do it first thing in the morning, and you've got one less thing to worry about for the rest of the day.

2. Pack a snack. Before you head out the door in the morning, prep a healthy snack to take with you. Ideas include fruit, unsalted nuts, and low-fat cheese or yogurt. When you get hungry later in the afternoon, you'll be ready!

3. Clear your desk. From stray papers to scattered coffee mugs, clutter can make you lose focus and curb productivity. Declutter your outer environment and you may feel more organized and better able to concentrate on the task at hand.

4. Pump up the music. Several studies have found that listening to music can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and boost mood. The right music has the power to change your attitude. So load up your MP3 player and create a playlist that will make you smile -- whether you're working or working out. As long as you don't blast it (bad for your hearing), this is a safe, healthy way to make your day more enjoyable.

5. Sniff a lemon. For a quick de-stressing trick, turn to an underrated sense -- your sense of smell. Japanese researchers found that linalool; a substance found in lemons, may turn down the classic "flight-or-fight" stress response. Not into lemons? Try basil, juniper, or lavender -- those scents have also been found to lower stress.

6. Stretch. No need to put on your yoga pants or get all bendy. Just a few easy moves will do. Stretch your arms overhead. Raise and lower your shoulders a couple of times. Stretch your legs as you lean your torso against a wall. Be gentle, so you don't overdo it. Stretching can help improve your circulation and flexibility, and may help ease the tight muscles that come with stress.

7. Meditate. It's easier than you may think. Here's how: Settle into a comfortable position in a chair or on the floor. Then follow your breath -- in, out -- for a few minutes. Thoughts are bound to bubble up in your mind -- no problem. Just let them float by and turn your attention back to your breath. Meditating daily, even just for a few minutes, may help tame stress.

8. Keep a gratitude diary. Take a minute every day to write downwhat you're thankful for -- big or small. It's easy to vent about weather, traffic, or job woes, but complaining brings negative energy along with it. Being thankful for what you have can make you appreciate all the positives in your life.

9. Turn off your electronics. Take a little break, already, from all your gadgets. Staring at computer screens and electronics all day long can zap your energy and encourage inactivity. So log off -- of everything -- every now and then. This is especially important to allow you to unwind and relax before bed. Just because the world is on, 24-7, you don't have to be!

10. Prioritize. Give yourself permission to admit that you can't do everything, all at once. Instead, you can nibble away at your to-do list, and feel more satisfied, by setting some priorities. So make a list, figure out what really matters, what can wait, and what you can skip. Work your way down the list, handling your top priorities first. Bit by bit, you'll get there!

WebMD Feature
By Jennifer Soong
Reviewed By Michael W. Smith, MD

Healthy Eating Tip 9

Limit sugar and salt

If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar and salt.

Sugar

Sugar causes energy ups and downs and can add to health and weight problems. Unfortunately, reducing the amount of candy, cakes, and desserts we eat is only part of the solution. Often you may not even be aware of the amount of sugar you’re consuming each day. Large amounts of added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, soy sauce, and ketchup. Here are some tip:

Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more than the daily recommended limit! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.

Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened iced tea, plain yogurt, or unflavored oatmeal, for example, and add sweetener (or fruit) yourself. You’re likely to add far less sweetener than the manufacturer would have.

Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy your sweet tooth. Keep these foods handy instead of candy or cookies.

 

How sugar is hidden on food labels

Check food labels carefully. Sugar is often disguised using terms such as:

cane sugar or maple syrup corn sweetener or corn syrup honey or molasses brown rice syrup

crystallized or evaporated cane juice fruit juice concentrates, such as apple or pear maltodextrin (or dextrin) Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, or Sucrose

Salt

Most of us consume too much salt in our diets. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems. Try to limit sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt.

Avoid processed or pre-packaged foods. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen dinners contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.

Be careful when eating out. Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with sodium.

Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables.

Cut back on salty snacks such as potato chips, nuts, and pretzels.

Choose low-salt or reduced-sodium products.

Try slowly reducing the salt in your diet to give your taste buds time to adjust.

 

Healthy Eating Tip 8

Add calcium for strong bones

Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, as well as many other important functions.

You and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job.

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Try to get as much of your daily calcium needs from food as possible and use only low-dose calcium supplements to make up any shortfall.

Good sources of calcium include:

• Dairy: Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Vegetables and greens: Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.

Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.