Healthier you: 3 ways in 7 days

Sanitarium Nutrition Service, Berkeley Vale, New South Wales

As we enjoy the beginning of a new year, it is a good time to think about changes we want to make to help us live healthier, happier lives.

So where do you start? Try making changes that give you an immediate benefit because they will inspire you to keep going. We have made suggestions round three areas: moving, playing and eating. Just pick one option from each section, challenge yourself to do it for a week and feel the positive difference.

Move
- Walk - Get up half an hour earlier and go for a walk around your local neighbourhood.
- Cycle - Whether it's out in the fresh air or indoors on an exercise bike, get cycling!
- Game on - Use the longer summer days to enjoy an evening game of soccer with the family or join a local touch football team.

Play
- Have fun - Plan seven fun activities to do for the week. Try kite flying, a trip to the beach to build sandcastles or go tenpin bowling.
- Read - Re-read your favourite childhood book.
- Create - Buy yourself a canvas and some paints and spend the week working on a piece of art.

Eat
- Go for 2 and 5 - Enjoy at least two serves of fruit and five serves (or half cups) of vegetables each day. Don't just think of vegies for dinner, snack on carrots or capsicum, and try to include salad with lunch.
- Be water wise - Replace all of your drinks, including fizzy drinks, coffee and tea, with at least two litres of water each day for seven days.
- Love legumes - Include a serve of legumes each day. Try chickpeas in salads, have a family veggie burger night, enjoy hummus with raw vegies, have baked beans for a snack, and include lentils in your favourite soups and casseroles.

After making these small changes, you will find that even after just seven days, you are feeling lighter and more energetic.

Visit the Sanitarium website for recipe ideas, including kids' recipes and ideas for nutritious treats and order a free copy of our Everyday Essentials cookbook. You can also speak to one of our dietitians or nutritionists by calling 1800 HEALTH (1800 432 584) in Australia or 0800 100 257 in New Zealand.

This has been a feature from Record, January 24, 2009