F or the last eight years, I have had the pleasure of writing a weekly column for the Fairfax County Times. I’ve shared hundreds of articles on wellness topics, dozens of my recipes and tips on improving certain facets of our health. Today is my last article. Our family is relocating back to the south to be closer to family and the beach. I will continue with my nutrition practice and my work; I just won’t be local. One of my fabulous co-workers at the Amen Clinics will take over this column for me. So, in my closing article, I wanted to share my top six habits for elevating your health. These are small healthy habits that, with consistency, will continue to improve your health.

Eat protein with every meal. Protein is needed to balance blood sugar, support muscle repair, and promote metabolism. Most meals today are carbohydrate heavy (too much rice, potatoes, beans) without adequate protein. This can lead to energy slumps and sugar cravings. Aim for 20-30 grams of protein per meal to support steady blood sugar, energy, weight management, hormone balance and healthy insulin levels. At each meal, options could be lean meats, eggs, fish, plain Greek yogurt, or small amounts of beans.

Get sunlight in the morning. One of my non-negotiables is a morning walk with my dog. I sleep so much better. Exposure to natural light sets your circadian rhythm. It signals wakefulness, balances cortisol, and stimulates melatonin production for better sleep at night. Get outside within 30 minutes of waking for at least 10-15 minutes. Avoid wearing sunglasses or blue light from electronic devices first thing in the morning.

Move your lymphatic system daily. Our cardiovascular system has a pump—the heart. The lymphatic system has no pump, so you must be that pump. You can do this by walking, bouncing, rebounding, or any type of exercise. Moving lymph helps to filter waste and toxins from the body, improving circulation and detoxification. Do this for 5-10 minutes daily.

Walk after eating. The worst thing you can do for your blood sugar is to sit down after a meal. This slows digestion and can cause a blood sugar spike. A short walk can use up glucose from your meal and prevent spikes. It doesn’t need to be a rigorous walk, just a pleasant 10-15-minute jaunt. And, if you can’t get outside, try sweeping, cleaning up, or just slowly walking up and down some stairs.

Take a few deep breaths before you eat. We must be in a parasympathetic state to digest our food. If we’re in that go-go-go mode, we’re in a sympathetic state, and we can’t break down our food appropriately. Take a moment to do a few deep breaths, center yourself, and create a calm environment for eating. This will promote good levels of hydrochloric acid to break down your food into usable nutrients.

Read every label. Knowing and understanding what is in our food, beverages, and even medicines is essential. Check the ingredient label for chemicals that don’t belong in our bodies. The Nasty Nine (that I write about in my book, “Unprocessed Living”) are high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium), partially hydrogenated oils, MSG, refined sugar, preservatives like sodium nitrate, sodium benzoate and BHT), carrageenan, artificial colors and seed oils like soybean, cottonseed and canola. When you find these present, it is a clear sign that it’s highly processed food. Stick to whole foods as much as possible and find alternatives.

If you can incorporate these simple yet effective habits into your daily life, your labs will improve, your weight will normalize, and you will have consistent energy. If you need support, education, and a cheerleader along your journey to better health, please keep me in mind. You can join my email newsletter at www.UnlockBetterHealth.com to stay in touch or follow me on social media (Instagram and Facebook). Best of luck, Northern Virginia!