Sunday, January 26, 2020

Worst Diets for Health 2020

So many people choose to go on a diet to lose weight.  And this can be a good thing.  However, dieting is not so good for one’s health when people chose to go on a fad diet, a diet that may help one lose weight but takes a toll on their health at the same time.  Watching TV, I heard a newscaster say, “I am going on the Whole30 diet.  I do it every January.”   Sad for her as she is choosing to go on a diet ranked as one of the “Worst Diets” by U.S News & World Report.  Last week we talked about weight loss diets that will help you lose weight and are good for your health including:  Weight Watchers, the Volumetrics Diet and the Jenny Craig diet.  Whether you want to eat healthy or lose some weight there are healthy ways to do so.  Unfortunately, some people choose diets that are actually bad for their health like the newscaster I heard on TV.  Why?  Maybe they are looking for a quick weight loss fix.  Maybe they are duped into thinking a diet is healthy when it is actually bad for their health.  Whether at the gym or at work you will hear people talking about being on a low-carb diet, or going on the Whole30 diet, or some latest fad diet.  These may be fads but also can be quite unhealthy diets.  When the US News & World Report ranks the Best Diets for health, they have diets that fall at the bottom of their rankings.  What diets are ranked the lowest and why?  Let’s review some of the 2020 ranked not-so-good for you diets and provide you with some pros and cons of these diets.  What diets are ranked “bottom of the barrel” and diets you want to stay away from in 2020?

Whole30 Diet

This diet is popular once again.  Even though it was created in 2009, many people are currently trying the Whole30 approach.  Whole30 claims it will “change your life”.  How?  Their website claims that by eliminating certain foods from your diet, the “gut-disturbing, inflammatory food groups for 30 straight days and see what your life, body, and self-confidence could look like.”   
  
What foods do you eliminate on this diet?

For 30 days, they tell you to avoid a number of foods.  This diet claims that certain food including sugar, grains, dairy and legumes are the foods that negatively impact your health.  Grains are a food group on MyPlate that provide many essential nutrients we need in our diets.  Whole grains are especially healthy and this diet tells you to avoid them.  Not a healthy “rule” to follow.  

What foods does the Whole30 diet eliminate for 30 days?
  • No added sugar whether real or artificial.  Forget the maple syrup on your pancakes, the sweetener for your ice tea, the Diet Coke. Not even sugar less gum is allowed.
  • No alcohol – no wine, beer or mixed drinks for you.
  • No grains – so no bread, no cereal, no toast, no bagels, no quinoa, no crackers
  •  No legumes/beans – this means no peanut butter, no kidney beans, baked beans, peas.  Forget the soy sauce – banned. 
  • No Dairy – no milk, yogurt, sour cream, no ice cream no cheese.  No cheese pizza for you.
What foods are permitted on this diet?
  • Protein foods = meat, seafood
  • Vegetables and some fruit
  • Herbs, spices and seasonings
The diet focuses on whole and unprocessed foods so you will be eating your meals at home.  Eating whole and unprocessed foods is a good, healthy thing to do.  But avoiding food groups like the grain and dairy food groups is not a healthy choice.
You don’t have to count calories.  Exercise is not a part of this diet plan but they do endorse moving more.  To the founders, it is diet not exercise that promotes good health. Thus, this diet is not really a lifestyle change approach to good health.

What ranking does US News & World Report give the Whole30 diet?  For 2020, the experts looked at 35 diets and ranked the Whole30 diet as #33 in Best Diets Overall and #34 in Best-Weight Loss diets.  So not a good endorsement of this diet, either for good health or for weight-loss.  Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, has also evaluated the Whole30 diet on her “Smart Nutrition” website. 
  1. The Whole30 diet is very restrictive.  Eating out at restaurants, eating out at other people’s homes would be quite difficult on this diet.
  2. Many healthy foods are eliminated:  Any diet that eliminates food groups like dairy and grains, also eliminates the nutrients that those food groups provide.  Whole grains are foods we want to add to our diet for fiber and many trace minerals.  Dairy provides much needed calcium and vitamin D to our day.  So many Americans are deficient in vitamin D that the last thing they should do is cut more vitamin D out of their diets. Beans, peanut butter, nuts are very healthy and we should be adding more of these to our diets, not cutting back on them or eliminating them for 30 days.
  3. Time-consuming – you will need to shop and prepare a lot of meals at home as the diet plan is quite restrictive.
  4. It is not a lifestyle change – it is not a plan that helps you learn how to eat healthier and exercise such as walks are mentioned but the change in diet is their key to good health.
  5. US News & World Report noted “Whole30 lacks scientific support and is severely restrictive, according to the experts.  Its short-term approach and long-term promises didn’t win over the panelists.”   Further, they note going on the diet would lead to “temporary weight loss”.  Who wants to spend the time and effort to lose weight and then gain it all back because the diet they choose promotes “temporary weight loss”?
What are the pros of this diet plan?
  1. The diet does emphasize minimally processed food. 
  2. The diet promotes eating more fish and more vegetables.
What other diets are ranked low on the Best Diets list?

Atkins Diet is ranked number 32 out of 35 diets for healthy eating, almost dead last.  Yet, people still go on the “Atkins Diet” to lose weight.  Why go on a diet ranked so low?    US News & World Report  states: “is not a good all-purpose diet, experts said.”  US News & World Report noted a meta-analysis study that indicated low-carb diets like the Atkins diet may increase the bad or LDL cholesterol which is a risk factor for heart disease.  

Body Reset Diet ranked #36 last year and wasn’t even on the list of Best Diets in 2020.  Last year the  US News & World Report called this diet a “gimmick” and an “unhealthy” diet for weight loss. 

Keto Diet – ranked #34 out of 35, almost dead last.  This diet is high-fat and low in carbs.  Among the health risks for this diet according to the US News & World Report is the diet can lead to muscle loss.  Odd, since many people on this diet are hoping to lose fat, not muscle.  It is also a diet not recommended for pregnant women, women who are nursing, or those with heart disease until they consult their doctor.  

Dukan Diet – dead last at #35.  Not only very restrictive but one of the panelists for U.S. News & World Report “described the diet as ‘idiotic”.  Needless to say, not a good diet to go on.  


So, if you are looking to eat better for good health in 2020, there are many good diet plans to choose from.  There are also a number of fad diets one should avoid.  As I noted a couple of weeks ago, healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up all the foods you like to eat, but adding some foods that promote good health like more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, and more low-fat dairy to your day.

Sources:  Weight Watchers,  Volumetrics Diet,  Jenny Craig, US News & World Report,  Best Diets, Whole30, US News & World Report, Smart Nutrition,  noted,   US News & World Report,  idiotic   Image Sources:  Best Diets , Whole 30 Week 1  , atkins, Diet 

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Best Weight Loss Diets for 2020

Hoping to lose a few pounds 2020 and have you made a New Year’s Resolution to do so?  Everywhere you look there are ads for taking off weight easily.  But we all know there is nothing so easy about it.  Yes, there are diets that one can lose a few pounds pretty quickly but what we really want is to lose the pounds and have them stay away.  To do so, skip the fad diets and try some real diets that have been shown to work.  If you do want to drop a few pounds or more, what are some healthy weight loss diets?  Too many diets promise the world but are not good for your health.  For example, one of the diets ranked the worst is the Whole30 diet.  This, like so many fad diets, don’t work to help you change your lifestyle but offer some quick solution that isn’t viable for the long term.  You may lose some weight but when you go “off” the fad diet, the weight piles back on.  Another poorly ranked diet is the Alkaline Diet.  So, shun these poorly ranked diets and focus on one’s that have been proven to work.  The US News & World Report has once again ranked the weight loss diets in their “Best Weight-Loss Diets for 2020.  

Why does US News & World Report rank a weight-loss diet a winner?  The experts ranking the diets not only look for fast weight loss, but also lasting weight loss.  They noted some diets did well in the short term, people lost weight on the diet, but long-term results, not so good.  A diet really isn’t successful if you gain all the weight back that you wanted to say good bye to. 

What Weight Loss Diets were ranked the best by US News & World Report?

1.   Weight Watchers  (WW)= Number 1 Diet for Weight Loss in 2020 (It was also number 1 for weight loss in 2019).  Weight Watchers scored the highest for overall weight loss and fast weight loss, and experts said it’s a smart, effective diet.  They note you will lose about 2 pounds a week on this diet.
a.       Pros:  Healthier eating. In 2017, Weight Watchers launched a more freestyle way of eating, called the WW Freestyle program.  Weight Watchers, now called just WW, not only focuses on weight loss but on building a healthier lifestyle and improving your health.  Their SmartPoints system builds on its traditional point system that assigns every food and beverage points based on how healthy it is.  Foods such as fruits and veggies are now zero points.  And there are 200 foods that are zero points like eggs, fish, turkey breast, non-fat plain yogurt.  The support systems that Weight Watchers is known for is still there through meetings, online chats or via phone.  This is one diet program that helps you learn to eat healthier and encourages exercise.  This diet doesn’t just focus on counting calories but on making healthier food choices.  In WW, you count points, not calories.  Unlike many diets, WW doesn’t just focus on lowering calories.  It also helps you choose healthier foods, foods with less saturated fat, less added sugar and more protein.  There is mobile App to use on your smartphone. Fitness – unlike many other diet programs, WW also focuses on moving more.  You not only count points for food, you also count points for exercise.  But not just going to the gym, cleaning your house adds points, mowing the lawn, walking the dog.  Basically, get moving points.
b.      Cons – some people don’t like all the counting of points but may find the WW freestyle program easier to follow.  A student in my class said their mother was happy counting the points but their dad said he just wanted to eat when out in a restaurant and didn’t want to figure out the points for every food on his plate.  But WW offers a mobile app that has the points for over 285,000 foods and a “Menu Master” to guide you on how to eat healthy when eating out. 
Choose an egg, Canadian bacon and avocado on an English muffin. 
2.  Volumetrics Diet = Number 2 Diet for Weight Loss in 2020 – last year it also ranked number 2 for weight loss.  Volumetrics earned high marks for being safe and nutritious, and experts said it could have positive effect on heart health and diabetes.    
a.       Pros – this diet is focused on foods loaded with nutrients, not loaded with calories.  Thus, more fruits and vegetables which are low in calories but full of nutrients.  A nutrition professor from Penn State University, Barbara Rolls, is behind this diet.  She divides foods into 4 groups – not the basic four, but new groups based on energy density (or calorie density).  Nonstarchy fruits and vegetables are number one or category one.  Then comes the starchy fruits and vegetables along with grains, cereals, low -fat meats and other low-fat foods.  Junk food ends up in the 4th category – the chips, candy, cookies.  It is interesting that nuts are put in the 4th category as nuts are a healthy food choice.  Cost is a pro as there are no expensive foods to buy.  You do need to buy a book to give you guidance on what to eat and cook on this diet. US News and World Report recommends “The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet” book that provides information on the energy density food groups. 
b.      Cons -  You have to keep track of what food is in what category.  If you choose a higher calorie food, you might be able to eat only a portion of it to fit into your daily allotment.  Thus, if you eat a large bowl of soup, you can then only eat 1/6th of a cheeseburger. (WebMD).  Exercise is not a major focus although the diet encourages walking.  You add 150 steps a day with your first goal of 1,000 steps a day and then increasing your daily steps to 10,000 a day.  WebMD notes that on this diet, “you won’t lose weight in a hurry.”  You can read a lot more about each diet at the Best Weight-Loss Diets website and by going to the websites of each of the above programs. My con – if one has to buy a book to learn how to follow a diet, it is too complicated for me. But the book has recipes for those who like to cook and need guidance on following this diet plan.
You can enjoy French fries but watch portion sizes.
3.  The Vegan Diet tied with the Volumetrics Diet for 2nd place for 2020.  But US News and World Report noted it is restrictive and hard to follow.  You can read more about it on the US News & World Report website.  But since it is so restrictive, we will move on to the diets ranked fourth. 

4.  Jenny Craig Diet = The Jenny Craig Diet and the Flexitarian Diet are tied for Number 4 for Diets for Weight Loss in 2020   (Jenny Craig was also tied for third in 2019.)  Jenny Craig drew praise for being easy to follow, nutritionally complete and safe, but experts were lukewarm about its potential to bolster heart health or help diabetics.

a.      Pros – this program offers meals that come to you with calories already counted for you.  These prepackaged meals not only restrict calories but restrict fat and have smaller portions.  They also provide recipes so you can make foods that fit into their diet program.  In addition to the prepackaged foods, you can enjoy fresh fruits and veggies and low-fat dairy foods.  Like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig promotes an active lifestyle and healthier eating patterns.  For exercise, the goal is 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise about 5 days a week.  Studies do show you will lose weight on this program, about 2 pounds a week, as long as you stay on the program.  For those with Type 2 diabetes, they offer the Jenny Craig for Type 2.  The diet is nutritious and one will get enough protein, fiber, potassium and calcium following this diet plan.  Which is not true for many diet plans. 
b.      Cons – cost – you will pay for the pre-packaged food. US News & World Report notes the enrollment fee is $99 and $19 per month for their “Premium” plan.  This doesn’t include the food and Web MD notes the food costs can run from $15 to $26 dollars each day which equates to $450 to $780 a month for food plus the $19 a month for the plan.  So not a cheap way to lose weight.  You can eat out occasionally, but the program is based on Jenny Craig foods delivered to you or for you to make.  A male student in my class chose this diet to lose weight for a future mountain climbing trip.  He lost weight, but said he was quite hungry at times. 
There are more weight loss diets in the Best Weight Loss Diets rankings including the Engine 2 Diet and the Raw Food Diet.  The best diet is the one that works for you.  One you can follow and stay on.  One that not only results in weight loss but lifestyle changes that help you keep off any weight you do lose.  WebMD has good advice to follow:  to prevent disease and stay active for life, you do need to exercise. So be sure to add this into your new lifestyle! (Jenny Craig Review).  Next week we will look at some of the worst diets for your health.  Those fad diets you should say “no” to.   

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Best Diets for Health 2020

Want to eat healthier in 2020?  What does “eating healthy” mean?  In the class I teach, students are always recommending we eat healthier diets.  But when I ask them what this means they often struggle to come up with specifics.  Many people make a resolution to go on a “diet” for the new year.  Why not go on a “diet” to eat healthier?  Are there healthy diets to follow?  A diet not for weight loss or weight gain, but just a healthy eating pattern? Not a “diet” you go on for a week or two but a healthy eating pattern diet that you can go on all year long.  I was watching TV recently and the host noted that every January they go on the Whole30 diet.  Is this really a healthy diet to go on?  People may think they are eating healthy by following the Whole30 diet.  According to the Whole30 website, food groups like grains and dairy have a negative impact on health.  US News & World Report gives the Whole30 diet a poor rating and a low ranking.  Why?  The diet is quite restrictive and excludes grain (an important food group), legumes, even peanut butter, and dairy – another important food group.  Whole grains are hugely important in our diets for fiber, trace minerals and other nutrients.  Rather than excluding whole grains, Americans should be eating more whole grains.  Dairy foods shouldn’t be restricted as dairy foods contribute calcium and vitamin D which so many Americans are lacking in their diets.  Any diet that excludes a food group and thus excludes nutrients that the food group provides, is not a healthy diet.  So how do you decide what is a healthy diet?  

Each year, the US News & World Report evaluates the “Best Diets”.   For 2020, they evaluated 35 popular diets and determined which ones were easy to follow, provided good nutrition, and are best for your health and fitness.  What do they look for?  They use health experts to rank diets on a number of parameters including how nutritious the diet is, how safe it is and whether the diet protects against diseases like diabetes and heart disease.  Top spots for 2020 went to Number One:  the Mediterranean Diet, Number Two:  the DASH diet that tied with the Flexitarian Diet.     
Best Diets for 2020
Diets that ranked as the “Best Diets” for 2020

     1.  Mediterranean Diet – for the second year in a row, this diet remained number one.  In the nutrition class I teach, we often talk about the Mediterranean Diet and why it is so good for one’s health.  This diet is based on the foods people eat in Greece and other countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Not only is their diet rich in fruits and veggies, they lead an active lifestyle.  Many nutritionists and health experts recommend this pattern of healthy eating.  Rather than giving up a food group, this diet recommends foods from each food group – but healthy foods from each group.
a.       Why is this diet good for your health?  The Mediterranean diet is a good diet for disease prevention – prevention of cancer and diabetes.  It is diet for healthy hearts and a healthy brain.   And, you can use this diet for weight loss.  Basically, for a healthier you in 2020.  To get started, try the 30-Day Mediterranean Diet Challenge at Eating Well.    Rather than go on the Whole30 for 30 days, choose to try the Mediterranean Diet for 30 days. 
b.       Foods to enjoy:  fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and fish.  
                                                               i.      Choose low-fat dairy – 2%, 1% or non-fat milk.  Choose low-fat yogurt.  Buy cheese that is made with low fat or skim milk like mozzarella cheese.  Real dairy is so important to your health.  Focus on eating real dairy foods at every meal.
                                                             ii.      Whole grains – as noted in a previous blog, so many Americans have few or no whole grains in their day.  Find a way to add whole grains to your daily food intake and to your kid’s diet.  Starting the day with oatmeal or Cheerios is a good way to add whole grains to your day.
                                                           iii.      Fruit and Vegetables – 5 A Day is a start.  More than 5 A Day is even healthier. As noted in last week’s blog, bring a vegetable with you for lunch every day.  Simple changes can be oh so good for your health.
                                                           iv.      Nuts – add a handful of nuts a day
                                                             v.      Olive oil – buy some Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and use it in cooking.
c.       Foods to cut back on: red meat, foods with added sugar and foods high in saturated fat.  

      2. DASH Diet – this diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, thus the acronym, DASH. Although it was designed to help lower blood pressure, the diet is good for your health.  U.S. News & World Report notes the diet is praised for its nutritional completeness, safety, ability to control diabetes, and prevent high blood pressure (hypertension).  The focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and real low-fat dairy, loads the diet up with potassium, calcium, protein and fiber.  These nutrients help lower blood pressure.
a.       Nutrients – the diet emphasizes nutrients that help lower one’s blood pressure like potassium and calcium.  It encourages more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein and dairy – but low fat dairy products.  Be sure to choose real dairy, not fake dairy. 
b.       Foods to limit are those higher in saturated fats like fatty meats, full-fat dairy foods, coconut oil, and foods high in salt.  Also, cutting back on added sugar by cutting back on sodas, sports drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets high in added sugar.
c.       To get more guidance on the DASH diet from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, get a 20 page guide, DASH Eating Plan or a 6 page guide at Lowering Blood Pressure with DASH. 
Although the DASH diet was designed for lowering high blood pressure, it is a good overall pattern of healthy eating.

3. Flexitarian Diet– Actually tied for 2nd place in the Flexitarian Diet.  This sounds like it would be a “quack” diet, but it is actually a diet that emphasizes many healthy foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein.  It is a diet that combines vegetarian eating and flexibility.  This diet has been around since 2009 and was popularized by Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D. in her book, “The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life”.  Well this is mostly a vegetarian diet, the flexibility comes in because you can still enjoy a burger, a steak and other meat – but on occasion.  If you are interested in getting started on this diet, try the Beginner’s Guide. 
a.       You ADD these foods to your diet:
                                                               i.      Plant-based protein and eggs = tofu, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, eggs and seeds.
                                                             ii.      Fruit – all kinds
                                                           iii.      Vegetables
                                                           iv.      Whole grains - including brown rice, Quinoa, oats, buckwheat and barley
                                                             v.      Herbs and spices – spices are super healthy so a good addition to any diet,
                                                           vi.      Oil – olive oil
                                                          vii.      Protein – emphasis on fish and poultry
                                  viii.  Dairy - - real dairy - milk and yogurt

                 b.       Foods to cut back on:  red meat, fried and fast food, butter, stick margarine (choose      tub margarine) and foods with added sugar like sweets and soft drinks.

So rather than going on some crazy diet plan in an effort to eat healthier in 2020, choose one of the above diets to begin modeling your own eating after.  Healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up all the foods you like to eat, but adding foods that promote good health like more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, and more low-fat real dairy to your day.  Rather than focusing on foods to cut from your diet to eat healthier, focus on what healthy foods you can add to your day.  

Sources:  Whole30, Report,  US News & World Report,  Best Diets,   Mediterranean Diet,    mozzarella cheese,   DASH Diet ,    DASH Eating Plan,     Lowering Blood Pressure with DASH,   Flexitarian Diet,   Beginner’s Guide  Image Sources:  Best diets, Mediterranean Diet, DASH diet

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Set some SMART goals for 2020

Are you setting some health goals for 2020?  Every year people have good intentions and make some New Year’s resolutions.  And then people keep those resolutions for about a month and then backslide.  Actually, many people don’t even last a month.  Statistics show about 75% of us last only about a week, while  less than half of us last 6 months  .  Setting health goals for the new year is a good idea.  But how can you set some health goals you are more likely to keep?  In the nutrition class I teach, we talk about setting SMART goals.  SMART is an acronym for setting goals that is often attributed to Peter Drucker in Management by Objectives.  Although used in business, one can also set SMART goals for their health.  What are SMART goals and how can you set some health goals for 2020 that you may actually keep longer than a week or a few months?

When setting health goals for 2020, focus on goals that are very clear and attainable.  Each goal should be:

Specific:  The goal should be very specific and state what you will be doing.

NOT:  I will exercise more.
YES:  I will walk at lunch for 20 minutes every work day.  

Measurable:  Set a goal that you can easily measure.

NOT:  I will eat healthier in 2020.   So often my students say things like this, “I will eat healthier”, yet have no specifics as to what this means.  Eating healthier doesn’t mean eating gluten free or giving up carbs. 
YES:  I will eat a piece of fruit at lunch every day.  So simple, so easy to measure and so achievable.   By eating a piece of whole fruit every day, you’ve added vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber to your day.  Some other very measurable eating goals to try:
o   I will bring a yogurt with me every day to work and eat at lunch or as a snack.
o   I will drink a glass of 100% juice every day at breakfast.
o   I will eat a banana every day at breakfast.
o   I won’t order sweetened tea or soda but unsweetened tea or just drink plain water.
Bring some fresh fruit for lunch every day.
Achievable:  One can set health goals that are challenging but you also want to set a goal that you can reach.  

NOT:  I will go to the gym every day.  How realistic is this?  You may start out the year hitting the gym but then stop going after a week or so.  I have known people who set this type of goal, then join a gym but never actually go to the gym.  Or, they join a gym, pay for 5 personal training sessions and then after the 5 training sessions they stop going for the rest of the year.
YES:  I will exercise each weekend for an hour.  This could be riding a bike, going for a hike, going swimming at the gym, taking an aerobics class.  Or even doing chores, like raking leaves, shoveling snow, washing the car.  One doesn’t have to go to the gym to get “exercise”.  By trying to get in an hour over a weekend, one can fit this hour in anytime over the weekend.  Once I wanted to get more aerobic exercise, but had little time available during the week.  So, I joined an aerobics class that met from 9-10 AM every Saturday morning.  

Relevant:  Is your goal one that really “matters to you”?  

                NOT:  I will run 5 miles a day when you hate running and have never gone running before.
                YES:  I will go hiking once a month during 2020.  You enjoy hiking but don’t always take the time to do so.  Find some new places to hike.  Or, set a goal of, “I will take the kids to the park to play and hike each month during 2020”.  An achievable goal that will give your kids some play time and you can enjoy a family walk once a month.  Make going to the park even more fun by packing a picnic lunch to enjoy.  Or, in colder climates, take along a thermos of hot chocolate to enjoy. 

Time-based:  Set a realistic time frame for meeting your goal.  Can you accomplish your goal every day, every month or by six months into the year?  
 
                NOT:  I will be healthier by the end of 2020.
                YES:  I will keep track of how often I eat a piece of fruit at lunch every day.  I will track each month that I go on a hike (or take my kids to the park to play and hike.) 
 
What is the advantage of setting SMART goals?  Using the SMART tool helps you make health goals that are achievable and measurable.  By setting SMART goals, maybe in 2020, you can actually accomplish your goals and not abandon them after a few weeks.  

Who can’t reach a goal of eating a piece of fruit at lunch every day?  Choose changes that you can easily succeed at, yet goals that will lead to a healthier you.  For example, last year my sister was told by a health professional to add a vegetable to her lunch every day.  My sister packed her lunch every day and included a vegetable.  This was an easy thing to do, but oh so good for her health.  What simple, easy health goals will you set for yourself in 2020?  

Wishing you a healthier 2020. 
Drink some 100% orange juice for breakfast every day.

Sources:   week, months  , Management by Objectives, goal  Image Sources:  Apples, Orange Juice, SMART