Here is this week’s healthy tip from The Monday Campaigns:

Have a Supermarket Strategy

A good mood or hunger pangs can make a big difference in what you bring home from the grocery store. Both feelings tend to lead to a pile up of unnecessary junk and other impulse buys. And once these items are in your home you may feel obligated to eat them.

Have a plan of attack this week. Write a grocery list and stick with it: even include a few healthful snacks so you don’t feel deprived. Still tempted to stray? Stick to the perimeters of the supermarket (where you’ll find the most whole foods) or bypass the junk entirely with a trip to the farmer’s market.

Here is this week’s Healthy Monday tip from The Monday Campaigns:

Give in to Temptation

Forbidding certain foods – like Valentine’s chocolate or wine- is a common diet strategy, but studies have shown that this can actually lead to overeating. People who often restrict foods could satiate their cravings by eating other high-calorie items, which can lead to weight gain. Learning how to effectively cope with trigger foods will leave you feeling in control and improves your chances of maintaining your weight.

Instead of fearing your favorite foods, figure out how to budget a small portion into your week. Simply removing the “forbidden” label from a food can greatly reduce cravings for it.

Jackie’s note: Try hypnosis or tapping for coping mechanisms.

Here is this week’s Healthy Monday tip from The Monday Campaigns:

Cooking Method Matters

Raw fruits and vegetables usually provide more vitamins than their cooked counterparts, but there
are ways to prevent nutrient loss while still savoring prepared foods! Careful cooking with minimal heat and water may only result in a 5-15% nutrient loss (compared to processed foods, which can lose 50-80%).

This week, try steaming or quick sautéing vegetables to preserve as many nutrients as possible. You might even discover a new favorite recipe!

Jackie’s note: One exception is the tomato – cooking tomatoes actually makes them healthier! One 2002 study (published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry) found that cooking actually boosts the amount of lycopene in tomatoes. Rui Hai Liu, an associate professor of food science at Cornell University who has researched lycopene, says that it may be an even more potent antioxidant than vitamin C.

This week’s tip from the Monday Campaigns is called Scrutinize Your Symptoms and I like this one. WebMD reports that 75 to 90 percent of all doctors’ visits are due to stress related ailments and complaints and this tip goes right along with that finding.

Headaches, indigestion, loss of appetite, muscle tension, sleep issues and allergic reactions could actually be signs of stress. Giving yourself time to pause, consider the situation and breathe deeply when you encounter these signals is the first step towards finding the cause and limiting it in the future.

Write down any unresolved symptoms that you experience this week, along with the situation that may have sparked them. Then, get some help to develop better coping strategies.

It can be tempting to focus on just one variable when deciding if a food is healthy, but even calories don’t tell all. It’s important to also choose nutrient-dense foods: a high fiber, vitamin rich meal will keep you fuller, longer and help you eat less overall. Nutrition labels list how much of each nutrient is in a serving.

Your weekly tip from The Monday Campaigns: Use nutritional labels this week and see if you’re getting the most bang for your bite! Try replacing some of your empty calories with nutrient-dense foods.

Mend your Mood with Music

There’s no doubt that music and mood are closely related – that’s why lullabies exist! Listening to happy, upbeat tunes tends to make you more cheerful than when you listen to slow, sad music. Your emotional state plays a big role in how you perceive the world, so your favorite songs may actually help you have a more positive day.

Set yourself up for a better week this Monday by composing a CD or playlist of music that makes you smile or feel happy. Listen to your tunes if you feel blue, start stressing or just want to enjoy. Have you heard about Spotify, the digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs? Check it out and start being the DJ you always wanted to be.

Make the First Move

Regular physical activity benefits every part of your body and can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, type-­2 diabetes and more. While it’s recommended that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-­intensity activity each week, every bit is better than nothing! It’s important to start moving and gradually increase intensity and duration. Guess what? You can work out just 12 minutes a day and get a great result with Dr. Al Sears, MD’s PACE Express program!

Start strong this week by adding activity whenever possible. It can be as simple as walking while on the phone, parking at the end of the lot or taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Write down this week’s moves and think of ways to build on them.

Welcome to 2012! Here’s your first Monday tip of the new year. Why Monday? It’s the “January” of the week, the perfect time for a fresh start. People are more likely to begin exercising, start a diet or quit smoking on Monday than any other day. It’s a call to action built into every calendar – offering 52 chances a year to live a longer, healthier life!

January 2

A Bite in the Right Direction
Incorporating new habits into your daily life takes work, so aim for progress, not perfection! Start with small changes that you can easily fit into your daily routine and go a little further each week. Swapping a breakfast Danish for an organic, free-range egg, having water instead of soft drinks, picking veggies as a side dish or trying fruit for dessert are all doable actions that will lead to long term results.

Look at your usual eating habits and commit to one “swap out” this week. Make sure your new habit is something that you can integrate seamlessly into your routine. Use your New Year’s momentum to consider other situations where you could easily make a change.

For more info, check out The Monday Campaigns.