Is it time reboot your health and diet for spring?

Sunnier, warmer days can give us the boost we need to exercise and eat more healthfully.

Spring is the perfect time for rebooting your health.

Why now? With a new season comes new life, when everything wakes up, greens up and brightens our environment. It can make us feel more alive and give us more energy and zest for life, physical activities and eating better.

Harness the power of the seasonal change to develop a new mindset toward developing some new habits that will boost your health and nutrition and set the stage for a lifetime of wellness.

Many people feel more motivation to make changes in their eating patterns and choices when the summer months are just ahead and something to look forward to. Do you want to look better in your summer wardrobe? Do you want to be able to play badminton with your kids without getting out of breath? Have you always wanted to learn to kayak or swim, but never made the time to learn? Or take a class to learn a new activity like stand-up paddle boarding?

Discovering your abilities to learn, grow and make changes in your lifestyle habits can bring you immense joy, satisfaction and confidence. Making healthy changes in your lifestyle and food habits may seem easier and less of a burden to you in the spring and summer months. Sunshine (along with longer days) elevates our mood and gives us more time to enjoy fun and scenic family adventures and outdoor activities.

Farmer’s markets open in May. Buying farm-fresh veggies can elevate food quality and make nutritious meals a snap. Take advantage of them and buy what is grown nearby and coming out of the ground right now. The sooner you eat (and enjoy) those vegetables, the more nutrients you’ll get.

What are the best health habits to start now? Here are some ideas for you:

Want more exercise? Exercise not only burns calories, it churns out endorphins and stimulates our brain to feel good while lowering stress and blood pressure and strengthening muscles, bones and even your brain.

Want to feel more peace, less anxiety and more confident? Research is showing that outside activity, especially in nature, is associated with feelings of love, altruism, self-esteem and calm.

Want more nutrition? Dig in to fresh and delicious summer produce. It may help you lose or control your weight, since it’s mostly water and super-low in calories. It’s also full of fiber, and that means they’re filling as well as nutrient-rich. Adding more produce might also help you experience fewer aches and pains because they’re full of antioxidants that lower inflammation. People who eat more produce also lower their risk of type 2 diabetes. Try adding a fruit of veggie to every meal.

Want to improve your hydration? Set a designated water bottle aside to use every day. Fill it up at night before bed and it’s ready to grab and go in the morning.

Get started today!

Kim Larson is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified health and wellness coach and founder of Total Health. Visit www.totalhealthrd.com or www.facebook.com/totalhealthnutrition for more. Follow her on Twitter at @healthrd. This column is for information only and not intended as personal medical advice.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.