by Samantha Montpetit-Huynh

Improving your health is no small feat. If it were, I wouldn’t have a job, everyone would be running around with a six pack and the “diet” industry wouldn’t be in the billions.

Improving your health is more than an apple a day – it’s changing your life.

It doesn’t happen overnight or with pills and injections because you are changing the way you have been living for 20, 30, 40 years or more. It is a constant battle of wills and some things are certainly easier to change than others.

But does it mean we are too lazy as a society? Maybe but I’m here to tell you that there are ways to have better health with just a few little things that you can start doing right now that can impact the way you live for the long term.

Here are 5 steps to better health:

1.         Water.

Yep, good old fashioned water; not pop, juice, coffee or tea. A lot of people roll their eyes and claim they know the importance of water but what shocks the heck out of me is the lack of consumption. Your body sweats approximately two litres of water every day and that’s not with exercise, that’s just from living! Not replacing it can affect energy levels, digestion, bowels and can create headaches.

2.         Sleep.

This is a luxury that a lot of us moms are lacking but have direct effects on our efficiency, mood, stress and weight loss. Insufficient sleep helps to store cortisol (the stress hormone) around your mid-section. Not only does this hormone aid in fat storage, but it also suppresses the immune system. Weight management and sleep deprivation don’t mix.

3.         Steps.

So simple yet so ignored. We live in such a fast paced society of “do-ers” that we don’t take the time to walk instead of ride, take the stairs instead of elevator or park at the other end of the parking lot. As little as 20 minutes a day has great benefits both mentally and physically.

4.         Meditate.

This is a personal favorite of mine. Meditation saved me after I suffered some stress related health issues after my second daughter was born. The healing benefits of shutting your mind off starting with five minutes a day is un-measureable. Chanting out loud, listening to a DVD or just deep breathing, gives your brain that break in a 24/7 day. It can create the difference between a sane mom and someone who’s on the brink.

5.         Change your internal dialogue.

It breaks my heart when I hear so many moms beat themselves up about how over weight they are, failures and lacking as a mom. Sending these messages out into the universe is self-sabotage at its best. Instead of feeling guilty about what you didn’t do, try praising yourself for what you did.

Changing the way you live doesn’t have to be an exercise in peril. Starting with five simple steps to better health can make a great foundation for bigger and better things to come.

So tomorrow try adding just one of these things on the list and watch the transformation begin!

Samantha Montpetit-Huynh is the mother of two beautiful girls and the founder of Core Expectations, Toronto’s only full services wellness team that delivers personal training, abdominal rehabilitation and other support services to the homes and offices of pregnant women and new moms across the GTA. Visit her website.