So far I’m sticking to my 2012 New Year’s Resolutions! I received about a half dozen pairs of compression socks for Christmas which was one of the few things I asked for and it got me thinking about my health. Now, I realize my swollen foot problem is related to the snowmobile accident I had a few years back but still, I’m too young for this kind of health issue! If I have something like this at age 46, what’s 76 going to be like? So, even though I’m not one for resolutions I have made some rather drastic changes.

#1 – I started drinking Manna 360 every single morning for breakfast! It has 99% lactose free whey protein isolate which I read is one of the best things for Lymphedema. It is also loaded with antioxidants (ORAC score of 10,000!) and 1/3 of all the nutrients your body needs for an entire day. I can’t think of a better way to start the day and I am already starting to feel much better.

#2 – I’m trying to get some form of exercise every single day in addition to my nightly walk with our dog. I’m not one for boring, monotonous routines so I’m trying to do P90X which has a wide variety of work outs. On days that I’m sore I do the Yoga or stretching routine instead.

#3 – No alcohol during the week and only a couple on the weekend! This for me is a rather major change. I love a nice warm brandy or B&B on these cold winter nights, especially after walking the dog! However, I was noticing that I was going through a bottle quite a bit faster than I used to so apparently my drink size was growing. I’m definitely not the addictive type (I can basically change any habit with the snap of my fingers) but I know drinking on a daily basis is not healthy for me. So I’m done with that. I’ll still enjoy a cocktail or two on Friday or Saturday night but other than that it’s empty calories that I will subtract from my waste line.

Everyone always feels like they are a victim of circumstances if they are overweight, broke or haven’t found love. However, we truly are a product of our thoughts and actions (HABITS) so if you want to change your results in life take a good look at your daily routines. By changing 1 aspect at a time and sticking with it, you can change anything in life that you don’t like. I spent many years wondering why things didn’t change, once I began looking at my habits it was easy to see the cause.

Pick one habit and change it. Once you have done this you will see that it’s not that hard to do. You will be empowered to change another…. one step at a time!