Everywhere you turn, someone you know is on a diet, or starting a diet. It seems like we’ve been dieting since the dawn of time. Do we even remember what it is like to just go through life not worrying about our food or our pant sizes? If you think getting on a health kick seems like too much effort, you are not alone. Most people will tell you that “dieting” is too much work. But that’s because people think of dieting in terms of the things they need to give up. What if you thought about dieting in a new way? In a way that meant you weren’t giving things up, but you were adding things into your diet. Let’s look at three ways you can jump-start a healthy habit today:

Add More Food to Your Plate

What? Who is this crazy person saying I should add more food to my plate? It’s true. Stop thinking of what you need to take away from your plate, and start thinking of how you can hack your meals with fresh fruits and vegetables, salads and healthy fats. You can still eat your slice of pizza, but have some salad with it. It’s not rocket science, but it’s extra food. And you can still eat the pizza. While the pizza is lacking in the good things your body needs, your brain tells you that you want pizza. So eat the pizza. But eat the salad too. Add fruit to your cereal. Add another scoop of carrots to your dinner plate. Eat more food.

Introduce a Cleanse

Don’t think of a cleanse as a way to limit yourself. Think of it as a way to open yourself up to the possibility of being healthier. There are lots of cleanses on the market, and many of them suggest eating a wide range of healthy food. The Advocare 10 Day Cleanse encourages users to eat plenty of nutrient-dense foods. A good cleanse encourages you to drink lots of water, get your rest, and work to reset your body’s natural rhythms. While a cleanse is temporary, it is the kind of thing that you can pull out of your back pocket when you notice you are feeling sluggish and starting to slack on your good habits. You can come back to it whenever you need it.

Get Your Sleep

Sounds easy enough, right? So many of us are sleep deprived and we don’t even know it! Here’s something you can do for yourself today that will make all the difference in your tomorrow: go to bed earlier tonight than you did last night. It doesn’t have to be hours and hours earlier. Thirty minutes will make all the difference to your body. When you sleep, your body works to heal itself, digest food, and prepare the day ahead. Your body can’t do those things properly if it is tired all the time. And if you’ve eaten lots of healthy food throughout the day, your body will be in prime position to help itself heal from the inside. Every little bit helps.

Which of the above do you think you could try to get healthier you? Or perhaps some of these are already part of your life. Do leave a comment and share.

*This is a collaborative post