It's often said that the greatest wealth is health. We often see very hard-working individuals who have gone through the rigors of “climbing the corporate ladder” only to find themselves 30 pounds heavier with a list health risk factors to go along with their list of professional achievements. One of my favorite things to do at Shulman Weight Loss is to take the overwhelm out of re-gaining personal health and helping people in this situation take simple but effective steps towards wellness and vitality. Getting healthy can be simple – simple because its a journey like any other that starts with a single step. Here are 3 first “baby steps” that you can take today to improve your health:

Start your day with at least 2 cups of water, ideally with a squeeze of lemon.

Sleep is dehydrating. Most people breathe out or perspire a few pounds of water during the night. On top of a possible trip to the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning, that's a lot of water loss! So, instead of further dehydrating your body with a cup of coffee, start your day with a long drink of water with lemon. It's alkalizing, energizing and every cell in your body will thank you for giving it the moisture it needs to function at optimal levels.

Eat “good” fats throughout the day.

Most of us don't have a good ratio of good fats to bad fats in our diet and this causes inflammation in our bodies that lead to health problems like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. A lack of the good (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats also can make our skin and hair dry, encourage belly fat, dampen our mood, and decrease fertility and libido. That's because these fats are essential for maintaining a youthful appearance and for production of neurotransmitters and sex hormones. So grab a handful of nuts or seeds, put some olive oil or avocado on your salad and definitely make sure you get in at least two servings of oily fish per week!

Dinner like a pauper.

Feast at breakfast, eat moderately at lunch, and start winding down your intake at dinner and you'll notice something amazing – you'll lose weight! Why? Because you're eating according to your metabolism and optimizing blood sugar control. Our bodies are naturally revved up in the morning so eating a big meal works with that. It also ensures a good steady supply of blood sugar until lunch and leaves us more time to burn the calories. In evening, metabolism naturally slows, as does our activity level, so a heavy meals makes no sense. I know, this can be tricky if you're used to running out the door with little or no breakfast, or if dinner parties are a staple in your social life. But if you make this change, your body will thank you for it.