Are you too overwhelmed with all the health news out there and not sure where to get started? Here are 12 simple steps to get you started on the road to a healthy life style. The journey to Rome starts with a single step! It is easier to start taking a pill than to change your diet.

Step number one: buy a good quality multivitamin/mineral. Get one that is in capsule form and look at brand names such as Sisu, Natural Factors, Holistic International and Enzymatic Therapy. These brands are not usually in the superstores.

Step number two: take one tablespoon or five capsules of flaxoil per day. Take these supplements at least five days out of seven. By doing this you will be getting more B complex, calcium, minerals, antioxidants and essential fats than you would be able to get from a typical North American diet. thus lowering your risk for heart disease and many types of cancer.

Changing the diet is the next hard step.

Step three: buy organic baby carrots, peppers, celery, cucumbers, cauliflower and broccoli and every morning before leaving for work cut up two cups and put in a container with water. Take this with you in the car for snacking as you drive, or for lunch. If you are at home for lunch leave them in the fridge or on the kitchen table for easy munching. This will add two more cups of vegetables to your daily diet and another step towards disease prevention.

Step four: soak almonds, sunflower seeds and other of your favorite organic nuts and seeds in water over night in the fridge. When these are soaked they start to sprout and the protein is more readily digested and when eaten as a snack or sprinkled on salads makes for a satisfying healthy addition to your diet.

Children find it a lot easier to chew these nuts and they taste better soaked.

Step Five: Use soy or rice milk instead of cows’ milk. You will be getting away from the number one aggravation of upper respiratory infections such as ear infections, colds, sinusitis, bronchitis and the flu; digestive upsets; skin blemishes and weight gain. If you are concerned about calcium deficiency take an extra calcium/magnesium supplement. There are liquid varieties for children (look for Flora and Sisu brands) and capsules for adults. The above diet suggestions will give you extra calcium as well.

Step Six: Start cutting back on wheat products. Anything made with flour falls into this category. Wheat free cereals for breakfast are easy to find: corn flakes, oats, rye, millet, amaranth, barley and rice. All these are available in cold cereals. If you prefer hot cereals so much the better for more fiber and nutrition. Breads such as Irene’s 100% rye are enjoyed by most people as an easy bread substitute. For lunches consider more potatoes, rice, rye crackers and rice cakes. You will invariably lose a little weight with this suggestion.

Step Seven: Drink more water. When you are hungry reach for water instead and have it everywhere in your daily life: on your desk, in your car, in your daypack. You will be surprised how much less you will crave certain munchies if you are well hydrated and you will notice an improvement in energy. Aim for 10 glasses per day.

Step Eight: Get enough sleep. The average human needs 9 hours per night. Put yourself to bed in time to get your sleep.

Step Nine: Exercise. You have heard this time and again. Just walk everyday if that is all you are interested in. JUST DO IT! Don’t worry about whether it is aerobic or not, but try to get some in everyday.

Step Ten: Do something fun and something you love every day. Give yourself 15 minutes of pleasure and you will find your moods improving.

Step Eleven: Take time out. 15 minutes of peace and quiet with a meditation tape or some music. Zoning out is actually a time when you can do your best problem solving and ideas may come to you unexpectedly when your mind isn’t so busy with other things.

Step Twelve: Follow your religion. Those who have a religion have better health in general. This doesn’t have to be anything organized. Take time out to nurture your higher self by praying and reading.

Be well on your road to better health!