If you feel you are not as healthy as you would like, then why not start now and set your goals for the New Year.

Even if you feel you are basically healthy why not review all health matters and see if there is still room for improvement. Here is where to start.

Diet – Check out the following information to see if your diet is the healthiest it can be? Some of the most important things to consider are your fat, sugar and sodium intakes.

* Sugar – It contributes calories (energy) but few, if any, nutrients. It is recommended, however, that you choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added or caloric sweeteners.

Here's what added sugars are: The sugars and syrups that are added to foods during processing or home preparation such as: fruit canned in heavy syrup, chocolate milk, soft drinks, sweetened cereal, candy, jams, jellies and sugar added at the table. This does not include naturally occuring sugars, such as those in milk and fruits.

While there is no recommendations that have been made for total sugar intake in a day, we should just try to limit it as much as possible and become even more conscious of your sugar intake.

Here's some tips: Don't add sugar to food or drinks unnecessarily. If you do need a sweetener use Stevia (It's a popular natural sweetener), which also contains no calories. Eliminate soft drinks, they are the number one source of added sugars in the U.S. and of course the other culprits are: candies, cakes, cookies, fruit drinks and fruitades.

Processed foods most always contain high levels of sugar. So read the labels on canned goods as well as boxed items. Make it a habit to either eliminate processed food from your diet or keep it to a bare minimum.

* Sodium – A typical person needs between 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams a day. However most people are eating 5,000 to 7,000 milligrams per day, and if they are eating fast food, the number is probably higher.

Some examples that contain excessive amounts of sodium are; Campbell's Chunky Soup that contains between 800 and 1000 milligrams of sodium per serving.

With two servings to a can, eat a whole can and you have consumed over the recommended daily value in one sitting. Frozen and canned foods also tend to contain high levels of sodium.

While sodium is definitely an essential nutrient for the body, Americans tend to eat more than they need. Sodium is critical for fluid balance, muscle control and an essential electrolyte for the body.

Too much salt leads to increased blood pressure, increasing the fatal risks of heart disease and kidney failure as well as increased water retention.

* Fats – You should know by now too much fat, especially saturated fat, is not good for you. Your body can easily store excess calories from fat as body fat.

Plus saturated fats from animal products, such as meats and dairy foods, can clog your arteries and contribute to heart disease.

However be careful, although reducing dietary fat is important, eliminating all fat from your diet is not all that healthy. Fat is an essential nutrient that produces energy for daily activities and supplies the body with vitamin A,D and E. These are needed for healthy skin and optimal growth.

The body cannot produce fat on its own, it must be provided through dietary intake. For these reasons you should enjoy some fats in your diet, especially monounsaturated fats like olive oil. The key is moderation not elimination.

Dietary fat is found in animal and plant foods. Here are the three classifications of fat: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated.

Unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats are considered the "healthier" ones. Sources of unsaturated fats include nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and margarine products.

Research indicates that an excessive intake of saturated fats tends to raise blood cholesterol levels, thereby increasing risks for heart disease. Animal products, such as beef, butter, dairy products and lard typically contain more saturated fat then do vegetable products.

Now besides your diet, you should also be more conscious of establishing some sort of regular exercise, eliminate or manage stress and initiate a program of additional nutrients to your daily health regimen.

Start the New Year off on a high note by taking complete charge of your health and it could be possible to extend your life many more years.

To your good health,

Sonny Julius

Sonnyj@TheSunnySenior.com

www.AHealthyLifeForSure.com