Small Changes Yield Big Benefits

You can start today - right now, even - on a road to feeling better, looking better, living longer and enjoying a far better quality of life.

We're all familiar with the big steps:

If you smoke, do yourself and those who love you a huge favor - STOP. It'll be the best, though possibly the hardest, gift you ever give them.

Nix unhealthy vices such as drinking, speeding, taking your health and safety for granted, etc.

However many fruits and vegetables you consume, double that!

Those are the "Big Ones", and I don't have to tell you how important they are, but this article is about the "Little Ones". They don't have the publicity of the larger steps, but they're every bit as important.

In no particlular order, here are the small steps I'd love for you to start taking. Ideally, you'll take each and every step each and every day - but realistically, you should just aim at doing just as many as you can, just as often as you can. Let's get to it!

Limit empty calories. You can't cut them out entirely, but try to ditch as many sodas, doughnuts, cookies, chips, fries, etc, as you can. Next time you go to your favorite fast food restaurant (go ahead and admit it, I've seen you there!), have a salad in place of the fries and rink tea instead of pop.

Replace eating red meat with chicken or fish at every opportunity. The steps will be even bigger if you make sure the chicken or fish is grilled or baked instead of fried.

If you're trying to lose weight, switch to using artificial sweetener in your tea and coffee, and switch to a diet drink. A while back, I began a weight loss regime. I simply began using the little pink packets in my morning coffee instead of sugar, and I sweetened my tea with artificial sweetener instead of the cup of sugar I normally used. The final switch I made was going from Dr. Pepper to Diet Dr. Pepper. These are the only changes I made to my diet, and I quickly lost over 10 pounds. You quickly get accustomed to (and even begin to prefer!) the diet drinks and sweetener. I literally can't stand the taste of regular pop now, something I was once incredibly addicted to.

Begin walking. Start with a trip around your neighborhood or a stroll through the park or mall. Heck, even start with lapping Wal-Mart, just start and start today. Make your walking a priority and don't allow anything to interfere with it. You will soon be so hooked on the "walking buzz" that you won't allow yourself to miss a single day. When weather or illness prevents me from walking for a day, I feel crummy, absolutely crummy!

Small changes can yield very big, glorious results. My husband once told me that he had shaved stubborn strokes off of his all-important golf game. I asked him if he'd gotten new clubs, new balls, changed his stance or started scoring creatively. He showed me one tiny little maneuver with the positioning of his hands - he said it made all the difference in the world. All he did was change his thumb's stance!

In closing, here's a website I'd like for you to check out: the longevity game. It makes you think - and thinking's usually a good thing.

Keep checking the longevity game, as we'll be adding health and fitness related articles at an alarming pace. Make these changes today and you'll be thankful tomorrow!

Joi Sigers, of the longevity game, is a web designer, web publisher and web editor.

no-contract cleaning service Des Plaines ..
In The News:

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.
Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.
ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.
ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.
Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.
DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.
Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.
The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.
New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.
Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.
New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.
Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.
Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.
New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.
The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.
San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.
FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.
Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.
Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.
Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.
Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.
The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.
Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

6 Ways to Eat More Healthfully

With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More

How to Use Flax Seed

You can eat whole flax seeds but you need to... Read More

Blueberries and Their Role in Cholesterol Control

Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More

Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 1)

I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible... Read More

Blood Type and Diet

Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More

High Blood Pressure? Natural Alternatives Can Help!

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a dangerous condition that can... Read More

How Does Glucosamine Chondroitin Help Your Body?

Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More

Healthy Aging - The Clean-Meat Connection

It is shocking how many people are not taking advantage... Read More

Male Infertility and Glutathione

Are You Half The Man Your Father Was?It is a... Read More

Avocado - Ooh, What a Lovely Pear!

Many people avoid avocados thinking them to be fattening, but... Read More

Crave Sweets? On the Weight & Mood Roller Coaster? Perhaps Its More Than You Think!

The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG... Read More

A Look at Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk contains... Read More

The Cost Of Being Sick And One Possible Alternative: Glyconutrition

A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements... Read More

Nutrition, Evolution, and Having a Healthy Diet

Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More

pH and Weight Loss

THE RISKNo doubt you've heard of the increasingly popular "raw... Read More

The Magic in Food: LOVE

Remember the old adage, you are what you eat? The... Read More

Healing Power of 8 Sugars: An Amazing Breakthrough in Nutrition

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed.... Read More

Glycemic Index of Foods

All carbohydrates are not the same. Generally it is assumed... Read More

Building Better Bones

"It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my... Read More

Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More

The Five Keys to Healthy Eating

1. Enjoy what you eatWhether someone is following the Atkins... Read More

Fruits for Summer: Summer Skin Care

Summer is the time when we sweat highly and beating... Read More

A Home Water Filter - Do We Need To Filter Our Drinking Water?

Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we... Read More

MonaVie Acai Berry Juice - The Tree of Life from Amazonian Rainforest...

What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More

Dietary Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and... Read More

bathroom cleaning service Lake Forest ..