5 Tips for Living Healthier This Year

A new year is always filled with so much hope and promise—plus 10 pounds of holiday weight gain. If you are one of the 45 million Americans who go on a diet each year, then you know how hard it can be to slim down without losing your sanity.

Photo courtesy of Raw Essentials Juice Bar

What many people don’t realize is that simply exchanging a few bad habits for some good ones can make a big impact. That is what Dan Mckelvey, the owner of Raw Essential Juice Bar, hopes his restaurant can help with. He has added the words “Healthy Kitchen”to the restaurant’s name to reflect a number of menu additions. What was formerly known for its smoothies and acai bowls is now also serving hearty soups, salads and even the Impossible Burger, made from heme, which is released from soy leghemoglobin.

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“Wellness is a journey,”says Mckelvey, who doesn’t recommend fad diets just to quickly lose a couple pounds.

Here are a few of his weight-loss tips, which you can easily incorporate into your everyday lifestyle.

1. Drink more water. Mckelvey recommends half your body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water each day.
2. Cut out sugar and sodas and try to incorporate a more plant-based diet.
3. Make conscious choices. Mckelvey suggests carrying healthy options with you, like apples. “You will start craving them after a while,”he says.
4. Speaking of apples, Mckelvey says it’s more than OK to eat fruit: “It is good for you,”he says.
5. Graze throughout the day. Eat smaller meals every few hours and don’t skip breakfast, he warns. “It fuels your body for the day.”

More information:
Raw Essential Juice Bar and Healthy Kitchen
(Shops of Limestone Hills)
5335 Limestone Road, Wilmington
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends.