1. They don’t have to be all at once. Make it a point to be active and get your body moving. Setting a tangible goal – like 10,000 steps a day – is a great way to start if you’re not already active.
2. Find a friend who you’re comfortable talking with about healthy habits. Social connections are so important to helping you develop self-esteem and a value system. Find positive people around you who can support you and share some of your goals.
3. Stay away from saturated fats, trans fats, added sugar, added syrup, non-100 percent whole grains. Start looking at food labels and trying to identify these unhealthy foods and ingredients.
4. Enjoy some cruciferous vegetable like cabbage three times a week. They’re disease-fighters, they’ll fill you up, and the crunch will help take the edge off about that math test tomorrow.
5. Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Not only do they play a major role in your appearance, but they also help cut down the risk of diseases you’re going to be worrying about later in life.
6. Your waist size should be less than half your height. Do not obsess over your weight. But the best number to determine whether you’re a healthy size is using that formula. So if you’re 66 inches tall, your waist should be under 33 inches.
7. Sleep 8½ – 9 hours a night – at intervals of more than 90 minutes -. To create a better sleep environment, keep your room cool, don’t do any work on your bed, and limit the use of electronic equipment (especially your phone) so close to bedtime.
8. Do some kind of exercise nearly every day. Stay active, be active, sweat a little. Choose activities that you have fun with – keeping activity fun is one of the best ways to maintain activity over a lifetime.
9. Keep your personal device on less than 70 percent of maximum when you use earphones.
10. Find a mentor. It may or may not be your parents, but the important thing is to find an older person who can help you reach your goals, give you advice, and who really cares about your success. A teacher, coach, or another relative can be a great option.
11. Practice smart internet safety. Know that what you write or post can be saved forever. Be smart about who you communicate with. It might be fun to post a picture as your Facebook picture. Maybe not so much if a family member, your principal, or future employer takes a look.
12. Eat fruits, and skip processed juice. Fruit is totally healthy and contains plenty of vitamins that are good for you, but fruit juice often has a lot of unnecessary sugar. Try diluting juice with water to help reduce the calories.
13. Don’t squeeze zits – pimples-. When you do, you risk spreading the bacteria and causing more zits. Practice good skin hygiene, washing with a “basic” soap (as opposed acidic). Simple pimples will go away soon enough; if you have serious acne problems, consider seeing a dermatologist who may be able to bring in prescription-strength reinforcements.