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By Brenda Lawrence

Trying to live a healthier lifestyle with a balanced diet and exercise may seem like a huge life change if you’ve never tried it before. However, you can begin to become healthier by adopting a few small habits and making little changes over time. Here are ten things you can do that are easy and relatively inexpensive to start being healthy.

1. Water – Juice, soda, and alcoholic beverages all contain calories that are easy to forget about. Drinking water is an easy way to cut those calories and save money. It will also keep your body hydrated throughout the day and keep your metabolism going so that you don’t have energy slumps.

2. Food Journal – Writing down all of the food and drinks that you consume throughout the day is a proven way to help you change your food habits. You might notice that you always get cravings in the afternoon to eat unhealthy food, which could be prevented if you filled up on more fruits and veggies at lunch. There are also several mobile apps available that can help you track what you eat.

3. Use Blue – Scientific studies have found that the color blue is an appetite suppressant, so using blue plates or a blue tablecloth might help you eat less at meals. Conversely, red actually encourages the appetite, so avoid using too much red in your kitchen or dining room.

4. Frequent Small Meals – Many of us are used to the model of eating three large meals per day. However, studies have found that eating five or six smaller meals throughout the day keeps up metabolism and blood sugar. This means that you won’t get too hungry during the day and overeat at meals.

5. More Vegetables – Vegetables are “filler foods” that fill you up without lots of calories due to their fiber content. Try eat vegetables as part of your lunch or dinner so that you stay fuller longer without feeling stuffed.

6. Drink Regular Coffee – Just like juice and soda, the fancy drinks with whipped cream and chocolate from places like Starbucks can contain lots of calories. If you still need a caffeine kick, try drinking regular coffee with skim milk. It’ll cost a lot less, too.

7. Eat at Home – Cooking at home is like keeping a food journal because it makes you aware of the foods you’re eating. Unlike at restaurants, you can control ingredients and portion sizes at home. Microwave meals don’t count – try sticking to simple recipes with fresh ingredients. This is also an easy way to save money.

8. Walk – You may not like exercise, but walking is easy and doesn’t require any equipment other than a good pair of shoes. You can work walking into your day by taking the stairs, parking further away from entrances, and taking breaks to walk around at work. Walking after a long day or on the weekends is also a great way to relax.

9. Check the Ingredients – Lots of added calories in the foods we eat come from unpronounceable ingredients in processed foods. If the ingredients list on a package is more than a few lines long, you probably shouldn’t be eating it. The worst ingredients are high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and high amounts of fat, sugar, or sodium.

10. Smaller Portions – Our eyes have been trained to think we can eat much more than our stomachs can take, especially when it comes to restaurant portions. A good rule of thumb is to remove a third of the food from your plate before you begin eating. Also, take your time while eating, since it can take 20 minutes for your stomach to realize it’s full. This method also helps you save money – you can eat the leftovers for lunch the next day!

Brenda Lawrence is a physical therapist whose specialties include rehabilitation and weight loss. She owns the site Physical Therapy Aide for students interested in a career as a physical therapy aide.