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A month or two at a time, add the following habits to our routines: 5 fruits/vegs a day; replace soda/coffee/juice while at work with a pot of green, white, or herbal tea; start the day with a glass of water; eat two to three servings of fish or shellfish a week; at least twice a week, have a non-animal protein source for main meal; drink 8 glasses of water a day; replace processed flour with whole grains whenever possible; stop eating at least two hours before bedtime; increase frequency, decrease size of meals until 5 small meals a day is the norm most days.

This was a big one and both easier and harder than it sounds. Most of these are easier to do for a week or two than they are to make habits--until the habits are formed, and then when you deviate, you feel funny. Or at least I do. There are plenty of days where we fall far short of these goals, but at least we're aware of it now. Apparently my Catholic/Presbyterian upbringing means I like having rules to follow. Plus, y'know, it feels good.

We both actively keep track of servings of fruit & veg and take steps to have enough. Soda has been replaced by herbal tea, still water, or (more often) sparkling water, though we could still drink more fluids overall. Beans and fish now make regular appearances, and our meals are smaller and more often. Habits pretty well established, I think, and should be relatively easily maintained.

On top of all that, we've been making more of an effort to buy organic and local when possible, which makes us triply, smugly, virtuously, head-swellingly righteous, and really someone should point out the fact that there's a pot of oil sitting on the stove for the next time we want fried okra/chips/whatever, and also two packets of brownie mix in the pantry.