Consider these 6 valuable practices that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps you already include some in your daily routine.

1. Connect with positive people over food. Having warm conversation with family members over dinner or while eating a snack with a friend provides a sense of belonging. Building a social network and camaraderie with others has a profound impact on long-term health and longevity.
2. Experience physical activities that you enjoy. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Moderate means that you can talk while exercising, but not sing. Depending on your schedule, that could be 50 minutes three times a week, 30 minutes five times a week or 25 minutes six times a week. Fitting fun activities into your schedule adds joyfulness to your routine and makes you feel better.
3. Plan your menus before shopping. This will lower your grocery bill and reduce the amount of food that you waste. Eating fewer meals away from home saves money and allows you to have control over ingredients.
4. Shop at farmers’ markets or spend more time in the produce section at the grocery. A diet that is rich in fruits and veggies has plenty of health-promoting vitamins, minerals and fiber.  Some chemical compounds found in plants help prevent cancer and heart disease.
5. Choose whole grains whenever possible. Read the list of ingredients on the food label and choose a product with “whole” or “brown” as a first ingredient. Whole grains are helpful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancers. Plus, fiber aids in digestive health.
6. Most everyone enjoys a special dessert. But as a daily practice, it’s best to choose fruit or lower sugar options for the sweet-tooth and low sugar beverages. A 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 39 to 49 grams of sugar, depending on the brand. The current recommendation for added sugars is 9 teaspoons or 36 grams daily for men and 6 teaspoons or 25 grams for women.  A high sugar diet can have harmful effects on health, such as increasing the risk of chronic diseases. Too much can also result in chronic inflammation, where the body’s immune system activates, resulting in damage to healthy cells.