Sometimes, it’s easy to allow habits to control the day. There’s no doubt about it….Habits are powerful.

There’s a degree of internal discipline that’s needed in order to break out of the shell of habits in order to discover the wonderment and peace that surrounds you.

But that discipline can be as simple as a 3-breath practice.

So next time you’re feeling stuck or chaotic, there’s a simple but transformational practice that only takes 10 seconds, but will put you in-tune with the magic of the stillness of the present moment.

Here’s what to do…

1. Close your eyes, and relax your mind.

2. Let go of the chaotic story you’re telling yourself

3. Pause, and take three breaths. Take enough time in-between each breath to reconnect with where you are.

The beauty of this practice is that it creates a sacred space in your mind where you find yourself.

You drop the struggle.

You find a calm energy.

Before you begin the day, and you’re still curled up in bed, look through the window and begin your morning with this 3-breath practice. Drop the anxiety of the day ahead, and lay there…being exactly where you are.

And, whenever you find yourself making a gap in your mind and feel the stress seeping in, try the 3-breath practice.

Let fear, stress, and anxiety be like blowing a bubble….in an instant, you can pop it, and make room for serenity.

Most people tend to get caught in a vicious cycle of dieting and then blowing the diet. It usually begins something like this…You’re unhappy with the way you look and feel. You seek a diet that promises instant weight loss through complete control of what, when, and how you eat. It feels safe, because you know exactly what you have to do to reach your goal. Soon enough you discover that you just can’t stick to it..and you end up right back where you started, with the exact same eating pattern that got you wanting to go on a diet in the first place.

And so the cycle continues.

The problem here is that those “diets” treat the dieter like a machine that can be programmed. But the truth is that eating well has to take into account the food’s less scientific side.

You may have already had an experience similar to this one. Maybe you, like millions of others, white-knuckled a liquid detox. If you did, then it won’t come as news to hear that the number-one reason people give up such diets is not because they reach their target weight. It’s because they couldn’t stand to go for so long without “real food.” Anyway, it’s simple human nature to rebel against such rigidity imposed from the outside. being told what we’re supposed to like, and be satisfied with it, will eventually create its opposite intended effect.

Most plans don’t take into account what food really means to us. They don’t consider how the flavor and color and texture and temperature and presentation of food can give us so much pleasure. They don’t consider how food is intimately entwined with our social and cultural customs. They don’t consider how food and the environment in which we eat comfort us. They don’t consider how eating foods that you don’t like leave you unsatisfied.

Eating well has to be seen as an ongoing process in your life. So in 2016, add these 5 eating habits into your routine for optimal eating:

SKIP SUGARY DRINKS

Liquid calories are often the most dangerous, especially when it comes to sugary drinks. That’s because liquid sugars hit our liver even faster than solid foods – and the faster fructose hits our liver, the higher the chances that the liver will convert it to fat. That’s why sodas containing high fructose corn syrup are to be avoided at all costs. But even freshly-squeezed fruit juice can wreak havoc on our blood sugar because of its high Glycemic Index, a system that calculates foods’ effect on our blood sugar. So while orange juice is a great source of Vitamin C, it’s completely stripped of the fiber found in whole oranges, which means when we drink it, a blood sugar spike is right around the corner.

Nothing beats water, of course – but if you’d like to “jazz up” your daily water intake, try infusing it with some fruit or veggies. Sliced lemons, limes, cucumbers, and even strawberries can lend some flavor to a pitcher of water without adding sugar and calories. Herbal tea is another great option – and if you’re craving juice, try cutting it with sparkling water so that you can still enjoy the fruity sweetness without putting yourself back on the blood sugar roller coaster.