By Evan Vitale

One of the things you can work on in the new year – and save money – is staying healthy and looking good at the same time.

Health care, as you probably know, is expensive. You may not have any health benefits (or perhaps you might lose them a la ObamaCare) or your benefits are at a minimum depending on your employment situation.

Either way, missing work due to a cold; the flu or other ailments can cause financial stress in both short-term and long-term situations. Therefore, here are some tips to help you become a healthier person this year:

• Eat healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits and chicken – increase your proteins and cut back on fatty foods. A friend of mine is replacing chocolate, soda and sweets with oranges, celery, and water.
• Always eat breakfast. Oatmeal; unsweetened cereal or eggs are best, but if you’re running short on time in the morning, a slice of whole grain toast or a bagel is better than nothing. Later in the morning, think veggies; fruits or nuts.
• Do some type of exercise which can include dancing; walking or riding a bike. A friend of mine lives approximately one mile from his office. He doesn’t walk to work (to avoid building up a sweat), but he walks home at a good pace every day. Nice!
• Don’t stress out. Stress has a huge impact on your health. Try not to involve yourself in stressful situations (this includes family drama). Work on yourself. Exercise also helps reduce the impact of stress.
• Now that you are starting to feel better about your healthy choices, you’ll start to look better too. Take pride in your looks; the clothes you wear and how you wear them.

There’s only one “you” and you’re responsible for taking care of yourself!