21 days to make a habit??

Tip # 21: Repitition builds a healthy habit.
You may have heard people talking about how it takes 21 days to form a habit. However, this theory came from a study done in the 1950's. All the research since then has shown that it takes anywhere from 11 to 267 days to form a habit. It depends on the habit-- how difficult it is to start, how much you want to achieve the habit, and other factors.

Something as simple as drinking 8 glasses of water a day only took 21 days to make a habit. People who tried this reported that they mindlessly drank 8 glasses of water a day after three weeks of working towards the goal. The tip this week is to pick out a simple healthy habit. Maybe it's drinking 8 glasses of water a day, or eating an apple everyday, or switching to whole grains. If it is simple enough and you work at it hard, it shouldn't take that long to make the change.

Remember, we always look for improvement, not perfection. Happy National Nutrition Month!