Day # 5, Tip # 5

Tip # 5: Use the weekdays to build a solid routine.
Often we ask the questions "what should I eat?" or "how much can I have?" Take the weekdays to focus on when you should eat. Our bodies love routine. Eating at the same time every day is just as important as what and how much you eat.

Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland has a summer camp for kids with type 1 diabetes in Newbury, Ohio called Camp Ho Mita Koda. I talked with the campers and camp staff about why it is important to establish a routine when eating, among other healthy behaviors. They joked with me about how I said, "your body is an amazing machine," all the time. It was true though (and still is)! I said it to help them remember why they should be making decisions to stay healthy.

Jessie, a camp counselor and friend, will always joke with me how I say "your body is an amazing machine." Setting up a routine when you eat meals helps keep that machine running and healthy!

That amazing machine works better when it has a routine. When you eat at the same time every day, your body knows when to expect the food and how to use the food for energy more effectively and efficiently. Eating at the same time every day helps prevent your body from stressing out if it has to wait longer in between meals.

Monday through Friday is an ideal time for most people to start working on a solid routine, eating meals at the same time each day.

* Remember: Improvement, not perfection, is the goal. Cheers to health and happiness!