five easy ways to improve your health

Want to kick-start a healthy new year? "GMA" medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard has five easy ways to improve your health.

Vitamin D: The so-called "sunshine vitamin" benefits your bones, brain and heart, but most of us don't get enough, especially if you don't see a lot of sun in the winter. Vitamin D does not occur naturally in most foods, so you should take a high-potency supplement.

Cod Liver Oil: It's full of Vitamin D, as well as Omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin A for skin, eyes and bones. Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, protect your cells and improve brain function.

Fiber: With a diet heavy on processed foods, most Americans don't get enough fiber. Fiber is important for colon health, but it also helps lower insulin levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation. You can take a supplement like Metamucil or Benefiber before a meal, which if taken before a meal, can make you feel more full and so eat less. Or you can try Savard's homemade granola -- see the recipe below.

Calcium: This is another mineral we don't get enough of. Studies show most Americans get about 600 mg a day, when we need 1,200 mg or more. We need calcium in order to absorb vitamin D, and it helps build bone and healthy blood vessels. You can get calcium in milk and other dairy products, but people who are lactose intolerant can take a pill or a sweet-tasting chewable supplement like Viactiv.

Throw Out Your Scale: Instead of weighing yourself, measure your waist size. Your waist size predicts future health, says Savard, so if you need to, resolve to lose two inches off your waist in 2009. Simple exercise like walking will help, even if you're not burning massive calories.

Marie Savard's Healthy Waist-Busting Granola
Step 1: Mix following dry ingredients in any amounts in a large roasting pan or two cookie sheets. You can experiment with proportions but oats should take up most of the mix.

Raw Oats
Ground flaxseed
Raw unsalted pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds
Slivered or whole almonds, pecans or walnuts
Unsweetened coconut

Step 2: Mix together in a two-cup glass Pyrex bowl and heat in microwave at 50 percent power until hot and able to stir, about 3 minutes: ½ cup of canola oil
½ cup of natural unsalted peanut butter
¼ cup of honey and 1-2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
Step 3: Pour above liquid into roasting pan with dry ingredients and mix well.

Step 4: Bake at 325 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until lightly toasted.

Step 5: After mixture cools, add dried cranberries, raisins or any small or cut-up dried fruit such as cherries or figs.

Cool for a long time before storing indefinitely in freezer.

For breakfast, add ¼ to ½ cup of granola to a large dollop of plain yogurt with ½ cup of fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey and a ¼ - ½ cup or so of granola

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[Yottabee]

Great video and excellent advice! Do what Dr. Savard suggests and your blood tests will absolutely reflect the improvement (I speak from experience).

[PEB979]

I'M AFRAID TO TAKE ANY MORE VIT C AND VIT CALCIUM , I DEVELOPED STONES IN KIDNEY AND HAD A LARGE ONE ON TOP OF MY URETHRA , I'M AT HOME NOW AFTER PROCEDURE WITH A STENT . I READ IT SAID STOP TAKING VIT C AND VIT CALCIUM

[adithi4friends]

all junk and processed stuff... there is no fruit in her list

[Ifyouhavelowt]

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[durgaaa]

If you don't take calcium WITH the D3, niether will work.

[ZegmaarErik]

pills won't do the job!

[AzulDiamond93]

fiber pulls all the junk outta ur body!

[italiankahlan]

wow this is retarded haha. okayy im going to take 10 supplements a day woww. just eat healthy jeez.

[LetzBeaFranque]

"Vitamin D doesn't occur naturally in food..." What! Sockeye salmon is a great source. There are others but their not politically correct like Lard. She has no natural food on the table except the granolla. The indians of North America know how to get vitamin D in the winter. Eat real food and get your vitamins in the context of food, it's much better. Out food supply has been neurtered by processing and a vegetarian bias. Eat animal flesh with vitamin D - look it up on the internet.

[landorcleopatrako]

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