By Dr. Joseph Mercola
     with Rachael Droege

Although there are still four weeks to go before spring arrives, it’s not too soon to revamp your winter self. Many of us hibernate through the winter season, spending little time outdoors and eating a lot of nutritionally devoid comfort foods. When the season begins to change you may find that your winter habits have left you feeling sluggish, tired and just not quite up to par. Try out the following steps now and you’ll be on your way to a healthy spring season, and I think you’ll find that the term "spring cleaning" will forever take on a whole new meaning.

Clean up Your Diet

Eating the right foods for your body will perk up your entire system, help you reach your optimum weight and prevent disease. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to find out your nutritional type and begin eating as many of the foods for your type as you can. Cut back, or better yet eliminate, sugar and grains, and eat fresh vegetables and you’ll have a good start. Check out my new book, which provides in Part One my comprehensive dietary health program that took me over two decades to fully develop and even includes the means to determine your nutritional type. Part Two then provides over 150 brand-new recipes that are no-grain, very low-sugar (most ideal for diabetics), low-carb and contain insight on how to cater each recipe according to your nutritional type.

Start Moving Around

It may be easier to pass up the workout during the winter months when you can hide behind a sweater or use the cold weather as an excuse not to go outside, but you’ll be glad you started exercising now come springtime. There are many types of exercise to choose from so be sure to pick some that are enjoyable for you and then vary your method so you don’t get bored. Some options are racquetball, aerobics, jogging, pilates, yoga, weight training, elliptical machines, swimming, walking and so on. Exercise will also help to boost your mood.

Learn Something New

Learning something new can help you to get out of your winter rut and bring new excitement to your life. Consider taking an art class, learning a foreign language or going for dance lessons, or even something as simple as picking up a book on a new topic. Not only will this add some spice to your life, but also mental stimulation, such as traveling, learning to play an instrument or doing crossword puzzles, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Reassess Your Goals

Setting goals is one of the keys to success and now is a good time to reassess your current goals (or set original goals if you haven’t already). The most common mistake I see people make when they do this is to put the goal into a future tense. The goal needs to be personalized, present tense and imagined with as much precise detail as possible in order to be effective.

Effective goal setting can change your life when it comes to health and the ability to maximally enjoy life. If you need some help setting your goals, and many of us do, I highly recommend the book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen.

David Allen's approach to managing yourself and your world may be amongst the best advice you ever receive. It is one of the most useful books I’ve ever read in my life.

Breathe Consciously

Make a conscious effort to take deep, purposeful breaths. Even small adjustments in the way you breathe can increase your oxygen intake and help relax the body. We inhale about 20,000 times a day, mostly without even noticing, and many of us could benefit from becoming more aware of they we breathe.

Make Use of the Outdoors

If you’ve been cooped up inside during the cold winter months you may have forgotten how good it can feel to go for a brisk walk, breathe fresh air and spend some time in nature. Try to get outside at least once everyday, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

Rearrange Your Furniture

Moving around a few key pieces of furniture in your home can make it feel like new. This type of change can be refreshing any time of year, but especially after the winter season when you’ve likely been spending a lot of time indoors.

Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning

Seven Reasons to Start Eating Right Today

Setting Your Goals

Five Simple Strategies to Reduce Stress and Eliminate Exhaustion