In addition to being my birth month, August is also National Wellness Month.

While having a whole month dedicated to wellness sounds very positive and encouraging, I have to admit that I don’t see a whole lot of “wellness” going on around me.

Everywhere I go, I see people struggling with their health—dealing with excess weight, low energy, aches and pains, limited mobility, shortness of breath or simply not feeling as vibrant as they’d like.

Of course, not every health challenge is within our control. But many of the everyday choices we make—what we eat, how much we move and how consistently we care for our bodies—can have a meaningful impact on our health and quality of life.

Am I talking about you?

If some of what I said above resonated with you, listen up.

Because it’s time for YOU to make your health and wellness a priority.

And the good news is that healthier habits are achievable, no matter how long it’s been since you made your health a focus.

You don’t even have to make significant changes all at once! Small steps in the right direction can add up and make a meaningful difference over time.

As the ancient saying goes, “A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”

Here are 4 effective steps you can take in the direction of better health:

Step 1: Go green

If your only vegetables of late have been fries, ketchup and onion rings, it’s time to work in some real stuff.

Commit to eating just one tossed salad a day—even if your version of “salad” is iceberg lettuce with dressing. It’s a start.

You can also roast many vegetables for an easy, delicious side dish. Brussels sprouts, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and summer squash all work well. Just drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast at 400° until they reach your preferred tenderness. Use a cast iron pan if you’ve got one.

You can also get a grill basket and grill your veggies! That’s one of my favorites.

If you’re pressed for time, canned and frozen vegetables count too. Dress them up with butter, herbs like basil, rosemary or oregano, grated cheese, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, lemon zest or pesto.

And when dining out, consider choosing coleslaw, a side salad or the vegetable of the day instead of fries, mac and cheese, tots or pasta.

The goal isn't perfection. It's simply getting more nutritious whole foods onto your plate.

Step 2: Take a step (or 2 or 3)

Yes, I mean exercise—and please don’t roll your eyes at me.

Like it or not, our bodies were designed for movement, and regular physical activity is an important part of supporting long-term health.

But exercise doesn’t have to be drudgery, and you don’t need to join a gym. Even taking a walk is a great place to start!

You can also take a dance or yoga class, swim, get some home equipment like a treadmill, or follow an at-home workout program.

That’s what inspired me to start my martial arts training, by the way. I did Billy Blanks’ Tae-Bo workouts in my living room for four years and then decided to try karate.

Now, 24 years later, I’m a 4th-degree black belt in karate, a black belt in Chinese mixed martial arts and recently started training in Muay Thai.

And I began my martial arts journey at age 40!

It’s never too late, my friend.

Step 3: Cover your nutrient bases

If your diet history has been “less than stellar” (or downright horrible), you may not always be getting optimal amounts of all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Vitamins and minerals perform countless essential jobs throughout the body, supporting everything from energy metabolism and immune function to bones, muscles, nerves and more.

Of course, supplements aren't a replacement for a nutritious diet. But if your diet isn't quite where you'd like it to be yet—or you simply want some extra nutritional support—a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral formula can help fill potential gaps.

That’s exactly why I formulated Super Core.

Super Core provides a broad selection of essential vitamins and minerals carefully chosen by yours truly, along with antioxidant nutrients such as lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin and resveratrol, plus turmeric, boswellia and ginger to provide additional nutritional support.

Think of it as nutritional backup while you continue working on all those other healthy habits.

Step 4: Help keep inflammation in check

Inflammation is actually an important part of your body's natural defense and healing process. When you’re injured or fighting an infection, short-term inflammation helps your body respond.

The problem is when inflammation becomes chronic.

Long-term, low-grade inflammation has been associated with numerous chronic health conditions, which is one more reason that the everyday habits that support a healthy inflammatory response deserve our attention.

One nutrient that has been studied extensively in this area is omega-3 fatty acids—particularly EPA and DHA, which also play important roles in cardiovascular and brain health.

Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring are excellent dietary sources of EPA and DHA. But if fish isn't a regular part of your diet, an omega-3 supplement can be a convenient way to increase your intake.

Our VitalMega-3 provides 1,200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids in every dose, including EPA and DHA, to help support cardiovascular health, brain health and a healthy inflammatory response.

Your overall diet matters too.

Rather than focusing on a single “bad” food, look at the big picture. A diet built primarily around minimally processed foods—vegetables, fruits, quality proteins, healthy fats and other nutrient-rich choices—is generally a better foundation for wellness than one dominated by highly processed foods.

As part of that effort, consider limiting:

1. Foods and drinks high in added sugars, including those sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup

2. Heavily processed and fried foods

3. Sugary sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages

4. Ultra-processed convenience foods

5. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pastries, many snack chips and crackers

6. Processed meats

7. Excessive amounts of foods high in saturated or trans fats

8. Foods that tend to crowd more nutrient-dense choices out of your diet

You don't need to transform your entire diet overnight. Start with one better choice and build from there.

Your first step starts today

National Wellness Month is a great reminder, but your health deserves attention during the other 11 months of the year too.

You don't need a perfect diet.

You don't need an expensive gym membership.

And you certainly don't need to change everything today.

Choose one thing.

Have vegetables with dinner tonight. Take a 15-minute walk. Swap your soda for water. Make one small choice today that supports the healthier person you want to be tomorrow.

Then do it again.

That's how lasting habits begin.

Please do it for yourself. Start now.

You’ll never regret taking better care of you.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia