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Follow This Bipartisan Strategy to Achieve Your Health Goals

No matter your political slant — rant or chant — Election Day is done, and its outcome is no longer in your control. But some things — namely nutrition, exercise, stress management and sleep — are within your control, even though you may have to conceptualize, strategize and sometimes try new habits on for size to find the right fit for your lifestyle. So, in this post-election week, I’m offering a bipartisan strategy to help you navigate the self-health maze with a little less craze:

1. Be a strategist.

Although eating is a very simple hand-to-mouth movement, walking requires nothing more than placing one foot in front of the other and sleep is as basic as putting your head on the pillow, we all know healthy lifestyle habits are much more complicated than that.

To eat well, you have to have the right foods around, know what to shop for and create plans of attack when ordering out. Committing to an effective exercise routine, meanwhile, might require — at the very least — a good pair of shoes, a gym membership or a physical exam to make sure you are healthy enough to start a new program. Achieving sound sleep may mean you need an electronic device moratorium for a few hours before bed, a new pillow or a change in your meal times so your stomach doesn’t have a fiesta when you are trying to take a siesta.

[See: Can These New Devices Really Help You Sleep Drug-Free?]

2. Pick your platform.

What would you like to accomplish? Lose a few pounds? Tone up? Drop your blood glucose levels? Sleep an extra hour? Run a 5K? Once you choose your goal, you can put a plan into place that outlines your steps to success.

3. Capitalize on your strengths.

Some people love to tackle huge jobs, and are successful with an extreme approach to eating, exercise and stress reduction. Others are moderates who focus on one goal, explore all of their options, find the best practices, cultivate support and see it through before taking on additional tasks. Pick an approach — or mix of approaches — that motivates you most.

4. Reach across the grocery aisle.

The food climate has become so polarizing. Foods are either good or bad, organic or conventional, full-fat or fat-free. Not only can that perspective confuse consumers, but it can also disrupt their nutrient balance and damage their overall health. Aim to create an inclusive eating plan instead to ensure you won’t shortchange yourself on any nutrients. All parts of the supermarket — from fresh to canned to frozen foods — can be constituents of a healthy plate.

[See: 7 Ways to Hack Your Grocery Trip for Weight Loss.]

5. Choose what and who is in your cabinet.

Keeping shelf-stable items in your cabinet can help cut down on trips to the grocery store. But choose those products wisely. Canned soups, oatmeal, dried and freeze-dried fruits, spices, oils, nuts, nut butter, tuna, beans, rice, pasta and canned tomatoes are good choices to create fast, inexpensive, complete meals. For example, just mix tuna, cannellini beans and pasta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a fast, filling and frugal dinner.

To make the most of your cabinet, rotate its members. Take a look at the expiration dates, keeping veterans at the front and rookies at the back. Do an inspection to weed out items that are past their prime. Get rid of duplicates, too, but remember: As you rotate, you can also donate.

While you’re at it, inspect your exercise cabinet. Do your shoes have good soles? Do you have warm gloves to support you through cold-weather runs? Evaluate your linen cabinet too. Does your pillow provide the neck support you need to prevent aches and pain upon waking?

Your social cabinet matters as well. Are members of your inner circle enablers or disablers? Make sure you have support staff to help you with stress management and body goals. Identify a campaign — not complain — manager who can keep you engaged, not enraged.

6. Develop a (healthy) smear campaign.

How about embracing diversity by smearing hummus, pesto or black beans on your bread instead of mainstream mayo or mustard? These spreads add good fats, fiber and, in some cases, extra protein to your meal. Even a waffle can become savory when you add spicy lentil hummus, shredded chicken and salsa. Or, liven up your lunch by filling a wrap with a thin spread of pesto, turkey and shredded cabbage.

[See: 10 Healthy Meals You Can Make In 10 Minutes.]

Use these political strategies to achieve your diet, sleep, stress management and movement goals. If you do, your body systems will give you a 100-percent approval rating.

More from U.S. News

The 10 Best Diets for Healthy Eating

6 Ways to Train Your Brain for Healthy Eating

7 Diet Mistakes Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

Follow This Bipartisan Strategy to Achieve Your Health Goals originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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