As you continue to embark on a healthy lifestyle or recognize you need to, a central Illinois dietician has some recommendations on how to make sure you keep making progress.

Monica Nyman with the St. Louis District Dairy Council says you need to start small and set goals that are achievable. Her recommendations are what she tells all her clients across all spectrums.

For starting healthier eating, Nyman encourages gradually shifting to foods that offer nutrients and vitamins we need rather than foods with empty calories. She says this is a good method for the prevention of chronic diseases. 

Nyman advocates for doing these things with an accountability buddy. She says having someone you can meet for a workout or someone to take a walk with, will keep us accountable.

Nyman's recommendations wouldn't be complete if she didn't offer the benefits of regularly incorporating dairy into our diets. She says dairy offers great nutrients and proteins we need.

If you're interested in more tips on dieting and how to incorporate dairy into your meals further, you can visit stldairycouncil.org.