Committing to healthier living is a lifelong challenge, and our team of Body+Soul Challenge experts -- UltraWellness Center medical director Dr. Mark Hyman, personal trainer Mary Tedesco, and Body+Soul senior editor Terri Trespicio -- have some valuable advice on staying fit for many years to come.

Nutrition
The foods you eat impact your energy level throughout the day. Incorporating the foods below into your diet will help stop up-and-down blood sugar swings and will help fuel your brain with the amino acids it needs to keep you functioning and alert.

Eggs
Eggs are a great source of omega-3 fats and protein. Omega-3 fats help improve brain function and reduce inflammation while protein provides amino acids needed for focusing and alertness and balancing your blood sugar.

Rye and bilberry
Rye contains phytonutrients, which reduce inflammation and free radicals, lower blood sugar, and reduce stress hormones. Bilberry is a great source of powerful antioxidants.

Almonds
Almonds are a great source of protein.

Arugula
Arugula is a cruciferous vegetable that contains glucosinolates, which are powerful plant detoxifiers.

Avocados
Avocados are a great source of healthy fats and protein.

Artichokes
Artichokes are a powerful plant detoxifier.

Chicken
Chicken is a good source of sugar-balancing protein.

Hummus
Hummus balances blood sugar with high-fiber chickpeas and garlic, which also contains detoxifying sulfur.

Salmon
Salmon contains valuable omega-3 fats.

Shitake mushrooms
Shitake mushrooms boost immune function.

Kale
Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that contains powerful detoxifying phytonutrients.

Exercise
Many people have trouble staying motivated to work out regularly, but these exercises are perfect for almost anyone, no matter how busy a schedule you may have.

Fitness in the office (Gaiam Balance Ball Chair)
Seated forward bend: Reach straight up and fold forward from the waist, leading with chest and dropping torso to thighs. Reach hands to floor. Relax neck.

Seated hip stretch
Seated, fold left leg across right knee. Left ankle should rest just outside right leg. Fold forward from the waist, leading with chest and dropping torso down to thighs and crossed leg.

Fitness for travel (Body Fit Travel Kit)
One-legged bicep curl: Stand on left leg, bending it with band under foot. Right toes are 1 foot behind left foot.

Lunge with tricep pressback: Go into a lunge position, left foot in front and right foot in back, with a band placed under left foot. Slowly press back with handles with a straight arm for a tricep pressback.

Fitness at home
Squat swing with weights: Standing hip-width apart and holding weights, extend arms out in front as you sit back into a squat. Exhale as you bring the weights back toward your chest and come to a standing position.

Core twist: Standing, hold weights about 1 foot away from your body and slowly twist to the right side and pulse for 5 counts; twist to the left side and pulse for 5 counts.

Eating After a Workout
When eating after a workout, choose foods and drinks that are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as milk. Milk contains vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus to help build strong bones, which can help prevent osteoporosis later in life. Milk also contains protein for lean muscle, potassium to help regulate blood pressure, vitamin A to help regulate your immune system, and B vitamins for energy. If you're lactose-intolerant, try almond milk, which is made from ground almonds.

Managing Stress
Our stress levels are determined by how we respond to external events and circumstances. Here are a few ways to keep your stress in check.

Take breaks
The tricky thing about stress is that it tends to whip you into a frenzy, giving you the sense that you are out of control. So we speed up to try to catch up with it and ultimately wear ourselves out in the process. The next time you feel pushed to the breaking point, instead of lashing out or increasing your speed, stop. Take a mini-break to unplug from the source of that stress. Take 10 deep belly breaths through your nose, being sure to count them. Or walk it off.

Say no
It's natural to want to help others, to do good work, to be ambitious in what you can do and offer to others. However, there comes a point when you do no one any favors by taking on things you cannot complete. Saying no works well in theory, which is why it's a piece of advice we're more likely to give than to take. It's not easy to look at someone you know and tell them no, but until you can, you're going to be overcommitted in every direction, and won't be able to offer your very best self to the people you most want to give to.

Keep a gratitude list
A growing body of research on the science of gratitude shows that there are untold benefits to the practice of gratitude. When we recognize that we have a choice in how we respond to stress, and that choice can be positive, we take back the reins of our life and sanity. Gratitude is the art of accepting what is, good or bad, and choosing to see things in a way that puts us in control of our responses.

Keep a daily or weekly gratitude list: Write down a few things for which you are deeply grateful. It shifts our focus from the negative to the positive, and puts us in the empowered position of deciding how we will respond to the stress, good and bad, around us.

Special Thanks
Special thanks to UltraWellness Center medical director Dr. Mark Hyman, personal trainer Mary Tedesco, and senior Body+Soul editor Terri Trespicio for sharing this information.

Resources
For more information on Dr. Hyman's book, "The Ultramind Solution," visit ultramind.com. For more information on supplements, visit ultramind.com/martha. For more information on the Body Fit Travel Kit, visit shop.marytedescofitness.com. For more information on Gaiam Balance Ball Chairs, visit amazon.com. For more information on "Whole Living" radio, visit marthastewart.com/radio. For more information on the health benefits of milk, visit whymilk.com.

To learn about the Body+Soul Challenge, visit wholeliving.com/body-and-soul-challenge. See how well you've been following the challenge with this Body+Soul quiz.