The promise of a new year had us all looking forward to a fresh, clean slate. Most of us made some sort of health related decisions: drink more water, eat better foods, move more, stress less and manage work-life balance.
All great intentions, but as we all know, new year resolutions are usually abandoned by the end of January, and gyms that see crowded rooms early in the year, get back to their regular attendance by February. Are you there yet? Don’t feel guilty, it is true for the majority.
Good intentions remain just that…good intentions. What is missed is a plan of action to carry out the intention.
So, what is your plan of action this year, to remain healthy, or regain your health?
Dividing the tasks into manageable chunks has a far greater chance to work than attempting to get it all perfect on day 1!
Here are a few easy to achieve goals that will make you feel better in no time at all.
Drink more water? A great goal. A large percentage of the population is totally dehydrated. Ideally, drinking 1/2 of our body weight in ounces is a great goal, but you won't get there in one day. :/
Add a small amount to your usual daily intake, say 8 ounces, on day 1 and do that for a few days. Once this is easy, add another 8 ounces and stay there for another week or so. Pretty soon, you will have managed to reach that lofty goal you though was totally unattainable. Just give your body time to get accustomed to proper hydration. Your skin will feel better, your digestion too, just don't overload your stomach with water at mealtimes. You need your digestive juices undiluted for digestion!
Pick one new healthy food a week and give it a try! Choose a new vegetable and research how to prepare it. Switch things around in your menus and give your body the gift of clean food. Could you aim for trying 50 new things this year? Why not? Involve your children in the planning and picking, as well as preparing the food. Teaching kids how to cook might save their health later on!
Move more! Plan to add a walk every other day to start. Make it longer and longer, then go every day. Pretty soon, you'll be able to go on a hike on your favorite mountain trail. Marathoners do not start training the week before their race... plan small walks that will eventually add up. Take every opportunity to move. Park further away from the mall or from the door to your work building. Take the stairs. Have you heard all this before? Yes, of course. But are you doing it? Practice makes perfect, and every small action adds up.
Learn how to minimize stress and its deleterious effects on health. Breathe. Meditate. Take a warm bath before bed to relax and unwind. Pick one thing and stick with it for a few weeks to see how it works for you, this isn't a one size fits all solution. Do not use food or alcohol as stress relievers. While it may seem like help in the moment, it truly doesn't help on the long term. See the breathing method called Nadi Shodana in the video below. Practice it daily, before bed or anytime you need to focus or relax and see how it works for you.
Start with these easy habits and see how you feel in a few weeks!
