Every year thousands of people make New Years resolutions to eat better, exercise, and lose weight. However, most of these goals fall short within a few months. Sometimes this is due to lack of knowledge, lack of motivation, or overambitious,unreasonable goals. So I’ve compiled some tips to help you be healthier in a sustainable routine.
Eat less. Although beneficial, juicing or fasting is extreme and not feasible for most people. However, incorporating some parts of these daily can truly increase your vitality and health. While not the same thing as a true juice fast, adding a whole food smoothie each day gives your body the nutrients it’s craving and can quench cellular hunger. A healthy smoothie should include fresh or powered greens, a fiber source like flax or chia, a high quality protein powder, fresh fruit, and liquid of choice.
Intermittent fasting is another excellent way to curb hunger and lose weight. This is a simple protocol of eating only during a 6 or 7 consecutive hour period each day. For example, if you eat breakfast at 7am you would eat your last meal of the day by 1 or 2 pm. This lets the body truly use up all the fuel you’ve given it for the day and even allows it to dip into the reserves (aka fat cells) to provide nutrients. This also helps to regulate your blood sugar (assuming your not eating junk). You can adjust the schedule of eating and fasting to fit your life. I find it easier to skip breakfast and eat a late lunch and early dinner instead.
Reducing processed foods and carbs is another strategy that benefits everyone. Cutting out carbs cold turkey is very hard and most people give up quickly. I suggest regulating your intake and gradually reducing so that you can make it sustainable. Foe example, allow carbs only meal per day but have them every day for a few weeks. So if you have oatmeal for breakfast, opt for a salad at lunch and and meat and veggies for dinner. Need that sandwich at lunch.... then skip the oatmeal and do bacon and eggs or yogurt and fruit. After a while on this routine, your body actually craves the carbs less and it becomes easier to reduce them to every other day and eventually to weekends only.
Eating clean also means dropping the drive thru. This food generally only benefits your taste buds. It’s very low in actual, useable nutrients and so leaves your body wanting nutrients again soon, making you overeat. The un-healthy, non-usable aspects of processed foods (ie. chemicals, preservatives, hydrogenated fats, additives) end up being stored by the liver in fat cells as a holding cell because that cannot be used by the body for fuel or nutrition.resolve to make the “junk food” the exception instead of the rule. Plan ahead and have quick, healthy options on hand for those crazy nights when there is no time to cook.
Being healthier does take a little more time and commitment but taking baby steps allow you to maintain your goals and make the changes last. Bring a friend or your family into your resolve so they can back you up and encourage you. Search online for quick easy recipes and try one new recipe a week. Keep the winners and toss the losers. You will eventually find enough healthy meals to keep meal time from being boring or intimidating. Find what works for you, whether replacing a meal with a smoothie, intermittent fasting, or just cleaning up your existing diet, you can make this your healthiest year yet.
Eat less. Although beneficial, juicing or fasting is extreme and not feasible for most people. However, incorporating some parts of these daily can truly increase your vitality and health. While not the same thing as a true juice fast, adding a whole food smoothie each day gives your body the nutrients it’s craving and can quench cellular hunger. A healthy smoothie should include fresh or powered greens, a fiber source like flax or chia, a high quality protein powder, fresh fruit, and liquid of choice.
Intermittent fasting is another excellent way to curb hunger and lose weight. This is a simple protocol of eating only during a 6 or 7 consecutive hour period each day. For example, if you eat breakfast at 7am you would eat your last meal of the day by 1 or 2 pm. This lets the body truly use up all the fuel you’ve given it for the day and even allows it to dip into the reserves (aka fat cells) to provide nutrients. This also helps to regulate your blood sugar (assuming your not eating junk). You can adjust the schedule of eating and fasting to fit your life. I find it easier to skip breakfast and eat a late lunch and early dinner instead.
Reducing processed foods and carbs is another strategy that benefits everyone. Cutting out carbs cold turkey is very hard and most people give up quickly. I suggest regulating your intake and gradually reducing so that you can make it sustainable. Foe example, allow carbs only meal per day but have them every day for a few weeks. So if you have oatmeal for breakfast, opt for a salad at lunch and and meat and veggies for dinner. Need that sandwich at lunch.... then skip the oatmeal and do bacon and eggs or yogurt and fruit. After a while on this routine, your body actually craves the carbs less and it becomes easier to reduce them to every other day and eventually to weekends only.
Eating clean also means dropping the drive thru. This food generally only benefits your taste buds. It’s very low in actual, useable nutrients and so leaves your body wanting nutrients again soon, making you overeat. The un-healthy, non-usable aspects of processed foods (ie. chemicals, preservatives, hydrogenated fats, additives) end up being stored by the liver in fat cells as a holding cell because that cannot be used by the body for fuel or nutrition.resolve to make the “junk food” the exception instead of the rule. Plan ahead and have quick, healthy options on hand for those crazy nights when there is no time to cook.
Being healthier does take a little more time and commitment but taking baby steps allow you to maintain your goals and make the changes last. Bring a friend or your family into your resolve so they can back you up and encourage you. Search online for quick easy recipes and try one new recipe a week. Keep the winners and toss the losers. You will eventually find enough healthy meals to keep meal time from being boring or intimidating. Find what works for you, whether replacing a meal with a smoothie, intermittent fasting, or just cleaning up your existing diet, you can make this your healthiest year yet.
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