This year, forget the juice cleanses and the detoxes. Instead of emptying your wallet on fad diets, start 2018 off right by making sustainable healthy lifestyle changes. Here are 5 steps to making 2018 your healthiest year yet!
1. Set Realistic Goals.
Trying to overhaul your lifestyle completely, such as starting a restrictive diet or intense exercise regime is not a recipe for long term success. Instead, think “SMART” when deciding on your New Year’s resolutions and create goals which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely for 2018. An example of a SMART New Year’s resolution would be: “Everyday for 1 week I will eat a breakfast containing protein and fibre within 2 hours of waking up”.
2. Small changes add up.
Identify patterns in your daily routine and simple ways to make them healthier. For example, order a half-sweet coffee with skim milk instead of a flavoured speciality coffee in the morning, or keep a water bottle handy on your desk to stay hydrated during the workday, or choose to take the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Small changes to your everyday habits will be easier to maintain throughout the year and they can add up to have the biggest impact on your health.
3. Ease yourself into changes.
Thinking your everyday habits will change overnight will only set you up for disappointment - instead, try breaking a big goal into smaller, more attainable parts. Instead of coming up with a goal for the entire year, why not aim to make changes each week or month? For example, if you eat out for lunch every work day, you could make your resolution for the month of January to bring a packed lunch to work 3 days per week. Once you’ve established this healthy habit, you can decide on another goal for the month of February, such as going for a 30-minute walk after lunch on workdays. By the end of 2018, you will have accomplished 12 healthy lifestyle changes!
4. Don’t feel guilty!
Health is the accumulation of everyday habits. Give yourself a break! You are trying your best. Food plays a central role in our social and cultural lives so enjoy the special meals you have with family and friends! At the end of the day, feeling stressed or guilty about making an “unhealthy” choice is only detrimental for your mental health. Stick with the 80/20 rule - try to live a healthy lifestyle by eating well and being active 80% of the time, but let yourself enjoy a treat or a day off too!
5. Be patient.
Health is a lifelong journey, not something to be totally achieved in 1 year. While many people see changes in their body when they start making healthier lifestyle choices, always remember that health is not something you can see with the human eye. By choosing to live an active, healthy lifestyle you are changing your body from the inside out and improving your health and wellbeing for the long run!
There are many small changes you can make to your daily routine that can significantly impact your health. Changes can be as simple as: making a vegetarian meal once a week, choosing whole fruit instead of juice, or switching your morning toast from white to multigrain. If you set realistic goals, ease yourself into small, everyday changes, and realize that a healthy lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint - you will be setting yourself up for success rather than disappointment. Let’s make 2018 your healthiest year yet, click here to book your appointment with Alex or Stephanie today!