The new year is upon us! Have you thought of a Resolution? I’ve heard many pledge to lose weight, change their body shape, exercise harder and eliminate certain food. Unfortunately, this can create a negative mindset because if these resolutions are not achieved, the individual can have more negative feelings about themselves, thus impacting their physical and mental health.
My wish for all of you this year is to help you appreciate yourselves and to help you gain a more positive mindset by focusing on living a healthier lifestyle and treating your body with kindness.
Some 2022 Resolutions for you to embrace:
Listen to your body. We are born with internal signals that tell us when we are hungry and when we are full. It is important to listen to these cues. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you feel satisfied.
Eat the rainbow. Vegetables and fruit bring different vital nutrients to your body. They have a variety of vitamins and minerals essential for bodily functions, like our metabolism. Additionally, they all contain different antioxidants and flavonoids that help fight diseases to keep us healthy and strong.
Increase your fibre. Fiber is extremely important for digestive health because it feeds the good bacteria in our gut, helps fight heart disease and prevents strokes by lowering cholesterol. It will also keep you fuller longer. So include plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to your meal plan!
Add…don’t take away. Instead of removing foods from your diet, focus on adding fresh new ones. Try new spices, cultural cuisines, grains (like kamut or spelt), fruits, and vegetables. You can start small by adding chia seeds or flax seeds to smoothies and cereals, or by sprinkling cinnamon on your coffee.
Eat more plants. Go beyond eating more vegetables and fruits. Strive to include other types of plants into your diet, like whole grains, and plant-based proteins such as soy, tofu, tempeh, and legumes. Aim for 3 vegetarian meals per week. Plants are more sustainable, better for the environment and have also been shown to help improve overall health.
Practice mindful eating. Mindful eating means being present during your meal. Remove distractions and take the time to appreciate your meal. Slow down and savour the wonderful flavours and textures different foods have to offer.
Move every day. Daily movement is imperative to overall health. Your body will appreciate any movement you bring to it, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. There are a variety of ways you can get moving. Run, walk, cycle, swim, lift weights, practice yoga, and even stretch! My personal favourite is pilates. Whatever form of movement feels good to you will be great for you.
Reduce stress. These past few years have brought us all new challenges and plenty of stress. Mental health issues are on the rise; therefore, it is essential that you prioritize your mental health along with your physical health. We may not be able to always control the stressors around us, but we can control the way we (and our bodies) respond to it. Find what works for you. Meditate, read a book, move your body, light some candles, speak to a friend or a mental health professional. Take time each day to practice stress management.
Prioritize sleep. Sleep is when we give our bodies, and especially our brain, a chance to REPAIR, REST AND RECHARGE. We do a lot to strain our body during our daily life therefore it is imperative that we allow our body the rest it needs to stay healthy.
CHEERS TO A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!
By Jennifer Abdulezer P.Dt