NYE is just around the corner, meaning we are about make our new year resolutions. It is important to make those resolutions realistic, so we feel able to accomplish them.
How do we do that?
Answer: Baby Steps!
To go headfirst into changing our lifestyle can be very overwhelming. No one can change their diet and lifestyle overnight. It is important to make it a day-by-day, week-by-week process.
So how do you start to incorporate healthy lifestyle changes into your lifestyle?
Week 1: Drink more water. It is recommended for us to consume eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, which equates to half of a gallon or about two liters. That really is not that much. Water is the best thing for you. It flushes toxins from our bodies. Not only that, half of the time you are hungry, you are actually thirsty. Water plays a huge part in our weight and our overall health.
Week 2: Add more veggies to your diet. This does not mean eat more salads. There are so many other ways to eat vegetables. Add them into sandwiches if you like sandwiches. Incorporate them into your snacking because almost everyone loves snacks (carrots and hummus, celery sticks and peanut butter, cucumber slices and Greek yogurt ranch dip). Add spinach to your smoothie. Buy pre-cut veggies, spray them with olive oil, and pop them in the oven for some roasted veggies as part of your meal. It is recommended to consume 2-3 cups of vegetables a day. That is not that much in the grand scheme of things.
Week 3: Get up and move! We all love to be couch potatoes, but that doesn’t support our overall health necessarily. Go outside and go for a walk. If you find the weather conditions are not ideal for you, then pick an online workout. At least give yourself 30 minutes of physical activity a day. 30 minutes is not that much time out of your day, especially if you are an early bird. Most people enjoy to start their day with some physical activity, whether it is a morning run, yoga, or a peloton session.
Week 4: Fruit! I save fruit for last because fruit seems to be easier for most people to consume than vegetables. It is recommended to consume 1-2 cups of fruit a day. The amount of fruit recommended is less than vegetables because fruit is higher in sugar and calories than vegetables. This does not mean fruit is bad for you. Both are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and different fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients.
These four steps are simple steps for anyone to take. To do all this right away, all at once, is overwhelming. Why make it overwhelming and seem hard for us? Our health is extremely important. We want to invest in our health now, so we do not have to pay an expensive hospital bill later.