Here are five great ways to get healthy in 2016. Thanks for reading!
#1: Learn to practice gratitude
If you make one new year’s resolution this year, and only one, then make it this, learning and practicing gratitude. Practicing gratitude and self compassion can increase mood, lower anxiety, make you more optimistic and help you have overall less illness. In fact if doctors knew the researched health benefits of gratitude, then they would be prescribing it to you on every visit! One of the best way to do this is to start a gratitude journal. Its pretty straightforward. Each day either when you wake up or before bed, write down something(s) you are grateful for or something you did well that day. Doing this over time helps create an attitude of gratitude and will improve you health in multiple aspects!
#2: Move more in ways you enjoy
Don’t join a gym only to go 2 weeks hardcore and then stop for the rest of the year. Don’t use exercise as a punishment for feeling like you're out of shape or unattractive! Use it to enjoy life! Do something that’s fun! Make moving more part of your lifestyle. Make it something you will enjoy so that you do it long term. Go to yoga, hire a personal trainer, take a dancing class, find a workout partner, ski more, hike more, etc. Or want the best way to lose weight? Take daily walks! Why? because not only do they get you moving, they also lower your stress hormone, cortisol, so you body burns fat and you feel more relax. Walking is one of the most underutilized tools we have, its free, and it’s right out your front door. By making movement part of your lifestyle and something you enjoy, you are more likely to do it long term!
#3 Eat healthy 80% of the time!
We have all heard this one! Eat more fruits and veggies!! alright, alright, we all know this, then why don’t we do it! Well because let’s be honest, veggies don't taste delicious to most of us! Why, well one reason may be because most of us don’t know how to prepare vegetables to make them tasty! This takes time! Educate yourself. There are tons of free recipes, blogs, etc that will help you. Learn how to make delicious salads! Learn how to hide veggies in meals for kids! You can do it, and your body will thank you. There are also a ton of fad diets out there, low carb, low fat, low flavor..paleo etc! The one I like is the one you can stick with long term and incorporated lots of fruits and vegetables. I am a big 80/20 fan! 80% of the time eat very healthy, lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats, i.e. chicken, fish, etc and small amounts of whole grains, The other 20% of the time, Eat what you want, when you want it, go out with friends, enjoy food, and have no guilt!
#4 Go Natural
Use natural medicine! of course this one is in there!! It is what I do, and it is what I believe in! Whether it’s eating more fruits and veggies, moving more, hiking in nature, acupuncture, herb/nutrients, essential oils, etc. Natural medicine can not only help restore your health it can optimize it also. From treating pain, balance mood and hormones, helping your body deal with stress. Learning to use things that work with your body can help increase your health and vitality and help you live a healthier, fuller life.
#5 Make Health a priority and a process
My 2nd favorite after the gratitude journal! Make healthy living a lifestyle not a new year’s resolution. Creating a healthy lifestyle is a process, 2 steps forward, one step back, but if you commit to process of continuing to learn from your mistakes, try new things, and keep going then eventually you will make improvements, So don’t commit to specific goals, commit to getting healthy, commit to the process of learning, commit to making mistakes and starting again and you will grow in health. Where to start? Build a support team, a yoga studio, personal trainer or martial arts class, a walking partner, hiking club, subscribe to healthy cooking magazines, etc, or I may just know a good health guy if you need one (me, i’m talking about me!) And that’s it!
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I am grateful! Hopefully you found it helpful and encouraging. We all start somewhere, let’s make 2016 the year of health! You can do this!
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