I am not one for New Years Resolutions. Not because I can’t keep them, but because I don’t really see the point of them. I rather just live a healthier life every year, continuing to stay healthy and active.
It’s unrealistic to me to be completely healthy 365 days of the year. I simply live what I would call a 80/20 lifestyle. I don’t think my 2014 was an unhealthy year. Sure over the holidays I had my fair share of chips and dip, organic or not it wasn’t considered “health” food, and my fair share of sweets. Since I don’t live this way the other 360 days of the year, I don’t have a need to worry.
I used to be way to strict with my lifestyle. Never touching sweets, even if they were homemade with organic sugar or honey, among other foods I made off limits. Now I don’t deprive myself, and in honesty, I don’t crave the unhealthy foods. I know the chemicals, preservatives and toxins in processed, junk foods, and that’s enough to keep me from eating it everyday.
So instead I just keep incorporating healthy, whole habits into my life. Last year I wrote a post on Healthy Whole Tips for a Healthier Year, and I loved reading through some of the tips. It included ways to be healthier in my emotional/spiritual life as well. I think it’s well worth your read. I incorporate some of the tips in my life on a daily basis.
So for 2015, I came up with 10 tips for a healthier year. To me these will help lead to a healthier lifestyle, which may include losing those last 5-10 pounds, becoming more positive, and signing up for that 10k. Sometimes the littler things are the best things for us!!
Tips for a Healthier 2015:
- Eat the rainbow: And I don’t mean skittles. Incorporate more colors into your diet, to add more variety, vitamins and minerals. This would mean eating more fresh produce. More color = more nutrients and antioxidants. You can dedicate certain days of the week to certain colors. For example, Monday = red & green, Tuesdays = orange, Wednesdays = purple & yellow, etc.
- Be more thankful: Yes, gratefulness helps our health. Being ungrateful can lead to depression, bitterness, and jealousy, which hurt our emotional health. Studies show how our emotions can be deadly.
- Chose organic: Can’t afford to buy all produce organic, at least buy the Dirty Dozen organic. Conventional produce has pesticides, insecticides and other harmful chemicals that are detrimental to our health, and are linked to cancers and other disease. Organic produce is also more nutritious.
- Use coconut oil in your baking and cooking: Coconut oil can withstand high heats, unlike olive oil, and is a great substitute for butter and vegetable oil in baking. I love coconut oil on toast, and with stir fry’s. It is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
- Ditch the boxed cereals: Most cereals are laden with sugar. 4 grams of sugar = 1 tsp of sugar, and most of the popular cereals loved by kids and even grown ups contain anywhere from 10 – 18 grams of sugar. That’s 2-5 teaspoons in one serving (and we typically have more than a serving). Also, these popular cereals contain harmful additives, like BHT, hydrogenated oils, and food colorings.
- Skip buffets: Buffets are recipes for disaster for two reasons: you eat way more than what you should, and the food is usually not fresh and full fat and additives. If you think about it, food at buffets sits under those lights for long periods of time collecting bacteria and is far from fat free.The foods are high calorie and far from nutritious.
- Do those squats: We could all benefit from a stronger booty. Squats are great at strengthening our quads, and sculpting our derriere. Runners especially benefit from squats. And there’s so many variations, from deep squats, ballet squats, squats with weights, sumo squats, froggy squats…..
- Unplug: I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t benefit from unplugging every now and again. Social media fasts, even if only for a couple hours, can do wonders for our health. It allows us to be more focused on family, tasks, and keeps us from being so consumed with other’s lives. Just stop and look around when you’re out in public, you’ll notice how consumed we our with technology, to the point of not being able to hold conversations any more. It’s both frightening and sickening.
- Sweat, baby sweat: I don’t care how you chose to do it, just do it. Exercise rev’s up our metabolism, and keeps our heart healthy. It also helps to ease stress.
- Add more fiber to your diet: Most of us aren’t consuming enough fiber. Women need 25 grams of fiber a day, and men need 35 grams. Fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and whole grains are good sources of fiber. Fiber helps to keep us feeling full by staving of hunger, keeps us regular, and can help promote weight loss. It has many health benefits.
For additional ideas on being a healthier you in 2015, check out last years post.
Our health should be our focus 365 days of the year, every year. We can be healthier each year, and to me that means less restrictions and punishments. Start small and remember, that splurging every so now and again won’t hurt you, that is as long as it’s not a habit. Sometimes starting small leads to those bigger results you wanted.
So here’s to a Happier, Healthier 2015!!
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit
Do you do New Years Resolutions, if so what are yours? What tips do you have for making 2015 a healthier year?