Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
The New Year is just around the corner and so are those pesky New Year’s resolutions. Each year we make them and each year they usually get left behind. Popular New Year goals are losing weight, personal growth, giving up bad habits or making more money. This is why weight-loss products, gym memberships, and coaching programs all sell extremely well at this time. Whatever your upcoming intentions are, I hope you choose to make health a priority. And here are some ways you can start doing that now and in the coming year.
Get Healthier #1: Don’t Wait to Start!
You might hate me for this one, but it’s simply the best way to let your brain know that health is a 24/7/365 effort and not just on Jan 1. The truth is most people think that it’s the holiday weight gain that throws us off, but I believe it’s the mindset we have throughout the year that creates the problem. Putting off making healthful changes because of a date tends to make everything else but long-term health a priority.
I am all for the holiday parties and celebrations, but let’s get real with ourselves…How many are actually living a healthful lifestyle up to and beyond those events?
You know I will always recommend eating healthier foods and exercising as a lifestyle. Consistency changes your brain and your body to adapt to new habits that are important to you. Keep your health in balance by making better choices now instead of waiting until a future date.
Get Healthier #2: Eat More Live and Whole Foods
You may have noticed, but eating vegan, vegetarian, or pescetarian has become much more popular lately. I believe that all of these nutritional plans are amazing if they work for you and your body. By that, I mean what is good for one may not be for someone else. However, I do know that eating more live and whole foods is a positive for humans in general. These include plant foods that are not processed or refined as little as possible before consumption…ie., fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, beans, and legumes.
Eating more live foods that contain their enzymes is less taxing on the body and digestive system. This, in turn, creates a much more harmonious balance within. Consider how much energy is taken to digest food in general. Now, consider how much more energy it takes to digest foods that don’t contain their own enzymes to aid the breakdown process. With this one fact, you can see why eating more live foods would help your overall health.
Get Healthier #3: Receive Fitness Instruction Before You Start
Come January, millions of women will sign up for a gym membership to ax the past year’s “expansion” and start their mission to better health. Unfortunately, the majority of those women will fall short of their goals. Why? For one, making this kind of drastic change all at once usually doesn’t end well. It’s basically a shock to your system to go all out at the gym without proper training or conditioning. Many stop attending because something hurts too much or even end up needing urgent care for sprains and strains.
I recommend that you get some fitness instruction and a thumbs up from your doctor before you start a new program. This will help you to know what type of exercise is best for your build, age, and lifestyle. Many gyms do offer this type of consultation but will likely charge extra for it.
Get Healthier #4: Track Your Nutrition
It’s never been easier to monitor the foods we eat. Apps such as MyFitnessPal and Cronometer make it easy to track all food intake throughout the day. This is important, especially if you have specific nutritional needs. You will be surprised at all the hidden fat, sugar and salt in your regular diet. These apps help you make better food choices and help as well as regulate your portion sizes. Once you get used to tracking your food, you notice how much easier it is to stick with a life-long practice of eating healthy.
**** This post is strictly informational and is not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Women’s lifelink, it’s owners, administrators, contributors, affiliates, vendors, authors and editors do not claim that this information will diagnose, treat, or improve any condition or disease.
