Every New Year most of us like to plan and set health and fitness goals for the year ahead. How many of us aspire to lose weight, go to the gym more or just become more healthy? But how many of us actually stick to these goals and follow them through all the way to December? How many of us have already given up 3 weeks into January? You are not alone!
This is typically because these resolutions are often unachievable by being too large to accomplish, too vague or geared towards changing who we are as a person. The New Year shouldnt be about all of a sudden being a new you. After all, you were made who you are for a reason! Instead of focusing on re-creating and changing yourself, focus on improving yourself for a healthier and happier year ahead.
Follow our 7 tips below for small, but most importantly easy adjustments you can make to your everyday routine that will have a lasting impact and before you know it, they will become life long habits. Lets make 2017 the year committed to making more time for you and your health!
Tip 1: Swap out sugary drinks for water
Drinking more water is much easier said than done especially if you find it hard to enjoy water! If you find it difficult to drink large amounts of water or prefer to reach for flavoured sugary drinks try infusing your water with a variety of fruits such as lemon, mint, cucumber, lime or even berries to add a light flavour. Not only is your water more visually appealing, it tastes great and is full of added vitamins and antioxidants and a whole lot less sugar in comparison to soft drinks. Alternatively, try sparkling or soda water for the same fizzy feel as soft drinks. Take a look at these recipes for some ideas or try making up your own! Coconut water is also a great option as it is a fantastic natural hydrator that is low in sugar, nearly fat free, rich in natural vitamins, minerals. Read more about the health benefits of coconut water here.
Tip 2: Incorporate veggies into every meal
You have probably heard this time and time again, but eating plenty of veggies is important for a balanced and healthy diet. But despite this knowledge, so many of us fail to have enough or any vegetables on our daily plate, in fact 95% of Australians dont eat enough fruit and vegetables! Eating an abundance of fresh vegetables helps to keep us fuller for longer, are lower in calories, high in vitamins and antioxidants, helps in your bodys detoxification process and in general incredibly delicious! Make it a priority this year to improve your diet and incorporate more vegetables into every meal including breakfast. Simple changes could include opting for a green smoothie instead of a berry smoothie for breakfast, replacing your regular 3pm snack for freshly cut carrots or cucumber sticks or DIY vegetable chips or even choosing a salad or mixed greens as a side at dinner instead of fries or bread.
For some more ideas on how to incorporate more vegetables into your day, check out this blog post.
Tip 3: Get out of your seat and get moving
Did you know that 10 percent of all deaths are from being sedentary? Studies show that sitting down for long periods of time can be just as harmful to your health as smoking. If you have an office job or tend to sit a lot, try to add in incidental exercise where possible. Take the stairs, walk an extra block or get off at an earlier bus stop all these extra steps and movement add up and make a world of difference to your health. Use a fitness or steps tracker to really get on top of how much you are moving each day. Why not also check out our tips for how to keep healthy while at work here.
Tip 4: Catch more Zs
Chances are for many of us getting enough sleep is not high on our list of priorities. However plenty of research indicates that getting enough sleep will enhance our health significantly. Some benefits include; controlling your weight, reducing stress levels, enhancing your mood and allowing your body the time to regenerate and repair. It is important to aim to get 7-8 hours of a sleep a night to reap all the many health benefits! If you find that your arthritic and joint pain is constantly disturbing your sleep, take a read of our blog post here where we give you some tips for a more restful night.
Tip 5: Get Social
Fostering healthy and meaningful relationships with your friends and family is essential to your well-being and your hapiness. Theyre there to encourage you when you need a helping hand, as well as offer a good laugh, emotional support and an ear to talk to. Spend time in 2017 fostering these close-knit ties with your nearest and dearest.
Tip 6: Keep hydrated
It goes without saying, water and keeping hydrated is incredibly important. Every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies need water to work efficiently and effectively, in fact 60-70% of our body is made up of water! Staying hydrated helps to improve your skin complexion, flush out toxins, boost your immune system, improve digestion, impacts your energy levels and keeps your joints and muscles and that is just the tip of the iceberg of all the benefits that keeping hydrate can provide, so drink up!
Tip 7: Keep doing the things you love!
Last and most importantly dont forget to keep doing the things you love. Whether that be gardening, walking your dog, taking the time to catch up with friends and family or simply chilling out and reading a book, it is important to remember to indulge in self-care and make the time for yourself to stop and enjoy the little things in life that make you most happy. Is joint pain holding you back from doing what you love? Rose-Hip Vital is a scientifically and clinically tested plant-based natural anti-inflammatory, powerful antioxidant and natural source of vitamin C helping to relieve joint pain and symptoms associated with mild arthritis. It is a simple and effective way of helping your body to maintain optimum health, so you can keep doing the things you love. Find out more here.
What are some of your tips for improving your health and happiness? Let us know below!
