Healthy Habits to Adapt This New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

Now I know what you’re thinking time to run to the gym and eat all the green foods and burn yourself out by doing everything at once. I’m here to tell you to just adapt two healthy habits at a time. 

Adapt Two New Healthy Habits

Even if that is just drinking more water and adding a lean protein to your breakfast. Say replacing that delicious sugary cereal with 3 hardboiled eggs or a spinach, tomato and cheese omelet. You would be amazed at how much more energy you have in the morning and you won’t be hungry in 30 minutes. If last year taught all of us anything it’s that time and health are the most important resources, we have. Little habits add up and are easier to keep up.

Exercise for 30 minutes a day

For exercise put on Spotify and dance around your home for 30 minutes. I’m talking trying to do pirouettes in the kitchen like the dancers on Tiny Pretty Things. Pretend you are the prim ballerina in your own dance show, I’m talking crumping, doing the robot. You should be out of breath and laughing extra points if you can get your quarantine people to join you! Make sure to stretch after so you’re not too sore the next day.

Trick Yourself into Eating More Leafy Greens

Smoothies and juice are yummy but beware of all the sugar. The fruit you add to your smoothies has natural sugar in it which is great when you eat it with its fiber. Think munching on an apple it’s sweet, but leaves you feeling satiated. The fiber in the apple helps regulate your insulin, when we drink juices like press juices they remove the fiber but leave the fruit sweetened water.

When you blend two apples, a banana, and some strawberries.  It can spike your insulin and then leave you feeling lethargic. When making or buying smoothies I always have them add ginger and spinach and ask for half the amount of fruit they usually add. This way to can sneak more veggies into your diet and still enjoy the sweetness of the fruit. 

Benefits

Improved mood. Those endorphins will flow through your veins and make you feel ready to conquer the world, or maybe just two items on your to-do list. With depression and anxiety raging on we could all use some endorphins.

Increase in energy. Eating a protein-heavy and veggie meal will leave you full yet energized. With all the sitting we are all doing it’s a good idea to make sure we’re feeding our bodies whole foods instead of only processed. Whole foods are easier for your body to process and have a ton of benefits you can read about here. The CliffsNotes version improves your skin, hair, bones, and lowers your risk of health issues like stroke, and diabetes. 

Clearer skin and shiny hair. Instead of buying Sugar Bear hair vitamins, you can eat biotin-rich foods like eggs, fish, sweet potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, raspberries, and nuts. All those stress breakouts will subside after a few weeks and your hair will grow long and strong. 

What are your favorite healthy habits?