How to achieve your New Year’s goals

The New Year is upon us and most of us are probably already trying to work on our resolutions, especially after the holidays, where we tend to indulge and forget about our healthy routine. At SHA Wellness Clinic, it’s all about creating a long-lasting, sustainable change and not buy into crash diets and unrealistic goals that tend to leave us feeling worse because we haven’t managed to achieve them.

A good way to start adopting a healthy lifestyle is by slowly introducing healthy foods and eliminating the foods that aren’t very beneficial to your body. By adding new habits every day, you can start building a healthy routine that is achievable and enjoyable.

A good way to look at it is instead of setting all your goals for the month of January and making it feel overwhelming, look at the bigger picture and take it step by step to achieve smaller goals that in the end will make a substantial change.

Where to start?

Start by analysing your lifestyle. What are your eating habits like? Do you exercise regularly? Do you sleep enough?

Depending on what your answers are to these basic questions, you’ll be able to measure how many changes you think you need to make.

If you’re looking to improve your diet, you should start by including more vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish and seasonal fruits. Instead of feeling like you’re eliminating foods from your diet, think about all the healthy foods you’re introducing that will help you feel and look great.

Did you know that starting your day with a healthy and balanced breakfast helps you make healthier choices throughout the day and boost your energy, vitality and concentration levels? Start your morning routine with warm lemon water to start cleansing your organism and continue with a breakfast rich in healthy fats, protein and fibre in the morning. You could have rye bread with avocado and seeds or porridge with berries and seeds.

Healthy subsitutes

Substitute refined carbohydrate for whole grains such as quinoa, millet, brown rice and buckwheat. These grains are highly nutritious and will keep you feeling satiated, without feeling bloated.

The foods you should avoid to start noticing changes and feeling healthier are sugar, dairy, processed foods and meat. Substitute sugar with healthier alternatives like agave syrup, maple syrup and rice malt syrup. Instead of eliminating all sugary foods at once, add a teaspoon of a healthy sweetener to a herbal tea like rooibos tea, eat some seasonal fruits or dried fruits, or have a small piece of dark chocolate. These snacks can really help curb sugar cravings.

Hydration

Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day, as this will help you feel fuller and avoid overeating. Drink mineral water throughout the day and herbal teas that will help flush out toxins and reduce bloating.

Fitness

If you’re trying to get back into your workout routine, don’t be hard on yourself. Start by doing lighter workouts to get back into the rhythm and make sure to choose classes or activities that you enjoy, as this will help you feel more motivated and have fun whilst working out. Why not try a new class or fitness routine you’ve been meaning to try? Like boxing, yoga or pilates?

Sleep

One of the most underestimated keys to health is sleep. Sleeping more than 7 hours a night helps your brain detox, cleanse your organism, boost your energy, balance your mood, regulate appetite and maintain a healthy weight. When you don’t sleep enough hours, your body craves more unhealthy foods and your stress levels increase. Make sure to make sleep one of your priorities! A great way to get more sleep is to turn off your phone an hour before going to bed, and read a book instead until you fall asleep. Not only will this help you get more sleep, but you’ll fall asleep quicker, as the blue light from the screen won’t inhibit melatonin production.

Your New Year’s resolutions this year should be to focus on long-term goals that will help you become the best version of yourself. Eat well, hydrate, exercise regularly and prioritise sleep. Don’t turn to crash diets that end up creating a yo-yo effect and make drastic changes that leave your body feeling weak and energy less. Aim to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle and you’ll achieve far better results in the long run!