New Year’s resolutions can be a double-edged sword. While many of us feel inspired to make goals to improve our health, happiness, and well-being, we regularly find change difficult to sustain, and sometimes we end up falling back into old practices.
Check out these tips to start and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Baby Steps
Many people start the new year hoping to improve their fitness routine and eating habits, and quickly get discouraged when results do not show right away. Instead of canceling your new gym membership and picking a box of chocolates ahead of Valentine’s Day, set achievable and realistic goals to stay on course.
If losing weight is your goal, aim for 10 pounds rather than 50. If you lose the first 10 pounds, celebrate and set a new goal.
Instead of going on an extreme diet, cut down on one snack a day or incorporate a smoothie rather than a healthy meal. Using ingredients like fresh fruit, dark leafy greens, flax or chia seeds — even savory vegetables like beets — the chances are endless.
Refuel to Get Fit
Sticking to fitness goals requires the right fuel. Eating whole foods rather than processed foods will provide you with more energy and last longer. Plus, whole food diets are simpler and more sustainable than strict calorie counting or elimination diets.
Fueling your body with snacks such as low-fat yogurt topped with granola, fresh hummus and whole-grain pita, or an apple and peanut butter, will get your body through your workout and help you feel full longer. To make delicious homemade peanut butter, place three cups of roasted, unsalted peanuts or cashews in a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix machine and puree for about one minute. The result is a gooey, good-for-you treat that will provide ample energy for healthy pursuits.
When shopping for groceries, stick to the shop’s exterior boundaries and pick up nutrient-rich, versatile ingredients like avocado, chickpeas, bananas, nuts and spinach, which can stand alone or be mixed into everything from healthy salads to frozen desserts.
Pamper Your Sweet Tooth
Being healthy and eating whole foods does not imply you must sacrifice your sweet tooth. Before you dive into a tub of cookie dough, consider other ways to curb cravings. Make your own customized whole food ice cream without artificial colours, flavors or preservatives using a blender. Varieties like apple pie and spiced strawberry would be guilt-free fun.
Or try a straightforward sorbet:
mix two peeled oranges, two tablespoons of sugar, and four cups of ice. Use a blender with a special setting for this purpose, such as the Vitamix Professional Series 750. The Frozen Dessert Program, one of the machine’s five pre-programmed settings, lets you make easy and healthy desserts in minutes.
Looking for something that feels a bit more decadent? Find recipes like chocolate hazelnut spread and more at vitamix.com/Find-Recipes.
For a healthier New Year, focus on small achievable goals, and use whole foods to get creative with your diet.
Article provided by Statepoint
