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Health & Fitness

Are You Really Going to Keep that Resolution?

Many people start off the new year great, but don't stay committed to their goals. Are you finally ready to end the new year better than when you started?

Did you make yet another New Year's resolution?

Perhaps you need some encouragement and motivation. I'm going to share with you what I shared in my January newsletter.

Are you finally ready to make that change, take that leap of faith that you will do better this year or will you fall into the same routine you are trying to escape?

Relax, don't put so much pressure on yourself. What you can do is just make little changes. Below are 5 tips on making gradual lifestyle changes.  The key though is to find what works for you. Don't limit yourself to just the ideas below. Be creative and have fun thinking of more. Use the ideas below as a starting point.

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  1. Like pasta? Well, lately there's been this big news on the effects of gluten. So, try gluten free pastas. I've tried brown rice pasta and it actually doesn't taste bad at all. Matter of fact, I take it even a step further and try a few gluten-free items. Heck, might as well, right? There is an entire aisle dedicated to them.
  2. Switch your white or whole wheat bread with breads like Ezekial, Spelt, or Amaranth. They are gluten-free as well and will provide more nutrients than white or whole wheat bread will. Spelt toast is excellent with apple butter spread!
  3. Buy a pedometer. Try to aim for 10,000 steps a day. 10,000 steps equals to about 5 miles (give or take a step or two). Everyone's strides are different, but the general idea is there. Start off one day and write down how many steps you do. Try to increase that per day as much as you can until you make it to 10,000.
  4. Are you a caffeine fanatic? For every cup of coffee, tea, soda (or any caffeinated beverage) you drink replace it with the same amount of water. You may find that drinking more may actually get you to drink less, partly because you'll feel you're constantly drinking which will be annoying and you'll be visitng the bathroom an awful lot!
  5. Every time you go grocery shopping buy two healthy snacks for every non-healthy snack. You'll start getting used to snacking on healthier foods and you will eventually cut down on your non-healthy favorite snacks.
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