Top 5 New Years Intention Supports ...
We are heading into the fall off zone of New Years resolutions... statistics show that of the 35% of Canadians who indicated they were going to improve their overall fitness and nutrition; 60 % wont make it out of January!
In large part I believe this is because 1. people sign themselves up to change and restrict too much all at once and 2. people generally have an inflated and outdated view of what healthy really is! Forget what everyone on Instagram is doing (or pretending to do for sponsorship dollars); put your faith in your ability to change; and narrow your focus to what you want for yourself, not what you think you need to be doing based on social media and society at large!
First off diets, restrictions and short term changes are not the answer; shift your focus to long term and make realistic changes! When you rip through the kitchen getting rid of everything that you deem 'unhealthy' be sure and go back to patch up the holes ... with healthy alternatives! You can not stay afloat in a boat full of holes!
It hard not to get overwhelmed in those first few weeks; we are coming off the stress and joy of the holiday season, finances are almost as tight as our fat pants; and every detox, cleanse, shake, magic pill, workout plan, and money back guarantee known to the internet is bombarding you with what you need to do to lose weight, be active, find happiness and be your best self in the coming year!
The concept of health has gone through some serious upgrades in the passed couple of years and although there is clickbait advertising out the kazoo all over internet, that if followed could drive a person insane; the reality is the new healthy lifestyle is really quite simple... and here are my top 5 things to help you navigate and stick with your New Years intentions for better nutrition and fitness!
1. Understand that you are working long term, forget the fads and stop 'dieting'; cleanses and detoxes aren't necessary if you're eating a healthy diet! Add more veggies to your diet, recommended 6+ servings a day is what you're aiming for - start where you are and add one, next week try two, keep building on that! Healthy fats are where it's at and you should add some of those too; avocados, salmon, nuts and seeds to get started! Protein at every meal is a totally doable and a great benefit to your overall wellness - but don't go crazy with shakes and powders; dig into some beans, lentils, nuts and seeds (add those and you're hitting two necessities in one punch!) protein doesn't have to be an animal product get creative!
2. You're sweet enough I promise! Sugar is not your wellness friend; recommended amounts are 6-9 teaspoons a day, but the average person in North America is consuming 19.5% uh ya not exactly an environment for weight loss! Get curious about how much of the added white stuff you are actually consuming and start looking for ways to reduce or eliminate! The more processed your food choices are, the greater the chances that you are consuming too much sugar! Opt for natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey; avoid artificial sweeteners - always! Once you have cleansed your palate of the sweet needs you will begin to really appreciate other flavours and a little sweetness in your day will be a treat rather than a craving fix!
3. Nutritional labels are a great place to start getting familiar with your food choices; but they are also easily manipulated, difficult to understand and aren't always fully transparent. If you really want to know what you are eating head into the Ingredients list! Your first clue to questioning nutritional value is the number of ingredients listed, the more ingredients the greater your consumption of added sugars and preservatives! I have a personal boundary on process foods, no more than 8 ingredients and I have to know what they are... that narrowed the options down tremendously! The more we know the better choices we can make - get informed!
4. More and more research has become available regarding the microbiome in our guts! The balance of good and bad bacteria and how it all affects our overall wellness! A diet high in process and sugar is going to affect that balance in a negative way supporting an over abundance of bad bacteria; eating a whole food diet, rich in fibre with plenty of nuts, beans, seeds and vegetables will help to support a thriving good bacteria balance in your gut! Beyond getting rid of symptoms like gas, bloating, cramping and diarrhea it is important to note that 70-80% of your immune system is in your gut! In addition to eating better I also try to add fermented foods to my diet, kefir and yogurt (be sure your yogurt has active cultures and not added sugar!) are great and I also take a high quality probiotic!
5. Movement! You don't have to go crazy and hit cross fit classes three times a week; unless you want to, then by all means - knock yourself out! The reality is a simple structured workout plan everyday, 15-30 minutes with elevated heart rate and added weights or body weight exercises will go a long way to helping you maintain pain free mobility, healthy bone density, range of motion, and yes it will support healthy weight loss as well! The key here is to start where you are; respect your body and it's capabilities when starting out! Too much, too fast is going to lead to a lot of soreness which isn't a big inspiration to get back to workouts; not to mention the risk of injury that could potentially sideline you from workouts, or worse inhibit your quality of life in other areas! Never underestimate the benefits of a brisk walk, a minute of plank, or 20 mountain climbers!
Ok so how does all of that translate into a plan?
Day 1
- eat an extra serving of veggies and eliminate one sugar snack
- fermented food options or probiotic
-hold plank for 1 minute
-go through the pantry and assess a few of your 'usual' products and make a note of ones you need to source better alternatives for on your next grocery run
Suddenly working towards being well is a pretty simple to do list ... repeat daily and keep adding to support your progress!
Your greatest overall results on the path to wellness are going to come through changing the little things you do everyday! You don't need a complete overhaul; and if you do, this is a far more effective way to make it happen! Figure out what you are doing everyday and adjust accordingly!
Let's make 2018 the year you get clear on what your lifestyle needs to better support your overall health; let's focus on what we are adding rather than what we are giving up; let's change the 'quick fix' mindset and settle into the long haul with heaping helpings of self love and patience ... all good things in their own time! You got this!
In large part I believe this is because 1. people sign themselves up to change and restrict too much all at once and 2. people generally have an inflated and outdated view of what healthy really is! Forget what everyone on Instagram is doing (or pretending to do for sponsorship dollars); put your faith in your ability to change; and narrow your focus to what you want for yourself, not what you think you need to be doing based on social media and society at large!
First off diets, restrictions and short term changes are not the answer; shift your focus to long term and make realistic changes! When you rip through the kitchen getting rid of everything that you deem 'unhealthy' be sure and go back to patch up the holes ... with healthy alternatives! You can not stay afloat in a boat full of holes!
It hard not to get overwhelmed in those first few weeks; we are coming off the stress and joy of the holiday season, finances are almost as tight as our fat pants; and every detox, cleanse, shake, magic pill, workout plan, and money back guarantee known to the internet is bombarding you with what you need to do to lose weight, be active, find happiness and be your best self in the coming year!
The concept of health has gone through some serious upgrades in the passed couple of years and although there is clickbait advertising out the kazoo all over internet, that if followed could drive a person insane; the reality is the new healthy lifestyle is really quite simple... and here are my top 5 things to help you navigate and stick with your New Years intentions for better nutrition and fitness!
1. Understand that you are working long term, forget the fads and stop 'dieting'; cleanses and detoxes aren't necessary if you're eating a healthy diet! Add more veggies to your diet, recommended 6+ servings a day is what you're aiming for - start where you are and add one, next week try two, keep building on that! Healthy fats are where it's at and you should add some of those too; avocados, salmon, nuts and seeds to get started! Protein at every meal is a totally doable and a great benefit to your overall wellness - but don't go crazy with shakes and powders; dig into some beans, lentils, nuts and seeds (add those and you're hitting two necessities in one punch!) protein doesn't have to be an animal product get creative!
2. You're sweet enough I promise! Sugar is not your wellness friend; recommended amounts are 6-9 teaspoons a day, but the average person in North America is consuming 19.5% uh ya not exactly an environment for weight loss! Get curious about how much of the added white stuff you are actually consuming and start looking for ways to reduce or eliminate! The more processed your food choices are, the greater the chances that you are consuming too much sugar! Opt for natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey; avoid artificial sweeteners - always! Once you have cleansed your palate of the sweet needs you will begin to really appreciate other flavours and a little sweetness in your day will be a treat rather than a craving fix!
3. Nutritional labels are a great place to start getting familiar with your food choices; but they are also easily manipulated, difficult to understand and aren't always fully transparent. If you really want to know what you are eating head into the Ingredients list! Your first clue to questioning nutritional value is the number of ingredients listed, the more ingredients the greater your consumption of added sugars and preservatives! I have a personal boundary on process foods, no more than 8 ingredients and I have to know what they are... that narrowed the options down tremendously! The more we know the better choices we can make - get informed!
4. More and more research has become available regarding the microbiome in our guts! The balance of good and bad bacteria and how it all affects our overall wellness! A diet high in process and sugar is going to affect that balance in a negative way supporting an over abundance of bad bacteria; eating a whole food diet, rich in fibre with plenty of nuts, beans, seeds and vegetables will help to support a thriving good bacteria balance in your gut! Beyond getting rid of symptoms like gas, bloating, cramping and diarrhea it is important to note that 70-80% of your immune system is in your gut! In addition to eating better I also try to add fermented foods to my diet, kefir and yogurt (be sure your yogurt has active cultures and not added sugar!) are great and I also take a high quality probiotic!
5. Movement! You don't have to go crazy and hit cross fit classes three times a week; unless you want to, then by all means - knock yourself out! The reality is a simple structured workout plan everyday, 15-30 minutes with elevated heart rate and added weights or body weight exercises will go a long way to helping you maintain pain free mobility, healthy bone density, range of motion, and yes it will support healthy weight loss as well! The key here is to start where you are; respect your body and it's capabilities when starting out! Too much, too fast is going to lead to a lot of soreness which isn't a big inspiration to get back to workouts; not to mention the risk of injury that could potentially sideline you from workouts, or worse inhibit your quality of life in other areas! Never underestimate the benefits of a brisk walk, a minute of plank, or 20 mountain climbers!
Ok so how does all of that translate into a plan?
Day 1
- eat an extra serving of veggies and eliminate one sugar snack
- fermented food options or probiotic
-hold plank for 1 minute
-go through the pantry and assess a few of your 'usual' products and make a note of ones you need to source better alternatives for on your next grocery run
Suddenly working towards being well is a pretty simple to do list ... repeat daily and keep adding to support your progress!
Your greatest overall results on the path to wellness are going to come through changing the little things you do everyday! You don't need a complete overhaul; and if you do, this is a far more effective way to make it happen! Figure out what you are doing everyday and adjust accordingly!
Let's make 2018 the year you get clear on what your lifestyle needs to better support your overall health; let's focus on what we are adding rather than what we are giving up; let's change the 'quick fix' mindset and settle into the long haul with heaping helpings of self love and patience ... all good things in their own time! You got this!
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