5 Healthy Tips to Kickoff 2018
Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s 2018? It’s so true that the older you get, the quicker the years pass by. And 2017 was no exception.
For many, last year felt difficult and sad. For me personally, it was a great year full of changes and growth. Don’t get me wrong, I had a some serious challenges. But I also learned a lot about myself – most of all, I learned how resilient I truly am. Starting a business is hard work and while I’m certainly no expert, this year taught me a lot. I’m hoping to grow even more this year! Both professionally and personally.
Here’s the thing about the new year, I don’t like setting resolutions. I don’t hold myself accountable enough and I almost always “fail.” So instead, I focus on goals and intentions.
I’m still working on my list of goals and intentions for 2018, but in the meantime, I wanted to share my top 5 tips to kickoff a healthier 2018. I actually posted these last year on my old website, but I think they’re so important for those who are looking to make small changes in regards to their health. Starting small is the best way to ensure success in the long run.
Without further ado, my top 5 tips to kickoff a healthier 2018:
1. Drink More Water
This sounds like a no duh, but you’d be surprised how many people forget that they should be drinking about half their weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water per day. Drinking water can also help combat excessive eating and can ensure that all the pipes are running smoothly. Not to mention what drinking water can do for your skin. Hydrated skin is beautiful skin.
2. Drink Your Greens
Getting the right amount of vegetables daily can be tough. A lot of people mistakenly increase their intake of fruits instead of their intake of vegetables in order to jumpstart “getting healthy.” Doing so can be a big mistake. You see fruits have a lot of sugar, which can wreak havoc on your liver and cause your body to go into shut down mode. Try incorporating greens in your morning smoothies. They can still have fruit, but aim to have more vegetables than anything. To make it more filling, try adding things like organic flax seeds and/or chia seeds. A note on flax seeds, make sure you get the ground ones (or do it yourself.) The ground flax seeds get absorbed by your body. Whole ones pass right through you :).
3. Cut Down on Gluten, Dairy and Soy
These three items can be damaging your digestive system and you might not even notice it. Additionally, most gluten and soy products found in the US are genetically modified, triggering your body to go into freak out mode not knowing what to do with such a foreign object. Now you don’t have to go 100% gluten and dairy free, but try eating less of them. Most processed foods have soy in them and you probably didn’t even notice. Next time you pick up your favorite packaged product, check the ingredients. Soy lecithin is likely listed. Again, soy products are one of the top two most genetically modified foods in the US. So do yourself a favor and cut back on it.
4. Get Out and Move 30 Minutes Per Day
Not a fan of working out? That’s okay! But if you got out for some type of movement for at least 30 minutes a day your body will thank you. Try walking, or doing a short yoga class. Maybe you need to walk the dog or walk the mile down to the market instead of driving. Whatever it is, getting out and moving for 30 minutes per day will get the blood pumping and you’ll start noticing a difference in how you feel. It might not be weight loss immediately, but maybe you’ll start noticing clearer skin, more regular bowel movements or stronger nails and hair.
5. Try Easy Detox Tools
Have you heard of dry brushing? It’s a loofa type tool that you brush over your dry skin in circular motions before hopping in the shower. Not only does it feel amazing, it wakes you up and also is a huge boost to your lymphatic system. It can help your body gently detox without any gross side effects and before you know it, you’ll get hooked on how good it makes you feel. What about tongue scraping? By simply scraping your tongue morning and night, you get rid of all the nasty toxins that like to pitch a tent on your tongue. These two small activities are not only simple, but the tools are inexpensive. And once you build them both into your routine, they become second nature.
I’m kicking off my winter cleanse program (a guided 7 day program to kickstart a healthier lifestyle) on January 22nd. If you want to learn more, check it out here.
Have anything to add? I’m all ears! Whatever goals and intentions you set this year, I wish you nothing but peace, joy, health, and love in 2018.
xo,
Katelyn
