Healthy New Year!
5 steps to getting back into your routine.
Which healthy habits went out your window over the holidays? Portion control? Enough sleep? Getting your steps? Eat the recommended serving of vegetables? It's easy to wake up in January and realize that your routine isn't quite a routine anymore. So how can you get back on track?
1. Give up the guilt. You may have eaten too much, took your measures too infrequently or chosen eggnog over the treadmill, but that's in the past. Be glad you enjoyed the holidays, then let it go and look forward.
2. Go to bed early. Give yourself the extra energy it often takes to get out of a slump.
3. Clear out the kitchen. It may feel wasteful, but those last few Christmas cookies or chocolate truffles need to hit the bin. Don't think. Just toss! When the temptation is gone, it can't call out to you. Replace them with simple, healthy foods that are easy to prepare. After all, if they're convenient, they're likely to look more appealing when you open the fridge door.
4. Make a point of drinking more water. Fill a large water bottle and challenge yourself to drink and refill it multiple times per day. Increasing your water intake can help fight hunger pangs, improve your energy and mood, and flush out other stuff you've been taking in.
5. Start slowly. Even if you've firmly resolved to exercise more in the New Year, don't try to shoot from 0 to 5 times a week overnight. Get outside and get moving, but don't burn yourself out before you've had a chance to get started.
The sudden shift from holiday glitter to sobriety can feel like a let-down. See if you can use this opportunity as a chance to come back to an even stronger, healthier routine than the one you had before.
Reference:
Healthline (2020). 7 science-based health benefits of drinking enough water. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-of-water. Accessed March 6 2021.
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