Your Health Can’t Wait
The New Year means a few things: broken resolutions and over-crowded gyms. Despite the shortcomings, the New Year also symbolizes the human desire to be better than yesterday—to be persistent with one’s goals and honest with one’s abilities. It is important to remember that if our health objectives aren’t achieved within the few several weeks of 2015, we always have the opportunity to begin again. We do not need an entire calendar year, replete with mistakes and successes, to go by before we give ourselves the chances we deserve. After all, we are only human.
All too often, we set the bar well beyond our immediate grasp. We purchase expensive gym memberships and never establish personalized regimens, endure periods of starvation by participating in juice cleanse marathons, and fall back into bad habits. When we fail to meet our desires, disappointment sets in, negativity simmers, and the status quo wins out. Our goals will be realized when we create a strong and simple foundation. A modest start will establish consistency and create a rhythm we can maintain and adjust to suit our needs. Here are a few basic modifications we would all do well to incorporate:
Drink More Water
It’s typical for obsessions to be unhealthy, but our obsession and reliance on soft drinks to quench our thirst or accompany a meal is beyond harmful. We gain tremendous benefits from the small choices we make, opting for a glass of water over a glass of sugar among them. Water aids in digestion and helps our kidneys flush out toxins. Drinking water eliminates hundreds of calories from our diets, serving as a beacon for weight loss.
Eat More Produce
A colorful plate is good for more than mere presentation. Eating fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of developing certain cancers and heart-related diseases, and is a filing substitute for carbs that leave us hungry. Produce provides the opportunity to get create with meal-preparation—there is a seemingly infinite list of options, adding variety to oft-mundane diets.
Consume Less Sugar
America appears to be the sugar capital of the world. There are an abundance of alternatives to packaged and processed treats, and it is up to us to be mindful. Sugar lurks in all forms—ketchup, salad dressing, dairy products disguised as “good for you” daily essentials. Rather than consuming that entire Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar, opt for a packet of rich organic hot cocoa during these winter months.
It is up to us to be mindful of our nutrition. Our bodies will always serve as reminders of what we need to remain healthy and invigorated. Each day brings a new opportunity to fill our bodies with healthful choices—life is all about the decisions and sacrifices we make—and we need not wait until 2016 to live better and be better.
