Healthy Living
Top Five Tips For Keeping Healthy New Year’s Resolutions
Keeping Healthy New Year’s Resolutions
Most folks who celebrate the New Year on January 1 make some sort of resolutions and they know it’s tricky keeping healthy New Year’s resolutions. We may not formalize our goals, we may deny having them, but most of us feel a sense of completion at year end and a sense of possibility at the New Year. So, we’re inclined to want to make and keep healthy New Year’s resolutions. Kind of like do-overs. Whatever we didn’t accomplish, finish or even start last year has the possibility to come to fruition in this new year – or so we hope.
And for most of us, one resolution is to eat healthier food or get more exercise (or both). And while I don’t have any magic bullet to offer, I do have a few ideas that you might find useful as you launch your new year and your new and improved self. So, here are my top five ways to keep healthy New Year’s resolutions – let me know what works for you.
START SMALL
One thing I have learned over the years is that change doesn’t come easy and it usually doesn’t stick. The biggest reason for that is we tend to take on too many changes at once or take too big a step.
So, if you want to make a meaningful, permanent change in your life – like losing weight or sticking to an exercise program – start small. My suggestion is to make a list of what you want to accomplish – no more than three big things – and break each down into very small steps. Then, take Step 1 on your first item (or take Step 1 on your top three items if you dare).
MAKE ONE CHANGE STICK
Before you move on to Step 2 of your desired change, make sure that Step 1 change has stuck. Wait 60 days or 90 days. If you can make one meaningful change stick, chances are good you’ll be able to move on to Step 2, 3, 4 and make those stick. Take it slow. You’re better off skipping dessert 6 days a week (Step 1 goal) and keeping that habit for the next decade than you are to lose 10 lbs. in a month and put 20 lbs. back on over the course of the year.
EAT NON-GMO, ORGANIC FOOD
Organic food is, by definition, free from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Some non-GMO food is organic, some is not. So, if you want to be sure your food is non-GMO, choose organic. GMO foods have been linked to intestinal distress, irritable bowel syndrome and a lot of other unpleasant physical symptoms. If you avoid GMO foods and eat organic, not only will you avoid pesticides and chemicals in your foods, you’ll eat healthy foods that will support your health and wellness goals.
DRINK CLEAN WATER
Many people don’t drink enough water throughout the day, especially when it’s cold outside. If you drink caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, etc. then you should boost your water even more since caffeine is a diuretic and contributes to dehydration.
Drink plenty of clean, plain water throughout the day. It will improve your mental outlook, your skin tone, your energy level and your health. Wow, all that for clean water. Keep a diary, increase your water over time.
BE KIND
Finally, be kind to yourself as you make these changes. Change pulls you out of your comfort zone, out of your routine and your ruts. That’s often an uncomfortable place to be and it can be so subtle, we don’t realize we’re out of sorts because of these small disruptions in our routines. Be kind – to yourself and others. No matter what else you do, you’ll have a better outlook if you just remember kindness matters.
This year, resolve to make one healthy change stick.
What is your resolution? How are you going to make a change that stays with you through 2013 and beyond?
Finally, before we go, here are some links to help you rev up your healthy lifestyle this year – drop a comment if you have a favorite online resource you use for healthy living!
RESOURCES
Canyon Ranch Health
Shape Fit Fitness and Exercise Guide
Yoga Online
shopOrganic & shopGMOfree Healthy, Organic Products
shopOrganic online organic retailer relaunches shopOrganic & shopGMOFree
So, I’ve let this blog get a bit stale, we’ve been busy running our growing company, but I’m happy to announce we’re re-booting our blog and revamping our website this month in honor of the 3rd annual non-GMO month.
shopOrganic, the premier online retailer of organic foods and eco-friendly products, has just re-launched as shopOrganic & shopGMOfree.
Without mandatory labeling, it’s difficult for consumers to determine whether their favorite products are produced using GMO’s. As U.S. consumer concern over GMO’s reaches critical mass, interest in non-GMO shopping options is on the rise and shopOrganic & shopGMOFree have responded by offering the widest range of organic and non-GMO products available online today.
shopOrganic has responded to this need by ensuring that the thousands of organic foods and eco-friendly products offered on their site are GMO free. The newly redesigned site focuses on consumers searching for non-GMO foods and provides reassurance about the nature of the products they purchase. The timing of the re-launch coincides with both the celebration of the 3rd annual Non-GMO month and the upcoming California vote on the labeling of GMO products.
I was amazed to learn that recent studies show that over 90% of all Americans want to know if their food contains genetically modified organisms (GMO’s). I knew there was serious interest in this topic, but I didn’t realize so many Americans shared this concern about GMOs. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a plant or animal whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. And though the data is not definitive on the safety of consuming foods with GMOs, it seems reasonable to WANT know whether or not the food you’re eating contains GMOs. In the U.S. there are currently no restrictions on GMO’s, but in many other countries around the world, GMOs are banned. These countries include the entire European Union as well as China and Russia. Curious why the U.S. is so far behind this curve….
shopOrganic & shopGMOfree believes that everyone has a right to safe and healthy food and they make it easy for concerned consumers to shop without the worry that they’ll be feeding themselves and their families GMO foods.
October marks the 3rd annual Non-GMO Month. Started in order to raise awareness of GMO’s this month-long educational opportunity broadens the knowledge to a wider and wider population each year. The issue has created a groundswell of concern in California, where their population will soon vote on Proposition 37, a GMO labeling initiative. Whether or not that proposition passes, shopOrganic & shopGMOfree remains a trusted non-GMO shopping source.
shopOrganic.com was founded in 2008 to provide consumers with access to organic, non-GMO and eco-friendly products. The company is located in Tucson, Arizona and is privately held.
