Here are 5 ways to start 2023 strong!
1. Find a fitness routine you love - Instead of suffering on a treadmill you hate or crying through a tough boot camp, find something you truly love. Do you like dancing, running, skiing, rock climbing? Maybe you like to get out in nature and hike or cycle or maybe you want to live out your circus dreams doing aerial silks. Perhaps you want to access your inner chi and do yoga or martial arts. I truly believe there is a workout for everyone. Take some time to explore and find what is right for you.
2. Stock your pantry for success - Ever look in your pantry and find it's just not serving you? Make sure you have a variety of dried beans and whole grains, whole grain cereals and low sugar snacks like granola bars and protein bars, trail mix, nuts and nut butters. Make sure you have canned goods like beans, tomatoes and sauces to help boost flavor. Then, get to cooking some healthy meals!
3. Embrace winter fruits & veggies - This can be a tough time of year to get into produce, but there are some truly immune-boosting and healthy fruits and veggies out there. Try citrus fruit to help boost your immune system with vitamin C and leafy greens with iron, vitamin A, calcium and potassium.
4. Practice mindfulness - Inner strength comes from mental calm, which you can find by starting a mindfulness routine. Whether that's actually practicing meditation or finding mindfulness in everyday activities like eating, walking or even cleaning up the house.
5. Set goals that work for you - I don't love new year's resolutions. As a dietitian, every day is about health and wellness, and I don't like all or none approaches like cleanses or detoxes. Instead of deciding to lose a certain number of pounds or cutting out foods, figure out what you actually want this year, and go for it. Do you want to travel, feel better in your body, feel stronger in your body or run a half marathon? Those are all doable with specific steps. Try making a goal that speaks to you, and it will be a lot easier to achieve.
Jeani is a registered dietitian and owner of VeggieLush Nutrition where she helps people naturally balance hormones and take control of hormonal conditions like PCOS, endometriosis and infertility. More info at VeggieLush.com
5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Health
by Jeani Hunt, MS, RD, CD, VitaminLife's resident dietitian and owner of VeggieLush Nutrition.
Clean eating doesn't always sound fun or delicious, but there are ways to make it a pleasure rather than a pain! Check out some of my top ways to spring clean your diet:
1. Add in spring fruits and veggies - Radishes, leafy greens, apples, citrus and asparagus are all full of antioxidants and healthy fiber to help clean out your system!
2. Get your healthy fats - Sometimes folks forget about the power of fat. Healthy fats or unsaturated fats are important for everything from immunity to hair and skin health to hormone health. Enjoy generous amounts of olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado daily.
3. Up your fiber intake - the only truly "cleansing" food is fiber (don't let anyone sell you on juice cleanses- they don't work). Fiber is found in fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans and other legumes. If you need a little more help clearing things out, consider adding some psyllium husk to your daily routine.
4. Find the right probiotic - If you're having any gut issues, a good probiotic can be the perfect health booster. We're learning more and more how the gut is super important to our overall health, so make sure you have healthy flora!
5. Limit added sugar - while you'll probably go nuts if you totally cut out all added sugar, you'll likely feel a lot better if you limit it to about 25-35 g per day. Plus, you'll retrain your palate to enjoy less sweet stuff. Try replacing some added sugar with sugar from sweet fruit like bananas and dates to start.
Bonus: Add in some plant protein - we're learning more and more about how beneficial it can be to get some of our protein from plants! That doesn't mean you need to go fully plant-based. Instead, try starting out with a meatless Monday and prep some tofu, tempeh, seitan or beans for your protein. Then, add in other meals from there. It's great for the planet and your heart health!
