Ease into These 5 Healthy Resolutions in 2015

As we enter another calendar year, we have an opportunity to start fresh when it comes to our health.

Often we have good intentions with our New Years Resolutions but if our goals aren’t very realistic then they will be difficult to achieve and maintain.

Perhaps the most popular New Years Resolution these days is “to lose weight” but without a solid plan in place that addresses the reasons or bad habits for the weight gain in the first place, it’s likely that this resolution won’t be very successful in the long-term.

Another popular New Year’s resolution is “to be healthier” but this resolution is relatively vague. Lack of specificity when establishing your resolutions is another roadblock to success.

Start with Small Actions

In order to develop a new habit that will last in the long-term and ultimately lead to your larger goal of finally losing weight or being healthier, it’s important to start with small actions. Though the results may not be visible at first, repetition of these small actions causes an additive effect which eventually snowballs into more significant and longer-lasting actions. Here are five resolutions to consider which require small steps in order to achieve and sustain them.

1. Reduce financial stress.

With how easy it is to borrow money and spend more than we earn, it’s no wonder many of us are sitting under a huge pile of debt. Whether we realize it or not, this debt causes our stress levels to increase which is detrimental to our health. Debt-related stress is one of the most significant contributors to stress-related diseases in the United States.
First and foremost, it’s important to know what you’re spending and how it compares to your income. If your expenses exceed your income then start to identify and implement ways to reduce these expenses. Once you’ve cut back a bit, you can develop a realistic budget which includes a plan to save money and pay off your debts. Once you have this plan in place, do everything that you can to stick to it.

2. Balance your hormones.

Balanced hormones can do wonders for our physique, overall health and quality of life. Lifestyle, diet, age, genetics and exposure to environmental toxins can all play a role in disrupting the function of our endocrine system and the hormones it produces.

In order to balance your hormones, it’s helpful to first know which hormones are out of balance. Dr. Tony and his staff at My Vita Wellness Institute can help you determine which hormones are out of balance and help you come up with a step-by-step plan. This plan will help you narrow down and address the most significant factors that could be contributing to your hormonal imbalances.

Detoxification using a solid protocol such as the one the MyVita Diet provides, is an excellent way to eliminate toxins that have accumulated in the body. Since we are continuously exposed to environmental toxins through the air we breath, water we drink and food we eat, it’s important to do a cleanse every 6 months in order to help balance hormones and provide a long list of other health benefits.

3. Exercise more regularly.

If you’ve never exercised before or it’s been a while since you’ve laced up a pair of workout sneakers, then it’s not a very good idea to start exercising rigorously five days a week. This will most likely result in injury, overexertion or burn out. Start by doing a non-strenuous activity 5 – 10 minutes a day and then gradually increase the intensity of your workout and the duration.

If you do exercise every so often, but you can’t seem to get into a routine because you find exercise to be boring then mix it up. Try out a new activity that you’ve never done before or make it into a social activity by recruiting some friends to do it with you. Get into the habit of enjoying what you’re doing first and it will be much easier to make a sustainable routine out of it.

4. Focus on the quality of calories rather than quantity.

One of the biggest weight loss mistakes that people make is restricting themselves of calories. This might be an effective strategy in order to see the number on the scale decrease, but you’re depriving your body of essential nutrients that it needs to be healthy. It also triggers the body to enter “starvation mode” which not only causes a plateau in weight loss but also puts a lot of stress on the body. By focusing on eating foods that are high in nutrients such as vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats, you’re setting your body up for weight loss success because you’re giving your cells the nutrients and energy that they need in order to burn body fat most effectively.

5. Make more human connections.

Research suggests that an absence of a strong social connection to other human beings can be as detrimental to your health as smoking or overconsumption of alcohol. Humans are very social beings so establishing a connection with others not only causes humans to be healthier and less stressed, but also causes them to age slower and live longer. In a world where technology allows us to stay in touch with one another, this doesn’t allow for that personal face-to-face connection that is so good for our well-being.

In order to increase your level of human connection, start by replacing an email with a phone call, conference calls with an in-person meeting or head to the gym with a friend. Other good ways to establish human connection include: getting a massage, joining a club or group, disconnecting from all electronics during family meals, and going for a long walk with your partner.