It’s the time of the year when the planners are out and people are itching to start the New Year on a happy and positive note. Amidst all the awareness on adopting a healthy lifestyle, most resolutions, are thankfully centred around good-health. But within a week or maximum a month, the resolutions slowly fade away, leaving us fuming and searching for an excuse. Sounds familiar?
The key to making sure that doesn’t happen is to plan resolutions that are not just healthy, but practical and realistic too. And to work on the specifics instead of a broad generic topic- like claiming “I am going to remain healthy this year!”
We list 10 possible healthy resolutions that you must make this year to ensure 2020 serves as the perfect year for you and your family! All set?
1.Watch those labels:
It is easier to shop for stuff, and half the time we don’t even check the price or the ingredient list before tossing one to the cart. But the next time you pick an OTC health or food product make sure you enlighten yourself with the ingredients list. Read the finer print and decide if there is any ingredient you aren’t comfortable including. In essence- pause before you add to cart.
2. Go local, go seasonal:
Swearing by International labels when buying health and foodstuff? Great. But how about going local and purchasing the produce that your region is actually famous for? Nutritionists swear by the benefits of eating seasonal produce- that helps fight infections and prepares your body better. There is a reason why traditional food wisdom works, don’t you agree?
3. Don’t lose sleep over anything!
This one is a no-brainer. The lack of good quality sleep is known to affect your metabolism and your brain and body’s functioning. So why not go the time-tested way and set a regular pattern that the body clock can get adjusted to. Suit a time table that you are comfortable with and remember to stick to it. Once you fall into a pattern, you will soon be able to wake up even without the help of an alarm clock or the dreaded smartphone.
4. Screen-time: Bye-bye!
Experts have often weighed in on the perils of screen time addiction and how it affects one’s mental and physical well-being. Social media detox seems to be the norm of the day. Give it a try- but don’t go too hard on yourself! Limit the usage of the phone during meal times and before bedtime.
5. Say hello to home-cooked meals:
We all need the occasional break from the mundane daily chores and we prefer to eat outside at our favourite cafes and restaurants. That’s fine as long as it is occasional. Try to focus more on healthy home-cooked meals where you know the level of hygiene involved and the quality of ingredients used in the preparation. Focus on wholesome foods and cut back on the junk foods that do no more than any harm to the body.
6. Try Niksen:
This year, try the Dutch concept of Niken- which translates to “doing nothing”. Spend some time every day learning to sit alone in peace, doing, well literally, nothing! Helps the body and mind focus and calm down from the day-to-day stress and instead helps you realise your priorities and function better.
7. Cut down on the whites:
Nutritionists recommend we eliminate the ‘whites’ from our lives and make healthy swaps instead. Cut down on your daily intake of sugar, salt, white rice, white bread, etc. Go in for whole foods and opt for the healthy alternatives such as jaggery, brown rice, brown bread, etc.
8. Meditation- the go-to mantra:
Experts can’t insist enough on the benefits of meditation on the mind and body. Known to work wonders with people with anxiety or depression, meditation sets the tone for the day to begin on aa promising and positive note.
9. Dieting? Not really!
Dieting has become a fad and with the number of different types of diet that are getting popular each year, like Keto, Vegan, Flexitarian, etc, people often jump ship from one to another. And that might do more harm to your body than before. Consult a certified dietician before you adapt to a different and new lifestyle and learn how to stick to it.
10. Focus on mental health:
With a recent study suggesting how 1 in 7 Indians are suffering from mental health issues, it becomes inevitable to turn our focus towards mental health and the associated illness. It’s time to break the social taboo and come out of archaic notions that suprpess one’s mental well-being. Make sure you do enough to promote and take care of your mental health, the same way you will do to your physical health, this New Year.