How many times have you heard or said, “My diet starts tomorrow!” or, “I’m going to work out 90 minutes a day from now on!”? I know I’ve said that kind of thing so many times over the years, but guess what? It rarely sticks! The new diet or habit might last a day or a week, but then the old habits and cravings kick in.
I’ve learned the hard way that it’s easier to start small. Add in one little habit at a time – no matter how insignificant it may seem – and after a while another, and then another, and your wellness will slowly start to transform. When I changed my mindset and started doing this, I was impatient with it at first, because it’s a slow transformation, but then I realized, “If I had started this a long time ago instead of ‘dieting’ and whatnot, I would have made more progress than I ever have at this point.”
Here are a few ideas to start on:
10,000 steps per day. This is a goal that encourages you to get up and get moving throughout the day. My most common ways of reaching this goal are cleaning the house and playing with my 2-year-old. (Seriously, her favorite thing ever is running… anytime I just let her loose in a big empty field and join her, she just has the time of her life!)
Make sure you’re hydrated. A good rule of thumb for how much water to drink is to divide your body weight by 2, and that’s how many ounces of water to drink per day. (So if you weigh 150 lbs, you would drink around 75 oz water.) Note that this number is a suggestion; you may need more or less. Listen to your body; if your mouth is dry and your lips are chapped and your urine is a darkish yellow, you’re probably dehydrated. Also know that it’s possible to over-hydrate; if you drink too many fluids, you’ll flush important electrolytes right out of your system. Electrolytes are important for keeping you hydrated, and if you feel the need, you can find a good quality brand to add to your water occasionally. Finally, remember that some of your water intake comes from fresh produce, which also provides nutrients. Dr. Will Cole said that it’s more hydrating to drink a glass of water and eat an apple than to just drink 2 glasses of water.
Add in one healthy food at a time. One week I bought a bag of baby spinach and set a goal to eat it all within the week. That may sound simple or even dumb, but I did it, and it was the most nutrition-packed food I probably ate all week, and I felt great by that Friday. (Like millions of others, our busy family tends to lean on easy, convenient foods, which help us save time, but which provides little to no nutrition.) I added the spinach to my Fab-Four Smoothies, made delicious salads, and put it in omelets. When you add in one healthy food at a time, it’s less overwhelming (unlike trying to adopt a whole food lifestyle all at once: “From now on, I only eat vegan!”), and it’s easier to make it a habit. Ever since I had that spinach goal, I’ve continued to buy and use it, and I’ve used the same method to add it other foods.
Get enough sleep. Adequate, quality sleep allows you to wake up refreshed and re-energized, but it also gives your body to recover and heal itself from the day before. Sleep also affects your digestive system; it takes a lot of energy to digest food, so that 8-12 hour window overnight where you don’t eat allows for a rest. Also, just one night of poor sleep can cause you to crave junk food (empty calories), a source of quick energy to make up for your lack of energy.
Get some Vitamin D. Our bodies produce Vitamin D when our skin is exposed to the sun. This nutrient is well-known for its effect on mood/brain health, but it also supports our bones, teeth, and immune system. So it’s important to get some sunshine everyday to get enough Vitamin D, but only about 5-10 minutes so you don’t burn your skin and increase your chance of skin cancer. (I actually use an app called “dminder” that helps me track how much Vitamin D I get, based on the weather, what I’m wearing, and the time of year.)
Again, these may seem kind of simple, but you never know how good they can make you feel… if you start being more active and reaching your step count, you may be surprised how much more energized you feel or how much better you sleep. Getting enough sleep affects not only your energy but also your mood and your hunger hormones and more. Small changes can lead to big results!
PS, if you’re interested in learning more about habits, a great resource is James Clear’s “Atomic Habits”.
What are some other ideas you have for adding in healthy habits?
Please note: I am not a medical practitioner; my thoughts are based on my own experience and research in supporting my own health journey. Please see your doctor about any questions you have or decisions you want to make about your health.
The Vibrant Life 