You may have seen this slogan everywhere almost every January. It is true that we feel compelled to start fresh in the New Year. It is a chance to potentially break an old habit and start a new. The only problem is that we can’t keep up with this new “improved self.” Life get’s busy, too much stress, not enough time…I think that it is possible to make change in small increments and improve upon your successes. For instance, why not try one thing from no more then three categories (listed below). Once you have seen success, then try to add another.
Here are a few category suggestions (remember to choose one from three categories first):
Exercise
- Decide to Stretch daily for 10 min
- Decide to Walk 20 min daily
- Decide to start a core-strengthening program – 50 Ab Crunches for example
- Decide to hit the gym 3 days a week
- Decide to get outside and either ride your bike, go for a walk or run- 3 days week, 30 min a day
- Decide to swim laps 3 days a week for 20 min
- Decide to commit to an exercise class 3 days a week (ie, Zumba, KickBoxing, Cardio/Sculpt, Pilates, Yoga, Barre Amp)
Water
- Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day
- Drink Alkaline (pH of water when possible should be at least 8.0-9.0)
- Drink water from a glass whenever possible. Plastic leaches toxins into the water over time.
- Drink water with fresh lemon as a detoxifier and pH balancer. How can adding lemon to water make it more alkaline? Isn’t lemon acidic?
Though it seems counter-intuitive to think that adding an acidic lemon to your purified drinking water could ultimately produce an alkaline result, it’s important to remember that fresh lemons are also anionic. Once you drink the acidic lemon water, it will become alkaline as your body reacts with the lemons’ anions during the digestive process. Use fresh lemons that haven’t been exposed to air for more than 30 minutes — not lemon juice purchased at the store or lemons that have been cut up and sitting out in the open at a restaurant all day. You can also use high quality Essential Oils from doTerra (ask me how) instead of fresh lemon. Essential oil is highly concentrated and pure.
Drink water with Lemon, Grapefruit, Orange or Lime Essential Oil. For detoxifying properties, increased energy and variety of flavor.
Food
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Eliminate the dangerous Top 5 additives
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High Fructose Corn Syrup
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MSG (Monosodium glutamate)
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Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, Sucralose)
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Artificial Coloring (Blue, Yellow, Red dyes)
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Sodium Benzoate (preservative)
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Eliminate processed/packaged foods. Eat as much REAL food as possible. Dieting is a bad word. Eating REAL foods and moderation is key.
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Commit to smaller portions and definitely don’t take seconds.
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Eat smaller more frequent healthy meals, rather then starve yourself for three large.
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Don’t eat meals past 7:00pm. Drink more water and snack on a light protein if necessary.
Lifestyle Change
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Start your day off with a Bible study or meditate. Fill your mind with healthy thoughts. Add value to your life and don’t start your day by watching “The News”
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Start your day with an exercise program- 20 min concentrated workout. Do something to get your metabolism moving by “MOVING”
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Get off the phone! Reduce your “cell, iPad, internet time” We are consumed with always being “online.” We need instant information and instant gratification. All of this “instant stimulus” is stressing us out.
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Do Deep-Breathing Exercises- Breathe in deeply for 10 counts, hold your breath for 10 counts and then exhale for 10 counts. This might seem difficult at first because we have all become “shallow” breathers. Keep practicing, don’t be discouraged and don’t be alarmed if you feel light-headed. This light-headed/dizzy feeling is just an increase in oxygen to the brain. This feeling will subside.
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Sit and be Still. We just don’t do that anymore. Give yourself a 10 minute Sanity break? Sit in a quiet place for 10 min and just rest. Look at the birds, squirrels, butterflies or clouds. Do some deep breathing and even say a prayer. It might be difficult at first, but soon you will look forward to it.