Kick Starting A Year Of Healthy Habits

There is nothing quite like wrapping up the holiday season of busy social schedules, big feasts and packing memories into each hour of the day.

The slow down of the new year is a wonderful invitation to examine our habits and behavior patterns and set out a plan for what the next twelve months will hold.

Here are FIVE very simple things that you can do daily to set yourself up for a balanced and healthy 2017!

DRINK WATER!

This is such a basic place to start but we all need the extra nudge to make sure we are properly hydrating our bodies. We can do everything else perfectly to improve our health, but if we miss the simple habit of drinking water, a dehydrated body will always cause issues.

Start with carrying around a water bottle. When you have it handy, it's easier to remember, and there are times when you can think that you are hungry when in fact you are thirsty. Keeping up on your water intake helps your body properly communicate with you when it's hungry, not just craving water.

GET MOVING!

How many of us get caught up in emails and screen work and forget to pause and get some blood flowing. Walking is a great place to begin if you have been inactive for a long period of time. Moving improves mental health, can stimulate the lymphatic to properly dispose of toxins in our bodies, and it reduces muscular degeneration as we age.

Join a gym, find a walking buddy, add a community app to your phone, there are many outside motivators to inspire exercise and wellness.

REST!

But our schedules are just so packed! There is too much to do! And then how many of us have our bodies inform us that rest is no longer optional when we are down with colds and flu? Rest is as important as exercise and water. It gives our bodies the chance to rejuvenate, our mind the time to be still, and it is under appreciated in our busy work lives.

Rest can look like a nap on the couch, it can look like reading a good book curled up on a porch, or it can be a leisurely activity that you love. Add rest into your schedule as a priority and see the benefit it can bring to creating a balanced day.

BREATHE DEEPLY!

Breathing is free. Breathing deeply is also free. When we breathe with intention, fully expanding and contracting our lungs we cause our brains to settle, our bodies to release toxicity, we soothe nerves and oxygenate our blood. Breathing patterns can trigger calm or anxiety. Rapid breathing is necessary with vigorous exercise, but if you are like me, stress can cause me to breathe in that way, without any movement.

Breathing deeply in stressful moments, in meditation and even prior to falling asleep, works our lungs to train them to remain strong, it tells our bodies that we are able to rest and it can aid in focus and concentration. Pause for a minute and appreciate the expanse of your lungs, and the ability to enjoy breath.

EAT VEGETABLES!

In a world of fast food and fast eating we can often grab poor choices of nutrition. It is not optional for everyone to make meals from scratch, or purchase perfect foods, but ensuring that you make a daily goal of adding in vegetables to your diet will help you both nutritionally as well as creating a positive healthy food habit. The more regularly you have vegetables, the more likely you are to grab them over an unhealthy food choice.

Evergreen Wheatgrass Shots in your freezer is simple way to get vegetables on the go with little to no prep time needed!

Have a healthy, happy and fulfilled year! We wish you all the best and look forward to sharing more in 2017!

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