Start the New Year with a New You!

Each new year signals the start of something fresh and new. Maybe you have goals for a new career, relationship, better finances, and better health.

But where do you start? The beginning of all things start with a single thought. The changes you want to see in the new year start with you! That’s right! You alone have the power to create a new life for yourself.

The first step to your life goals, or resolutions, in the new year, is to leave behind old things: bad habits, negative thoughts, and unhealthy actions.

If your goal is to get healthy, you have to let go of those things that are unhealthy. Developing a healthy lifestyle is much easier than you think, but it starts with you. I’m here to tell you that you have the power to change.

Here are a few healthy tips for the new year:

• Acknowledge your bad habits and actions, then make small steps to change. “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step.” –Lao Tzu
  Many of us fail in our New Year’s resolutions because we try to accomplish too much at one time, while failing to recognize our weaknesses and limitations.
• Slowly add healthy foods to your diet; eat an apple instead of a candy bar, or snack on mixed nuts instead of a bag of chips. By slowly introducing healthy foods into your diet, you’re training your body to adjust.
• Eat smaller portions, but add more fruits and vegetables. The smaller portions will help in reducing your calorie intake.
• Try and observe “Meatless Mondays,” an international campaign that encourages people not to eat meat on Mondays, for better health. If you’ve been thinking of eliminating meat in your diet, Meatless Mondays is a small step in the right direction.
• Reduce or eliminate stress by avoiding activities, and yes, people, that bring you more harm than good.
• Practice positive thinking; things could always be worse.
• Work on self-development by learning something new; take a class in martial arts, dance, cooking, or some other cultural activity.
• Get your exercise on, for just 30 minutes a day, with an activity you enjoy. Having a healthy diet, with no exercise, is like building a house with no foundation. Exercise is important for a healthy body, soul, and mind.

So, start the New Year with a new you, and remember that life is better when you Eat and Live Healthy!

Happy New Year!