At a glance:
- 80% of New Year's Resolutions fail, which can take a toll on your self-confidence over the following twelve months.
- When you’re mindful of your body’s nutritional needs, your fullness, and what you’re putting into your body, you’re more likely to achieve balance mentally and physically.
- People who practice popular diets stop seeing weight loss improvements and cardiovascular benefits after one year, with the exception of those who practice the Mediterranean diet.
It’s that time again. The Earth made another revolution around the sun, and you’re suddenly expected to be a brand new you with lofty to-dos for a jam-packed year.
While it’s great to create goals for yourself at the start of the year, aiming the bar too high is a surefire way to set yourself up for failure. According to Forbes, approximately 80% of New Year's Resolutions fail, which can take a toll on your self-confidence over the following twelve months.
“Trying to take too big a step too fast can leave you frustrated, or affect other areas of your life to the point that your resolution takes over your life,” writes Jen A. Miller for The New York Times.
So instead of setting unrealistic goals you’ll throw out the window in February, why not use this new year to make promises to yourself you can actually keep?
Ready to make small actionable resolutions that will build your confidence while improving your day-to-day life? Here are five healthy and achievable resolutions recommended by our team of experts:
Swap out dieting for mindfulness
Instead of starting your year with a restrictive diet, bring a mindfulness approach to the way you eat.
You can apply the concept of mindfulness to dieting through intuitive eating. Remember that each meal is an opportunity to be mindful of what your body needs, but also to intentionally allow yourself to indulge on occasion. When you’re mindful of your body’s nutritional needs, your fullness, and what you’re putting into your body, you’re more likely to achieve balance mentally and physically.
Lisa Richards, Nutritionist, The Candida Diet
Carry a bottle of water wherever you go
This is one of the smallest yet beneficial practices you can incorporate into your wellness routine. We all know how important hydration is for overall wellness, but drinking water can be easy to forget and even ignore at times.
Remember: by the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Having bottled water with you wherever you go allows you to hydrate yourself before your thirst even shows up. This will keep your mind and body functioning at its best, while positively impacting your overall health.
Editor In Chief, Unbreak Yourself
Reduce toxins
In our everyday lives, we encounter so many chemicals and toxins, we forget to acknowledge how harmful they are for our bodies and minds.
These toxins show up in food, water, skincare, and cleaning products, which can wreak havoc on your body and your health, causing autoimmune disorders and chronic health conditions. This year, make a resolution to reduce harmful chemicals from your daily life by opting for organic and nontoxic products.
Jordan Trinagel, Occupational Therapist and Health Coach, Health Reconditioned
Adopt the Mediterranean Diet
This year, throw away the concept of restrictive dieting and opt for a more sustainable approach to staying healthy.
The Mediterranean Diet includes a wide variety of foods and is more sustainable than most fad diets. You can enjoy just about every food group with a large emphasis on plant-based foods, such as unrefined whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats from olive oil, red wine, and protein from local sources.
According to one study, people who practice popular diets stop seeing weight loss improvements and cardiovascular benefits after one year, with the exception of those who practice the Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet is high in fiber to regulate digestion and blood sugar levels, antioxidants to reduce inflammation and free radical damage, and healthy protein from both plant and animal foods. Sweets and red wine are allowed in moderation, and the Mediterranean diet encourages you to enjoy food with your family and loved ones, essentially helping you take a different approach to food, eating, and life.
Heather Hanks, MS CAM Nutritionist and Medical Advisor,
Medical Solutions BCN
Reduce meat intake, but the slow way
For those considering reducing animal products in their diet, it’s common to want to go cold turkey, but this can make the change less sustainable.
I recommend those considering a plant-based diet to wean themselves slowly from meat and other animal-based products. Start by trying a new vegan recipe weekly. This process allows you to discover new plant-based recipes and ingredients you may not have tried otherwise.
After a month or two of doing this you will have a large selection of recipes you enjoy. Having staples to turn to make it easier to prepare meals and stick to a new diet pattern.
Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, Balance One Supplements
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