Ten Tips for a Healthy New Year
Hi! I’m excited to be beginning a conversation
about creating healthy habits and especially healthy eating habits.
I plan to share a variety of nutrition tips and reflections. Every
day we make many decisions that affect our health. My goal is to
crank up the awareness level, so that you become more conscious
of the choices you make and how they make you feel.
I’m thrilled that nutrition is in the news so
much: there is fascinating research going on! We are learning that
what and how we eat matters even more than we thought. Yet the resulting
information can be confusing or contradictory. There are many ideas
and many approaches available. I’ll be offering information
and insights to help you discover what works best for you.
As we start a New Year, it is a natural time to think
about goals or intentions for the coming year. How is your health?
Do you make healthy choices most of the time? If you would like
to lose weight, increase your exercise, eat better or make any other
health improvements, here are some strategies for success:
- Make the goal come to life. Doing
something because we should is not very compelling. Why is it
important? Find the perspective that is juicy and that makes you
eager to get going.
- Start with a few specific action steps.
A long list is overwhelming: what 1-3 things could you do this
week?
- Make the steps small and incremental.
If your goal is to walk 30 minutes a day, and you are starting
from zero, begin with just 10 or 15 minutes a day. Make it so
easy that you can’t not do it. Take the barriers away. Once
that becomes a habit you can bump up the time.
- Celebrate progress. You only
walked three times? It may not be your target but it’s a
50% improvement; celebrate that! All movement towards your goal
is good.
- Become mindful. As you practice
new habits, how do you feel? Do some foods make you feel better
than others? Instead of berating yourself when you “blow
it”, just notice how that feels. Notice the contrasts. Tuning
in to how your new habits feel keeps you motivated.
- Substitute. It is much harder
to eliminate something than to replace it. If you are a stress
eater, don’t expect to just stop. Eating serves a purpose.
Tuning in to the real value of the old habit allows you to find
a non-food alternative that is even better.
- Stay focused. Track your actions,
report at weekly coaching sessions, journal: find a way to stay
tuned in to your progress. You know it’s become a habit
when it is just what you do.
- Be flexible. Some of our action
steps work and some don’t, be willing to adjust as needed.
The same could be true for the goal itself. We expect a lot from
ourselves, especially with weight and exercise goals. If you started
with the same targets you had 20 years ago, they may need updating.
Start from where you are now and allow it to unfold. Trust the
process.
- Find nourishment. We nourish
ourselves in many ways – food is only one of them. When
you set the intention to be nourished, you’ll let even more
of it in. As you expand what nourishes you, some of the old food
choices become less important.
- Have fun! If your new habits
don’t make you feel better or add to your life in some way,
then reevaluate. Enjoy the journey.
Kathy Nichols is the Healthy Habits Coach. Kathy
blends her background as a registered dietitian with life coaching
to help you create healthy and sustainable habits. Contact Kathy
at 707 431-7524, Kathy@HealthyHabitsCoach.com
or www.HealthyHabitsCoach.com.
Blog: www.HealthyHabitsCoach.wordpress.com
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