6 Easy New Year’s Resolutions Everyone Should Make

Happy New Year! It’s that time again, yup, time to recommit to your health. We all do it every January but do we follow through? Sadly not. So, instead of setting yourself up for fail with unrealistic goals, here are 6 simple resolutions that will improve your wellbeing and are easy enough to stick to for the long term.

1. Meal prep once a week. To eat well you really do need to plan ahead. So do your version of that, whether it’s writing a list of what you intend to eat, stocking the freezer full of healthy gourmet meals to fall back on, or actually doing some cooking and putting it aside.  Getting into a food routine not only ensures you stay on track with healthy eating but it also saves a lot of wastage and money. Our weekly meal packs or just a selection of individual meals are a good place to start if planning and cooking are too much for you but you still want to eat a healthy diet or lose weight. With our meals, even the most disorganised person can have dinner on the table in 12 minutes!

2. Schedule your workouts. Whether it’s just a walk or 15 minutes of home yoga, putting your exercise into your diary means greater commitment and less chance you’ll use the excuse that you’re too busy.

3. Up your vege intake.  Experts recommend 5-6 serves of vegetables a day but most of us fall far short of this.  Challenge yourself to get more vegetables on your plate, starting each day with breakfast and then following on at each meal and snack. Maybe swap out a meat meal once or twice a week for a vegetarian option?  We have plenty to choose from including our three newest to the menu, Spicy Meatless Meatballs with Quinoa + Ratatouille, Mexican Jumping Beans with Couscous and Vegetarian Bolognaise.  Eating more veges will radically boost your intake of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fibre, all of which are critical for optimal health and decreasing disease risk.  You will notice the difference in how you feel and your skin will look more radiant too.

4. De-stress more. Find something that helps you reduce your stress levels and make it part of your new routine.  Deep breathing morning and night, walking the dog, getting into nature more often, or a drive by the beach are some examples.

5. Prioritise sleep. Most Aussie’s aren’t getting enough and it’s affecting our performance, our physical health and our mental health.  We would be healthier as a nation if we made sleep a more pressing concern.  If you’re getting to bed too late, try scheduling your bedtime for 15 minutes earlier than usual, so it’s not a dramatic change (then make further gradual changes over a few weeks).  Other key tips to successful sleep are to darken your room, drop the temperature, and try to keep bedtime and wake up time consistent throughout the week.

6. Try eating mindfully.  Most of us rush our meals and are distracted with gadgets or television.  Take the time to enjoy each bite (pausing between) and really taste the food.  Mindful eaters stop eating when they feel full and tend not to overeat.

Good luck incorporating these simple yet effective health resolutions into your new daily routine for 2021.  And please, let us know how you go!