Healthy Habits for the New Year: Solutions for a Strong Start
- Mainline Pharmacy
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The New Year is here! This season, many love to make resolutions and set big goals for themselves to start the year off on the right foot. While New Year’s resolutions are exciting, setting expectations or goals too high can often lead to low motivation or resolutions that slowly disappear over time. Creating sustainable healthy habits will benefit your health and wellness in the long-term, rather than relying on temporary fixes. With the right planning and tips to succeed, you can conquer your health goals and slowly develop healthy habits this year.
Healthy Eating
One of the easiest ways to benefit your health is incorporating nutrient-rich foods into your diet. Eating healthy does not always mean starting strict fad diets, but slowly incorporating healthier options into your meals to create new healthy eating habits. Here are the food groups that are essential to a balanced diet and a few tips for slowly incorporating them into your day:
Fruit: Try to incorporate a variety of fruits like mango, pineapples, or kiwis for vitamins and nutrients.
Vegetables: Adding grilled or steamed vegetables to your plate will add color to your plate and provide a boost of quick nutrients.
Calcium-rich foods: Fat-free and low-fat milk are great options, as well as canned salmon and sardines are good sources of calcium.
Meats: If a recipe calls for frying meats, try baking or grilling for a healthier version. Dry beans can also be an occasional substitute.
Comfort Foods: Enjoying your favorite foods is important. Comfort foods in moderation are great if you remember to eat them less often, in smaller amounts, and trying lower calorie versions of them. ¹
A great way to stick to a balanced diet is meal prepping or planning out your meals in advance. Try prepping a grocery list for meals that incorporates all food groups, and stick to that list for the week. Making healthy swaps can also make a difference. Here are some food substitutions ideas that can be healthier for you:
Opt for low-fat cheese options
Reach for whole fruits without added sugars instead of high calorie desserts
Swap out high-fat ground beef or lower fat options or ground turkey
Try fresh or frozen vegetables without added cream, butter, salt, or cheese ²
Physical Activity
Getting regular physical activity in your day is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Regular exercise can help improve sleep, lower your risk of some diseases, reduce stress, and improve weight management. According to the CDC, it is recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity in a week. ³ That is only 22 minutes every day! There are many ways to break up physical activity in your everyday life and make it fun.
Start with activities you like at times that are convenient for you
Include family or friends in activities to enjoy together
Find a place to be physically active near your home or work
Physical activity does not have to be high-intensity or complex to be effective. Consistency with any physical activity is a step in the right direction. Whatever gets you moving and active is a great option! Whether it's walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or dancing, there are so many ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life. ³
Relaxation
Caring for your mental health is also important to feeling your best every day. Stress and anxiety can take a toll on your body, so it is crucial that you take time to relax and manage your stress on a regular basis. Hobbies or “me time” can be a great outlet to relax and calm your mind when experiencing stress. There are also relaxation techniques that can trigger the body’s relaxation response:
Breathing Exercises: Take slow deep breaths from your diaphragm.
Progressive Relaxation: Tense different muscles in your body and releasing tension.
Guided Visualization: Visualize scenes or events associated with calmness to produce a similar response in the body.⁴
Setting Goals
New Year’s resolutions can be fun to make, but sometimes not very easy to achieve. It may be hard to develop healthy habits when the goal seems too far out of reach. That is why it is important to research and plan for your goal to determine a measurable process to achieve it. One way to set a measurable goal is to create a SMART goal.
Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish? Take time to research where to start.
Measurable: How will you track your progress? Get more specific by defining the outcomes you want to see and how you’ll track progress.
Achievable: What steps will you take to make this happen? Start with small reachable goals that are right for you and work your way up as you reach them.
Relevant: Why does this goal matter to you? Stay positive and remind yourself that your goals are within reach.
Time-framed — When will you complete this goal? Set a clear target date to work toward. ⁵
Sticking to a SMART goal is a fantastic way to plan out your goals to make them more achievable and trackable. Using reminder apps or accountability partners are also useful resources to stay accountable.
Conclusion
There is no need to fear your New Year’s resolution. It is a great time to start bettering yourself in the new year. Remembering to make your goals measurable and achievable can give you more motivation and will lead to long term healthy habits. Fitting healthy eating, regular physical activity, and relaxation exercises into your daily routine can make a significant difference in your health and wellness. Try picking 1-2 habits you would like to start right now to achieve your goal. The quicker you start setting goals, the closer you are to developing life-long healthy habits.
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