Happy New Year. I love the start of a new year as it is a time for fresh beginnings and possibilities. As we begin this year, you may be thinking about improving your habits. Rather than make general resolutions which tend to be too broad and not work well (“I’d like to lose the quarantine 15”) or create rigid all-or-nothing promises which are hard to sustain, (“No ice cream for me in 2022!”), how about taking the pressure off, and focusing instead on taking small concrete actions to help you achieve a healthier—and happier–year.
Here are 22 such simple actions I invite you to incorporate into your life in 2022. While I’d like to help you make changes to get healthier, I’d also like to see you get happier.
1.Begin your day with a gratitude journal. Writing down what you are grateful for makes you a more positive and happier person. And did you know that happier people are healthier too?! While you’re writing things down, I suggest you keep a food journal too, at least for a short while (how about for 22 days?!), to getter a better handle on your food habits.
2. Add a fruit to your breakfast. Whether you’re starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal, eggs, or yogurt, add a serving of fruit. I love to add sliced apple to my uncooked oatmeal and cook the oatmeal with the apples (I love Fuji apples.) Yum. A cup of berries also tastes great in yogurt. And if you tend to skip breakfast, how about having a fruit serving in the morning?
3. Be well stocked. Keeping healthy foods and snacks available makes it much easier to eat better. Stock your kitchen with berries, baby carrots, apples, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, beans, sweet potatoes, quinoa, fresh fish, and other healthy foods. You can control what you bring into your food environment, so I urge you to shop smart. This is half the battle!
4. Mind your food portions. You don’t have to weigh and measure every morsel of food, but you want to be aware of how much you are eating. For example, when pouring cereal, many people pour 3 cups into a bowl instead of the recommended 1 cup. Portion control is the key to losing and keeping weight off. My latest research found that current portion sizes are up to 5 times larger than they were in the past.
5. Be kind to yourself. With the challenges of covid-19, it has been tough for all of us. Rather than be too hard on yourself and stress about the things you didn’t accomplish last year, be gentler with yourself. Instead of stressing about what foods to cut out, focus on foods you can add. Fruits and veggies anyone?!
6. Include protein at each meal. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar and including protein can help a man feel full Chicken, fish, lean meat, eggs, dairy, and nuts are good sources of protein.
7. Count to 10 and ask yourself “am I hungry?” Tune into your internal feelings of hunger, be mindful, and eat when hungry. If you have the urge to eat, ask yourself if you are hungry or bored and stressed.
8. Make a ta-da list instead of a to-do list! Rather than write down all the things you must do and get overwhelmed, how about writing down what you accomplished (keeping a ta da list!) and you may feel a sense of pride.
9. Create structure. One of the most difficult parts of working from home (which many of us are doing these days!) is the lack of structure. So, I urge you to create a structure for your meals— plan when, what and how much you are going to eat, along with when you will exercise, and try to stick to it as best as possible.
10. Roast your veggies. I love roasted veggies and enjoy them quite often. For a change from steamed veggies which are bland and boring for many of us, you can roast whatever veggies you have in your fridge—broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and red pepper and zucchini to name a few. For a healthy—and filling—starch option, you can also roast sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Just go easy on the oil and you won’t have to worry about the calories.
11. Breathe more deeply. Breathing properly is so important for optimal health. So often, especially when we are anxious, we take short shallow breaths. Instead, try this: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 seconds, and breathe out for 4 counts. And repeat twice. I try to focus on my breath when I practice yoga.
12. Swap refined grains for whole grains. No, you don’t have to ban starches and grains to get healthier or lose weight. Carbs are your friend! You just want to choose the healthier version. Instead of white bread, white rice, and white pasta, choose whole wheat bread, brown rice, soba noodles, and oatmeal.
13. Think twice before grabbing foods high in added sugar. Added sugar is found in sugar sweetened beverages and hidden in packaged foods like breads, snack foods, yogurts, sauces, salad dressing, and breakfast cereal. For the good news, added sugar is now listed on food labels so they are easy to spot. (Note: Naturally occurring sugar in fresh fruit is super healthy.)
14. Take a 22-minute nature walk or run. Ever since Gretchen Reynolds from The New York Times wrote about a study on the health benefits of taking an “awe walk,” —observing small wonders around you during a walk–I’ve spent more time observing the beauty of nature and my surroundings. I invite you do the same. It’s good for your health, your heart, and your mood.
15. Pre-portion your snacks. Pre-portioning snacks in advance or having measuring cups handy helps you manage how much you nibble on. It’s easy to eat an entire jar of nuts mindlessly. Keeping a quarter cup measuring cup around helps you to gauge a 1-oz serving as does pre-portioning your favorite nuts and storing them in Ziploc baggies. I share additional portion size tips here.
16. Enjoy more heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Try eating more foods which contain omega-3s like salmon, tuna, walnuts, flax, hemp and chia seeds. I love to toss a handful of walnuts into my salad and add ground flaxseeds into my yogurt.
17. Declutter your kitchen. Keep the cookies and cakes stashed away so that they are less tempting. Keep the berries, baby carrots, and other healthy foods front and center.
18. Steer clear of health halos! Foods with these labels are not necessarily healthier—Gluten-free, organic, low-fat, and vegan. After all, organic cookies are still cookies, and a vegan muffin is still…yes, a muffin.
19. Be good to your gut. Include fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and miso soups for gut health. Other fermented foods to include in your diet include pickles and kimchi. These foods tend to be high in sodium, so a little bit goes a long way.
20. Cook with herbs and spices. Skip the saltshaker and season your foods with herbs and spices instead. In addition to adding flavor to our meals, spices and herbs including garlic, and oregano can help bolster our immune system. Garlic, for example, contains antiviral properties and is good for immune-health and oregano may help fight bacteria.
21. Limit your screen time an hour before bed. Put away your phone, laptop, and iPad for a chance to have a more restful sleep. Take a bath with lavender oil or read a good book before bed.
22. Get an air fryer. I’m loving my air fryer. It is a simple–and quick–way to make lots of different meals. I especially love it for making veggies and potatoes. And, they are ready in no time.
Here’s to a happy—and healthy–2022 and to 365 days of endless possibilities.
Warmly,
Lisa
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Eat mindfully this holiday season