New Year Resolutions – New Year Smart You!
Just like that, another year has gone by in what feels like a blink of an eye!
Before we start bullet-pointing more resolutions for ourselves, let’s take this opportunity to quickly discuss common mistakes people can make when entering a new year.
Diet – food guilt
The holiday season has just passed, and you may be thinking to yourself “I can’t believe I let myself eat so much!”. Before you let the guilt of over-indulging take over you, think of how much joy and happiness you also experienced over the festive period.
The holiday season is all about allowing yourself to indulge in the delicious foods you wouldn’t normally eat and enjoying the company of your loved ones. At Love Your Gut, we are all about living an active lifestyle and having a balanced diet. Enjoying a Christmas dinner with your family and friends once a year is definitely acceptable!
Resist the urge to start the new year by going on a fad-diet, because ultimately it won’t be a sustainable solution. Food is so much more than just fuel. Food brings people together. It is time we let go of the food guilt and start being kinder to ourselves.
Remember if you have a sensitive gut you can try one of our gut friendly recipes so that you do not miss out – https://bit.ly/33XMkKY
Well-being – taking on too much
With our busy lives and hectic schedules, self-care can often be pushed to the side for something more urgent. It is easy to get wrapped up in work and taking on more responsibilities. However, it is just as important to have a good work-life balance and set aside time for the important things like your family, friends and your well-being. Mental health and well-being is a priority and you should not have to sacrifice this for anything else.
Exercise – unrealistic goals
At the start of 2019, did you set yourself a goal of going to the gym seven times a week, spending at least two hours there otherwise it didn’t count? People often go into the new year with unattainable fitness goals, and then beat themselves up when they fail to achieve it. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based goals (aka SMART goals) will help you attain a realistic goal in a specified time period.
It is recommended that adults (19-64 years) do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week1. Remember, there is no rush or need to spend money on a gym membership when there are so many alternative activities that count as exercise as well. Some examples include: brisk walking, lawn-mowing and various different team sports. The SMART method is definitely not just limited to fitness, and it can be applied to many other aspects of life too.
Give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate all that you have accomplished in 2019. Now it’s time to head into 2020 with a positive mindset and a set of SMART goals!
Take a look here to set your gut friendly goals for 2020! https://loveyourgut.com