5 Ways to Start the New Year Healthier

It’s a new year. It’s hard to believe because the old year went by so fast. I don’t know about you but I’m feeling it. I’m feeling the pace that I’ve been “running” at for the last year or so.

I’m feeling reminders that I have a chronic illness. I’m feeling the reminders that I’ve let some of my healthy habits slip a bit and I need to return to them. That’s just what I’m focusing on as I begin this new year.

Here are a few of the items on my checklist towards a healthier new year, perhaps they are on yours as well?

1. Stretch – There was a time when I wouldn’t have thought of getting out of bed in the morning without a thorough stretching routine. These days stretching (and exercise) have been sidelined for all the other things on my to-do list.

My goal is to change that this year. And make both stretching and some other exercise be a part of my daily routine. I will start the day with stretching before I leave the bed then I will walk or do some other active workout to bring energy into my day.

2. Cut Processed Foods – I’ve let some processed foods sneak back into my diet. I’ve not been as careful about watching ingredients. Sure, I stay away from gluten, but there are so many other things in food that I should be watching for and I’ve not.

Just because the box says it’s “gluten-free” doesn’t mean it’s healthy or in any way good for me. I need to avoid the junk because it just ways me down and takes my energy away while adding pain to my day.

3. Juice – Can you believe I’ve allowed myself to lapse on juicing? This last year I’ve not even stuck to my morning green juice on a regular basis.

I will be returning to my regularly scheduled juicing routine and I am doing so by jumping in hard. This week I’ve returned to the beginning and I’m doing a full juice fast for at least a week.

Juicing was such a huge step for me towards recovering. It flushes out the toxins while replacing them with valuable nutrients.

4. Forgive – How easy it is to hold a grudge. To think ill thoughts of someone else for the silliest reasons. The truth is that we never know why others do what they do but rarely do they do it with the ill intent that we apply.

I’ve learned that most of the time people do things with a positive intent, they are simply trying to help the best way they know how. But, it just doesn’t always come across that way.

Instead of holding a grudge or getting mad about what people do or say we just have to let it go. Smile and move on and tell ourselves “they didn’t mean it like that.”

5. Find Your Happy – Life is busy, whether you are chronically ill or perfectly healthy.

It’s too easy to get caught up in life, staying focused on some big end goal rather than enjoying the life that surrounds you.

Don’t miss out on the beautiful journey because you are so focused on the destination. Find small pleasures in life whether it’s a beautiful sunset, or just a dance with the love of your life.

These are my goals for the new year, my focus, my ways to start the new year off right. What are yours?

Related Posts:

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• 5 Things I will be making time for this year
• 9 Changes you can make to feel better this year