Changing Habits
Well, 2021 is well and truly upon us!
Behind many of us lies 2020 and a wake of destruction and chaos, with every "healthy" habit, ripped to pieces by the festive season. The "health" wagon has not only derailed but rolled over and caught on fire, and some of us may even be using the insurance money to buy more wine 😉.
But all is not lost. The start of a new year or even a new week often is seen as a time to start fresh with new beginnings. However, as well look at the flaming wreck of good intentions and habits the job of getting back on track feels like climbing Everest, and we're not even in Nepal, little alone base camp!
I don't know where to begin? I know what I should be doing but don't know where to start?
There's just so much I need to change! These are the cries of the frustrated.
To compound the issue, we are continuously bombarded with advertising and Social Media posts on "how to start fresh" and “Get Healthy” messages from tanned, fresh instafamous people telling us we need to –
Eat Right,
Exercise Right,
Why you should drink eight glasses of water,
Get 7-9 hours of sleep.
Mediate for three hours daily.
Do yoga. No,
Do Pilates.
Don't eat carbs,
Carbs are ok just not after 8 pm.
Low fat is good.
High Fat is better.
Why Gluten is bad.
Why gluten is healthy.
Why you should try intermittent fasting,
Why is intermittent fasting harmful?
Argh… stop the madness!!!!
There are SO many paths to wellness and health, but not everyone's path is the same, and I have said it over and over again – WHAT WORKS FOR SOME DOESN'T WORK FOR ALL!!! We are all part of a choose your own adventure story, and it is up to you to choose your path. Your adventure!
But with any adventure there it always begins with the first step. Pick the first thing you want to change and focus around creating habits to bring about that change. If you take on too much at once, we tend to become overwhelmed and want to quit and go back to our old ways.
The trick is not to take on too much at once. Pick one or two things to change and create effective change that becomes a habit and then move on to the next.
Want to drink more water?
- Buy a flashy new water bottle and take it EVERYWHERE with you!
- Download a reminder app and use it to help remind you to hydrate regularly
Want to get more sleep?
- look at ways to change your routine so you get into bed earlier or sleep later (or both if you can).
- Change up your bedroom, so you want to spend more time in there. This can be as simple as rearranging the furniture or buying new bedding or as extreme as a full boudoir makeover.
Changes to our diet or ways of eating seem to hold more questions than the number of calories in a bucket of the Cornel's finest! Paleo. Keto. Vegan. Vegetarian. Pescatarian. 16:8. 5:2. Detox diets. Low FODMAPS. The choices seem never-ending. While all of these options are great choices working out, the best choice for you can be the tricky bit.
If it seems too good to be true…it most likely is - and this goes for diet plans and meal plans too! But all is not lost, one of the most effective ways you can improve your eating habits is by….drum roll, please…….. EAT MORE FRESH WHOLE FOODS!! Tada!!! If we look at the base of any of the diets mentioned, they are all primarily based on wholefoods – pivoting your diet, so around 80% of your food comes from whole fresh vegetables and fruit, good quality meats and proteins is a fantastic place to start.
The trick with any change is to start! Remember "if you change nothing, nothing changes" – Tony Robbins.
Allison is a qualified Naturopathy and Nutritional & Western Herbal Medicine. As the founder of Fundamental Wellbeing in Mudgee NSW. She specialises in gut health and stress-related conditions. Allison possesses a strong passion for all things health and wellness; she understands that balance is essential to life, looking for real-world solutions to help clients reach their health goals.
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