We are one day away from the New Year. What do we expect? 1) Celebrating at the stroke of midnight to champagne, kisses from loved ones and seeing the ball drop (or falling asleep), 2) Starting our yearly cleanse, 3) Making New Year's Resolutions, 4) Starting a diet, 5) Starting an exercise routine. Human beings are a sucker for tradition.
However, why is it that many people don't hold true to those New Year's diets and exercise routines? Perhaps we are not meant to - at least not yet.
In the winter, our body wants to do a few things: sleep more, stay warm, and eat warm foods, more calories and things that will help give the body fat in the winter. However, after we have stuffed ourselves silly with holiday foods, created stress in the body from a month of holiday celebrations, and deprived ourselves of decent sleep, we throw our bodies into shock. We drag our sorry selves to the extreme opposite (but keeping the stress and lack of sleep).
It's cold outside, but we drink juices, eat raw foods (like the ultimate diet food - a cold salad), and cut our calorie and fat intake. Meanwhile, because we pull the body away from its natural hibernation state and brought it into two extremes in such a short period, our body revolts by getting sick with either a cold or perhaps digestive issues. And then, after two months of working out, we get tired and decide to give up and just enjoy being outside in the Spring.
How can we set ourselves up for success? Well, we can't turn the clock back to mid-November, so instead we look forward. If you want to jump start onto a diet, try a lower calorie intake high in vitamin c, zinc and other immune nutrients, but cooked instead of raw. Try adding new leafy greens into your diet. My husband has found a hundred ways to add kale into our meals. (Lasagna, stir fry, sauteed with garlic and olive oil, ratatouille, pasta dishes, and more). Garlic is a great herb to add to your meal containing immune system boosters and supporting heart health. When you think food, think root vegetables, greens and eating them warm.
And the most important suggestion about food - don't toss out your kitchen pantry essentials just yet. Avoid that $500 grocery trip with all new essentials. Instead add little by little when you need a replacement for your kitchen cabinet. Out of peanut butter? Try a natural, no sugar added sunflower or cashew butter. Out of cereal? Try a natural oatmeal. Read the labels. If you can't understand what it is, it is probably best to avoid eating it. (Plus helpful hint, the more ingredients in a package, the less likely it is to be good for you.)
Instead of going straight into an exercise routine you may not keep, try different styles of exercise and classes. See what works best for you! Wouldn't it be better to find something you love to do instead of dread doing? Ask me to lift weights and I will not last long. Put me on a stepping machine and I'm in my happy place.
And try to sleep. Go to bed an hour early. Unplug from that television and computer at least a half hour before hitting the hay to allow your mind to start to rest. Even though watching television or playing a computer game may seem restful, our mind is being stimulated. And if you are having trouble catching those z's, a few techniques that may help are: 5 minutes deep breathing, listening to guided meditation like yoga nidra, taking supplements like Melatonin or the homeopathic remedy, Calms Forte.
Finally, unwind. Stress can account for many physical issues (including insomnia). Try meditation, breathing, yoga or even great herbs like Ashwaganda, Holy Basil, or sipping chamomile and lavender tea.
Remember, in the Spring we have a natural inclination to go outside, the days are longer giving us more time to get our everyday projects done, and we start to eat less fatty foods. To maximize your diet strategy, start slow now and kick it into high gear in the spring when warmer weather allows for your body to tolerate cooler foods.
Your goals can be attainable. Find success and inner happiness by listening to that inner voice. It can keep you in sync with your body and the seasons.
