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New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthier You
Special to The Truth
New Year’s resolutions can
be a double-edged sword. While many of us feel inspired to
make goals to improve our health, happiness and wellbeing,
we often find the changes hard to sustain, and sometimes end
up reverting back to old practices.
Check out these tips for
starting and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.
Baby Steps
Many people start a new
year hoping to improve their fitness routines and eating
habits, and quickly become discouraged when results aren’t
immediate. Instead of cancelling your new gym membership and
opting for a box of chocolates by Valentine’s Day, set
achievable and realistic goals to stay on track.
If losing weight is the
objective, aim for 10 pounds instead of 50. If you succeed
at losing the first 10, celebrate and make a new goal.
Instead of adopting an
extreme diet, cut back on one snack a day or incorporate a
smoothie as a healthy meal replacement. Use ingredients like
fresh fruit, dark leafy greens, flax or chia seeds -- even
savory vegetables like beets -- the possibilities are
endless.
Fuel Up to Get Fit
Sticking to fitness goals
takes the right fuel. Eating whole foods instead of
processed foods will give you more and longer-lasting
energy. Plus, a whole-food diet is more simple and
sustainable than restrictive calorie counting or elimination
diets.
Powering your body with
snacks like low-fat yogurt topped with granola, fresh hummus
and whole-grain pita, or an apple and peanut butter, will
carry your body through a workout and help you feel fuller
longer. To make delicious homemade nut butter, throw three
cups of roasted, unsalted peanuts or cashews into a
high-powered blender like a Vitamix machine and blend for a
minute or so. The result is a gooey, good-for-you treat that
will provide ample energy for healthy pursuits.
While grocery shopping,
stick to the outer perimeter of the store and pick up
nutrient-rich and versatile ingredients like avocados,
chickpeas, bananas, nuts and spinach, that can stand alone
or be mixed into everything from healthy salads to frozen
desserts.
Indulge Your Sweet Tooth
Being healthy and eating
whole foods doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your sweet
tooth. Before you plunge into a tub of cookie dough,
consider other ways to curb cravings. Make your own,
customized whole-food ice cream without artificial colors,
flavors or preservatives using a blender. Varieties like
apple pie and spiced strawberry will delight without guilt.
Or try a simple sorbet:
blend two peeled oranges, two tablespoons sugar and four
cups of ice. Use a blender with special settings for this
purpose, such as the Vitamix Professional Series 750. Its
Frozen Dessert program, one of the machine’s five
pre-programmed settings, allows you to make an easy, healthy
dessert in minutes.
Looking for something that
feels even more decadent? Find recipes like chocolate
hazelnut spread and more at vitamix.com/Find-Recipes.
For a healthier new year,
focus on small, attainable goals, and use whole foods to get
creative with your diet.
Courtesy StatePoint
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