Tiny Tweaks for a Healthy 2020
Tips for Small Changes
That Lead to Healthy Habits for Life
I’m like most people on this planet. In January, I always like to set health goals. Eating healthier and exercising smarter are pretty old school approaches to the new year, and I for one, am totally in to it. Nothing drastic. No huge, unrealistic resolutions. Just a few tweaks, for a few weeks, to create new habits that will hold up throughout 2020.
Part of why I suggest making ‘tiny tweaks’ is because they are easier to accomplish! And when we get in the habit of accomplishing small goals, that feeling of success can propel us to continue. If you can stick with your tweaks for a few weeks, they will create habits you can hold on to for the rest of the year.
And that’s the ticket! Why set goals you’re just gonna give up on in a few weeks?!? This year, set yourself up to make them stick all year long!
GOALS
Set them, state the ‘Why’, and most of all, Write Them Down!
Before we get into the ‘tiny tweaks’, there is one change I can’t suggest enough. Get clear on your goals. Then get even more clear on the ‘WHY’ behind you setting them. Take some time to write out the why, and consider posting the why around the house and setting reminders on your phone for a few weeks while you are forming these new habits.
Finally, you gotta write that sh!# down!! If you have a goal you really want to reach this year;
Write. It. Down.
And keep writing it down every single day to keep it at the forefront of your mind … every day. EVERY DAY! Otherwise, in a few weeks, when your tiny tweaks lead to some nice results, you might make the mistake of easing things off too much - the old voices that have stopped you from actually reaching your goal in the past, will sneak back in. Thoughts like: “I deserve to indulge; I’m tired & overwhelmed and it’s ok to eat this or skip that; A little bit won’t hurt” . . . those thoughts will come back like they always do, and derail you from going all the way.
Along with your health goal, write down what you plan to eat and how you plan to exercise. That way:
when the day gets hard
when your boss gives you another task
when your kids are driving you crazy
or whatever other bull sh@! you know is gonna come up and derail you does in fact come up , you’ve got a plan. Simply sticking to the plan will leave you feeling PROUD AF at the end of the day. That’s the feeling that will keep you motivated.
Mindset is everything.
Positive thinking, kind thoughts and believing in yourself are the keys to reaching your goals. Punishing yourself to get there is not a long term solution. ‘Tiny tweaks’ that are achievable each day for the rest of your life - they’re the kind of health goals that are Long Term.
You want to eat and move in a way that will be achievable for the rest of your life.
Tiny Tweaks
For a Healthy 2020
Plan Ahead
Having healthy options on hand, and making time to exercise is not just gonna happen “when you have time”. Plan it out each week, and make it happen.
Meal Prep
Check out these 20 Vegan Recipes you can Meal Prep on Sundays. Having healthy meals ready throughout the week sets you up for success! If you are new to meal prepping, I understand it can seem daunting. Trust me, you’ll be thanking yourself mid-week when you have eaten healthy, while putting in little effort, before each meal. At the very least I suggest making a batch of brown rice or quinoa to have on hand throughout the week, some roasted veggies like sweet potato, a favorite salad dressing, avocados, nuts and seeds on hand, some cooked protein and a box of leafy greens. That is the basis of what I eat most of the time!
Listen to Your Body
For long term success you need to learn how to listen to your body. An easy way to start is by only eating if you are hungry and stopping when you feel satisfied. When you hear voices telling you to eat for other reasons, notice them, and remind yourself of your goal.
Be your Biggest Champion
Start looking for all the great successes you’ve had during the day, and mentally high five yourself. Praise yourself like you would any friend you see doing what you are doing. Leave any punishing thought patterns you have behind in 2019 and gain clarity in 2020 around the power of positive thinking!
Drink a Daily Cold Pressed Juice
They energize me in a very real way, keep me craving vegetables, improve digestion, reduce bloating, hydrate my body and skin, and fill me up with live nutrients. Drinking a cold pressed juice every day also helps to reduce my appetite. Check out all our cold pressed juice options!
Increase Your Veggies, Leafy Greens + Get Plenty of Healthy Fats
I touched on this in the meal prep section, and I can’t emphasize it enough. Loading up on veggies, eating leafy greens, and ensuring you are getting plenty of healthy fats are tweaks that any health goal will benefit from. For making meals that hit all of the above in a way, check out: 5 Nourish Bowl Recipes + How to Make the Perfect Mix . For a great green option when you don’t feel like a salad check out our Green Goddess soup. Green soups like this are a fabulous option for a warming lunch, and when I want a little protein I’ll add in 2 poached eggs.
Hydrate
Drinking enough water is essential to meeting your health goals, whatever they are. I am a big fan of adding a TBSP of our Collagen to a big water bottle along with my favourite iced tea flavour of BCAAs (branch chain amino acids - which help with muscle repair). This way I am not only hydrating, but I’m drinking something that tastes good, and I am doing amazing things for my hair, skin and nails thanks to powerful benefits of Collagen. If you make one tweak this week, make it drinking enough water. (If your urine is pale yellow, you’re good).
Try a Juice Cleanse
A 3-day juice cleanse is a great way to break through a plateau or take things to the next level. If you are struggling to make these tiny tweaks, a juice cleanse is a great way to change your cravings and motivations. Or, if you are looking to take the results from your tiny tweaks to the next level, after following your tiny tweaks for 3-4 consecutive weeks, consider doing a juice cleanse to reward yourself for the hard work you’ve done. You’ll help improve digestion, crave more veggies, experience a little healthy weight loss, hydrate your skin and energize you to keep up with your hard work. Plus, all you have to do is crack the seal and drink! No meal prepping or food planning required.
Exercise
Is 2020 the year you become an exerciser?! A person who exercises every day because that is just a part of who they are?! Why not?! I think it might suit you more than you think :) I hope you can approach exercise from the view point of finding ways you love to move your body, and doing it daily.
SUCCESS
This is your Year!
Success comes from setting daily and weekly goals and then achieving those goals. Don’t fall into the trap of choosing to do all the things, all at once. Choose 1 or 2 goals and crush them! Same goes for the next week. Choose a few ‘tiny tweaks’ and nail them. This will get you into the habit of FEELING successful. That feeling is what will help propel you to continue long enough to turn your tiny tweaks into habits, and in turn, turn your healthy habits into a healthy lifestyle. You’ve got this!
As Lizzo would say:
Baby, how you feeling?
Feeling good as hell!
