Are you the type of person who likes to write down goals for the new year?
Every year, I make a list of things I want to change. However, if I don’t plan, none of these changes happen. When trying to change your lifestyle to a healthier one, slow, gradual changes are best. If you try to change everything at once, you are most likely going to burn out. Let me show you how to set realistic health goals for yourself and your family.
Eating healthy foods and limiting your processed food intake.
- If you are new to healthy eating, this is the most important step.
Your body needs nutritious food. When your diet is mostly based on foods from a package, you are not giving your body the vitamins and minerals it needs.
- Get rid of the bad stuff gradually and find better alternatives.
Replace each ingredient when it runs out with a better option. You don’t have to buy the “best” choice. Prioritize which items are most important to you and dedicate more of the grocery budget to those items.
- Focus on adding more fruits and vegetables to your daily menu.
Convincing your kids to eat veggies is hard! When starting, aim for at least two servings of fruit and veggies daily for every family member. Make things easy on yourself. Clean carrots and celery, peel carrots, cut both up into slices, and store in the fridge. If you put them in containers filled with pure water, they will last a long time. Just remember to change out the water every few days. Keep mandarins, apples, and other easy-to-grab fruit in your fridge. When your kids want a snack, allow them to pick fruit and veggies from the fridge.
Switching from toxic household items and personal care items to cleaner options.
- Again, let this be a gradual process.
When you run out of an item, use the opportunity to research and replace it with a better choice.
- Focus on items that touch your skin first, then items that touch your food.
Your skin is your body’s largest organ. Be careful what ingredients you put on your skin, including your laundry soap! According to Texas Health, most laundry soaps “contain chemicals that can be harmful.”
- Also, be mindful of what dish soap and dishwasher detergent you use.
These items leave residue on our dishes, then we eat food off these dishes.
Exercising
- If you are new to exercise, don’t set unrealistic expectations of yourself.
Start with walking 3 times a week. If you can work up to walking every day, that is even better. Walking after a meal helps lower your blood sugar. You get bonus points if you take your walk outside and absorb some vitamin D!
- After you get a walking schedule down, focus on doing other exercises.
If you want to go to the gym and start lifting weights, great! However, if you are a busy mom, and the gym doesn’t fit into your schedule, buy some weights and do strength training at home. Maybe pilates is more your thing. There are so many online classes and videos you can follow. The main thing is to move your body.
