Simple resolutions to start the New Year
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by tough New Year health resolutions. But, they can be simplified. Did your New Year resolution hover around inner health, intense workout plans or developing healthy food habits? If you are one of those who is already failing the resolutions and are back to the same old habit, here is your chance to renew them.
‘Better health’ is a goal that we all want to achieve every year. And a simplified health resolution that works within your busy lifestyle is worth pursuing. Let us help you with some easy, convenient resolutions that you can stick to all year round.
DIGITAL DETOX
Are you compromising on sleep due to long working hours or addiction to digital devices? If so, digital detox has to be your New Year resolution. Social media, digital devices, binge watching on the phone are often observed to take away a chunk of our everyday lives.
“Who says health goals only mean regular exercises? I always advice people to begin with simple change in habits, things which are easy to do, without much effort,” says Piyali Das, a certified Zumba instructor and fitness trainer.
Addiction to ‘digital’ only increases stress in the mind and body, affects the eyes and pushes you towards sickness and tiredness. Sleep for six to eight hours, more importantly at the right time — ideally, by 10pm. A good night’s sleep is as important as regular exercise and a good diet, because it restores your body’s ‘energy’, relaxes your mind, keeping it sharp, and gives an overall feeling of well-being.
STAY HYDRATED
If you are too busy to drink a glass of water, then this resolution is for you. Set a daily goal to drink at least three litres of water. Set a reminder on your phone, because be it winter or summer, hydration is crucial when it comes to good health. Ample water intake aids digestion, prevents fatigue and exhaustion, and improves overall performance of the body.
An energising drink made of detox water or simply lemon-mint water offers instant and effective hydration. If you want to add a little sweetness, add low-calorie sweeteners such as SugarFree.
Replace other drinks, such as soda and sports drinks, with water. These drinks are often full of added sugar, which can be extremely detrimental to your health.
SAY GOODBYE TO SUGAR
This is the easiest and sweetest resolution for all of us to follow. Why? Because, all you need to do to lower calories is to swap that calorieloaded processed sugar with sweeteners. Yes, you heard it right.
Das says, “Sugar gives empty calories that leads to weight gain and also causes tooth decay by feeding the harmful bacteria in the mouth. In fact, sugar makes the blood vessels stiff, leading to cardiovascular problems. An easy way to tackle this is to opt for sweeteners.”
From now on, your daily cup of tea and coffee can be enjoyed with sweeteners, rather than sugar. Any dish that needs white sugar can be replaced with sweeteners in order to cut down on calorie intake.
Supplement your fitness routine by replacing sugar with sweeteners, a resolution that is simple enough for you to easily complete throughout the year!
I always advice people to begin with simple change in habits, things which are easy to do, without much effort. PIYALI DAS, Zumba instructor and fitness trainer