If you want this year to be different, you have to do something different.
New Year’s resolutions, most of us make them and most of us break them, but we start with good intentions. One of the reasons we don’t comply with those resolutions is because they are too extreme. I want to lose 20 pounds, but even with all the best intentions I can lose 10 pounds and then fall off, easily discouraged because I expect too much. We all want something and most of us want it NOW and get discouraged or frustrated if we don’t reach our goals right away. We are an “I want it now” generation, because we’ve been so used to getting what we want when we want it and that’s not so bad, but when it comes to setting goals it’s bad to think that way. The number of people who decide to lose weight for the new year is staggering, but if we change our thinking, it will be a little easier. First of all, don’t think about “losing weight”, just think about healthy! We all want to be healthy and live longer and feel good and look good, so that’s a better goal in the long run. Now here are some short-term goals to help you reach that “healthy goal.”
1. Eat more!
Wow, you didn’t see that coming or maybe you did if you’ve been reading up on the latest health trends. You must make a minimum of 5 or 6 meals a day. That doesn’t mean BIG meals, it means healthy foods like vegetables, fish or chicken, preferably a high protein diet. Modern medicine is finally realizing the health benefits of this approach. Diabetes experts discovered this year that high-protein diets actually reduce fat stores and increase muscle mass. They see it as a way to prevent or even reverse the effects of diabetes.
2. Always have breakfast! I know that we have heard all our lives “you need to eat a healthy breakfast”. Yes mom, you were right. Oatmeal, unsweetened cereal, or eggs are best for a hearty breakfast, but I know we never have much time in the morning, so even a little fruit, whole-grain toast, or bagels are better than none, and always eat a hour after waking up. Now we have started a great day. Now, mid-morning, have a snack, preferably some crunchy vegetables, fruit or nuts. For lunch have a healthy sandwich like chicken or tuna salad etc. Another mid-afternoon snack, the same options as mid-morning and a healthy dinner and you can have another “healthy” snack before bed. Now once a week reward yourself with something you really like, some dark chocolate or ice cream etc. but eat less than usual and eat it slowly, savoring each bite.
3. Exercise less! Wow, yes, you heard right. The reason is simple: his body was not designed for prolonged and repetitive exercises. What your physiology really evolved to handle is short, intense periods of exertion, followed by rest. So what you want to do is bike, dance, or walk for 2 minutes to face rhythm, then slow down for 2 minutes, fast 2, slow 2, follow with 4 or 5 reps for a total of 15 to 25 minutes. , at least 3 days a week. Let’s say you pedal as fast as you can on a bike for 15 seconds. When you stop, you keep panting. This is the kind of high performance challenge I’m talking about. The most up-to-date research on low-duration, high-intensity training also supports my point about exercise. In a matter of weeks you can: · Lose pounds of belly fat · Build new working muscle · Reverse heart disease · Build energy reserves available on demand · Strengthen your immune system · Reverse many of the changes of aging.
4. Less stress! Millions of Americans are dealing with unusually high levels of stress that threaten not only their emotional health, but also their overall health and well-being. The effects of stress on the body are well documented, and managing stress can reduce the risk of a number of diseases, including heart-related problems. Stress is also an important aspect of emotional health problems. Breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, and meditation exercises can be helpful in managing stress. Find new techniques that can help you manage the stress in your life. Breathing exercises are easy and you can do them anywhere. First, take a deep breath down to your stomach for a count of 10, hold for a second and think about the headache or neck pain you have and concentrating on the part of your body that feels the most stress, exhale slowly for a count of 10. You can do this several times or several times a day, in your car while you wait in traffic, at work, or at home. It is always good to do this at bedtime to release the stress of the day. It will help you sleep better and fall asleep sooner.
5. It looks good!
Ok, now we are on our way to becoming healthy, now let’s go one step further and work on looking good. First of all, I can’t stress this enough, just because something is in style doesn’t mean it will look good on you and that goes for makeup as much as it does for fashion. If you are short, wear clothes that make you look taller, skinny jeans and skirts and heels. If you have a short neck, wear low-necked or V-necked shirts (never high-necked). If you are tall and long necked, thank you. Also wear your hair to match the shape of your face. If you have a baby round face, don’t wear a short bob, wear your hair longer and straighter around your face. If you have a long forehead or chin, keep your hair shorter around your face. We all have our imperfections, we just need to learn to make them less noticeable and love ourselves. Loving yourself is very important. If you feel good about yourself it shows, you look confident and happy and people want to be around you. We all want youthful, flawless skin, but it takes work. You need to take care of your skin regularly and use good products, preferably natural, botanical products, like Colose’ or Great Skin and one of my favorites for anti-aging is Frownies. These 3 companies have great skin care products.
The winter skin care regimen includes:
Do a mini facial (which includes a scrub and a mask) at least 3 times a week.
Apply daily a C Serum product and sunscreen.
Using antioxidants to combat skin aging (FYI, aging begins in your twenties!).
Never go to bed without removing your makeup to make sure your pores don’t get clogged.
Always cleanse your skin twice morning and night so important serums can penetrate effectively (and then with a toner to restore Ph balance and hydrate).
Use an eye cream and drink eight glasses of water every day.
Sleep on your back to prevent the development of lines and wrinkles from the pillow and sheets.
So start eating more protein and do shorter, high intensity workouts and take care of your skin.
