With summer approaching, it’s the perfect time to cleanse, renew our healthy habits, and give our bodies a fresh start. If you’re committed to being your best self this summer, here are six ways you can hit the reset button for your body:
- Hydrate! This is the foundation for your physical wellness. Drink water over any other beverage option whenever possible. The goal is to drink half your body weight in ounces each day. For example, a 150-pound person should drink 75 ounces (150 divided by 2) of water per day. Note: room temperature or warmer water is better for your digestion than cold water is.
- Grocery shop more than you order out. You win twice here because a.) you’ll save money and b.) you’re buying items that you’ll be preparing yourself without all the extra chemicals, unhealthy fats, added sugars, and ingredients you can’t pronounce. While you’re shopping, remember if you don’t have it, you can’t be tempted to eat it. Leave the cookies and brownies on the shelf and when you’re craving something sweet, eat fruit or drink a smoothie instead. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but so worth it.
- Eat balanced. According to John Mackey and medical doctors Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman in their book The Whole Foods Diet, we should eat eight types of foods daily. They have coined these “The Essential Eight,” and they include 1.) whole grains and starchy vegetables, 2.) beans/legumes, 3.) berries, 4.) other fruits, 5.) cruciferous vegetables, 6.) leafy greens, 7.) non-starchy vegetables, and 8.) nuts/seeds. Diving into this list and factoring in other things you might like, write down your favorite foods/ingredients. You’re going to need to have things you really enjoy eating, and you can! Use your personalized list to help you meal plan. Meal planning is critical to holding yourself accountable in terms of your diet. Does your list vary in terms of type of food and how it’s prepared? Hopefully you have a healthy variety. If the things you want to indulge in are unhealthy, find alternatives. For example, replace ice cream with a delicious fruit smoothie, swap out french fries for a baked potato, trade bread for a whole grain. You can have it all – all it takes is a little extra thought and planning.
- Get a vitamin deficiency screening. It’s so important to make sure our immune systems are on point and we’re not missing any of our essentials. If you don’t spend much time outside, your Vitamin D could be taking a hit. If you’ve experienced emotional distress, your immune system may be vulnerable. As we age, our bodies change and we may experience things physically that are new to us. Talking to your physician can help provide the information and support you need and start you off correctly on the path to optimal health.
- Keep a food journal. Take note of what you’re eating daily and pay attention to how it is affecting your body. Have you lost or gained weight? Experienced breakouts? Noticed any changes in sleep? Felt better or worse? Write it all down, then use your notes to help you identify what your body needs and weed out what your body can’t tolerate. Do a self check-in weekly and adjust accordingly. This is also beneficial information to save for your health care provider.
- Be patient with yourself while staying committed. If it’s one person you should be able to keep a promise to, it’s yourself! This is how to get things done. Make promises to yourself and read/recite them everyday. We know our goals only work if we do, but we also have to be patient with ourselves and cut ourselves slack. Transitioning our diets and cleansing our bodies is not an easy task. The two things to remind yourself of are to eat to live vs. living to eat, and if you have a moment of weakness when you want to binge or you crave something that will set you back, choose mind over matter. If you slip, and we all do, just get back up and keep working. You’ve got this!
