5 Tips to Kick-Off a Healthy New Year

5 Tips to Kick-Off a Healthy New Year

It is that time of the year again when many of us make our New Year’s resolutions. If you plan on making a New Year’s resolution, the odds are against your success. In fact, research shows that majority of people quit in about 6 weeks. The reason why most people fail is because habits, behaviors, and lifestyle take time to change and trying to do too much too quickly is a recipe for failure.

In this world of “instant gratification”, most people expect results “now”. We want everything now; happiness now, success now, health now, and we expect results immediately, and if we haven’t reached our goals yet, it must be because something is wrong with our strategy or we’re not working hard enough or fast enough. We try to change too much at once, and expect too much of ourselves, and this impatience usually leads to frustration and failure.

 

The number one secret to success is to take baby steps!

 

If you’re feeling inspired to make some positive changes to your health and wellness this year but are unsure on how to get started then these tips will definitely give you a kick start!

 

These are my 5 tips to kick start your journey into wellness

 

1. DRINK WARM WATER WITH LEMON AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Drink at least one 10 oz. glass of warm water with half a lemon and 1 teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar (ACV) on an empty stomach upon waking up. Taking ACV with lemon in the morning will help detox and cleanse your liver, as well as clear out bacteria in your body. ACV has also been known to curb food cravings and help weight loss by keeping the blood sugar balanced.

2. FILL HALF OF YOUR PLATE WITH RAW NON-STARCHY VEGETABLES

Diet changes are the most difficult changes with which most people struggle. Whether you are following a keto, paleo, vegan or any other type of diet, make sure you fill at least half of your plate with non- starchy preferably raw vegetables at each meal. The vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants in vegetables will help you maintain a healthy weight and help prevent or improve chronic illnesses. Eat a variety of phytonutrient-rich fruits and vegetables every day by eating six different colors of plant foods daily (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and tan/white). If you focus on making most of your meals look this way, you’ll automatically lose weight and improve your health without counting macros or calories.

3. RULE OF 16-8

Intermittent fasting is the best thing you can do to improve your health and meet your health and wellness goals. On the 16-8 diet, you spend 16 hours of each day consuming nothing but water. The remaining eight-hour window is when you eat all of your meals. I recommend eating 2 meals – a late breakfast at noon and an early dinner at 6 pm. Don’t eat anything past 8 pm. Eating later at night negatively impacts your hormones and metabolism and has been associated with weight gain and poor memory.

4. REDUCE SUGAR AND PROCESSED FOODS

Research shows that the excessive intake of refined sugars and grains contributes to many chronic health issues. In order to stave off illness and reverse symptoms, limit your intake of refined sugars and grains. Both of these are found in highly-processed foods like shelf-stable cakes and cookies, candy bars, and other snacks. Read food labels carefully, and select foods with no added sugar (or very little added sugar). Try switching the sweetener in your morning coffee from table sugar to a natural sweetener like maple syrup or honey.

5. LOAD UP ON HEALTHY FATS

Healthy fats helps support brain and heart health while keeping you feeling full and providing your body with energy. Shoot for more omega-3s (from avocados, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, olives, sea vegetables, grass-fed meats, etc.). Keep in mind that low-fat and fat-free products contain a lot of added sugar and artificial fillers which have negative effects on health.

 

 

 

Gradually working toward change improves your odds of success. Instead of making several drastic changes all at once, choose to overcome one behavioral change at a time. And in the process, remember to be kind to yourself! Nourish your body with the “whole” foods that are healing, instead of restricting calories and relying on numbers or rules. And remember, taking baby steps are the key to success!

 

Wishing all of you happy and healthy 2020!

 

 

Weight Loss and New Year’s Resolution

Weight Loss and New Year’s Resolution

It is that time of the year again when many of us make our New Year’s resolutions. If your resolution this year is to lose some weight, get in shape, or to tackle your health, nutrition, or fitness goals, then I encourage you to look at it in a new way!

 

Instead of worrying about the numbers on the scale, what if we focus on our health first?

 

What if you could heal your digestive problems, clear brain fog, lift the clouds of anxiety and depression, decrease inflammation and pain, improve or reverse the chronic disease that you have been dealing with for years, and regain your energy back?

Food is medicine. What we put into our mouth directly affects our energy levels, our vitality, our longevity, and our overall quality of life. The kind of foods we eat plays a critical role in how we feel and how our bodies function. So instead of making your food choices in terms of just calories, I encourage you to look at food as a source of varied nutrients and a powerful tool against chronic diseases!

 

 

 

If you have been frustrated with different diets without much success, remember it is a lifestyle change, NOT a crash “diet” that gives you sustained results. As a matter of fact, most new diets only last a few weeks and trying to do too much too quickly is a recipe for failure. It’s taken years to get to where you are with your weight or a health issues, you’re NOT going to fix them in a matter of a few weeks.

Instead of making several drastic changes all at once, choose to overcome one behavioral change at a time. And in the process, remember to be kind to yourself! Nourish your body with the “whole” foods that are healing, instead of restricting calories and relying on numbers or rules.

Wishing all of you happy and healthy 2019!

Pain Buster Smoothie

Pain Buster Smoothie

Are you suffering from aches and pain or have a slower recovery time after workouts? Try this powerful anti inflammatory smoothie that tastes incredible! This delicious smoothie is full of antioxidants which will curb your pain and expedite the recovery time after workouts. Enjoy this pain buster smoothie after a workout session, for breakfast, or any other time of the day. Bonus – it will keep you full for long!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup greens of your choice (spinach, kale, chard)

  • 1 cup mixed fruits (Mango, pineapple, strawberries, and peach)

  • 2 tbsp shredded coconut

  • ½ Avocado

  • ½ inch small piece of ginger

  • 1 tbsp chia seeds

  • 1 tsp black seeds

  • ½ tsp turmeric

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until mixture is smooth. Enjoy! Let us know if you have any questions or feedback in the comments and be sure to share this recipe with your friends and family!

Photos courtesy of Makeen Osman Photography

Detox Smoothie

Detox Smoothie

Are you preparing for a wedding, or have a vacation coming up? Try this smoothie to look lighter and brighter. Detox smoothies are an easy and delicious way to flush your body of toxins and help lose weight fast. Drink this delicious and nutritious smoothie when you are feeling bloated for just need a natural detox cleanse.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Spring mix
  • 2 pitted dates
  • 1 green apple
  • 1 semi raw banana
  • ½ cup unbunched cilantro
  • 1 tsp spirulina
  • 2 tbsp Aloe Vera gel or ½ cup aloe vera juice
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until mixture is smooth. Enjoy! Let us know if you have any questions or feedback in the comments and be sure to share this recipe with your friends and family!

Photos courtesy of Makeen Osman Photography

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