It can be very tempting to completely overhaul your daily routine in January in the hope of reaching your health and wellness goals but it’s also a sure fire way to set yourself up for failure!
The key to long lasting results and sustainability when it comes to building new routines and habits is to gradually build them into your current routine.
The 1% better each day mindset (from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear) is the most effective way to approach your 2024 goal.
These are 4, pretty simple but highly effective, habits that will jumpstart your health & wellness routine this year:
1.Start your day by hydrating yourself
Did you know that our body dehydrates while we sleep? While you get your zzz’s your body naturally loses fluids and electrolytes this is why it’s important that you hydrate upon waking - before coffee!
Make having a large glass of water (400-500mls) a habit each morning, it’s a natural energiser and will help with that morning grogginess!
2. Eat a high-protein breakfast
Starting the day with a breakfast that is high in protein gives you the opportunity to stabilise your blood sugar levels from the onset. If you are used to opting for breakfast options such as oats with fruit, toast or cereal, we recommend opting for something a little higher in protein. There, of course, is nothing wrong with any of these foods and they can all have a good nutritional value and a place in your diet, but it’s important that you make the meal more balanced by adding some protein and healthy fats.
This might look like; adding nuts and high protein Greek yogurt to your porridge, having eggs and avocado with your wholemeal toast or making a smoothie with whey or vegan protein powder - if you’re looking for some smoothie inspiration, this is a perfectly balanced smoothie recipe with protein, fat, carbs and fibre! The higher protein content will keep you feeling fuller for longer and will stabilise your blood sugar levels which has a positive impact on energy levels and mood throughout the day.
3. Gradually increase your daily NEAT activity
NEAT activity (which stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is all the daily activity that you do that’s outside of formal exercise e.g. the hour you spend in the gym in the morning. This is what makes up the largest chunk of your overall energy output for the day, so it has a pretty big impact on our overall health. There’s lots of research now to show the positive impact that breaking up your sitting time (for those who work a desk job) with some short bouts of movement has. This could be something as simple as taking one of your afternoon meetings as a walk-and-talk meeting or doing a brisk walk around the block on your lunch break.
NEAT is also particularly useful if body composition is your goal. Most people place a lot of emphasis on their workouts and nutrition when they want to lose weight, and while both of while are very important when it comes to fat loss, NEAT is usually the missing puzzle piece that will really move the needle when it comes to making progress towards your weight loss goals.
If you usually average about 6,000 steps a day during the work week, set a realistic target to increase this average by 1,500 steps a day until you reach a 10,000-12,000 daily average. While it can be tempting to go straight for the 12,000 target right off the bat, this may not be sustainable for you. Gradually building a habit like this up and into your daily routine will make it much more sustainable in the long run!
4. Get a supplement plan that’s actually tailored to your individual needs!
If you’re taking a mix of different supplements without any real direction, it’s time to fit out exactly what supplements you personally need to reach your goals and alleviate any health issues you’re currently experiencing. You will not see the benefits that supplements can give you by taking random supplements aimlessly just because your mum or best friend said they worked for them. We all have different health goals and nutritional needs, your supplements should reflect that!
Get your Personalised Supplement Plan today and bounce into 2024 knowing you’re getting everything you need!
