7 Top Tips for a healthy 2024

Have you been over indulging?

Been thinking about making a few positive changes to your health and wellbeing? Here are my top 7 simple and effective tips:

1. Drink more water. If you can – get it up to 2 litres a day. It will help to flush out the toxins and research shows increasing the amount of your water intake is also great to support weight loss!
2. Exercise – yes this old chestnut! It is important though to get moving. You don’t have to go for the expensive gym membership that you put full effort into for a few weeks and then notice how interesting the ironing is looking so you don’t have to go again. Get up and move! Go for a walk, do things that interest you and you can vary so you don’t get bored. The important thing is to consciously make an effort – and if you need extra support to do that, get yourself a ‘step tracker’ and motivate yourself that way.
3. Reduce the toxins. Things like refined carbohydrates don’t help the digestive system so if you want things like bread, pasta and rice, go for wholemeal instead. Cut back on the carbs – you don’t need more than about a quarter of your meals to be carb content. Reduce your alcohol intake and things like caffeine. If your focus is here, reduce by one cup every few days so you don’t get the massive detox headache!
4. Eat more veg! Yes it is the key to a healthy diet – get plenty of greens in and make the veg, salad and fruit at least half of your daily diet. Replace the stodge with the healthy stuff!
5. Sleep. We all need a good nights sleep to recharge. When we dream (and we all do!) we are still ‘active’. It is when we go into deep sleep that we rest and regenerate – and that means our brain as well as our bodies!
6. Help someone. There is a stack of research out there to show that helping others boosts our own wellbeing. Not only are you doing good and giving something back to those around you, but it also has the added benefit of helping to take your mind off your own issues!
7. Find the balance! If you have taken time out over the festive season, been playing hard and indulged in festive cheer, you will now be getting back to working hard. If that is the case, make sure you still find time to keep things in balance. Research shows that the balance of work and home life is one of the top causes of mental ill-health, so make sure you keep your inner resilience up and build in time for relaxation, hobbies, family and friends.

So set yourself some goals. Consider what you want to achieve, break them down into manageable chunks, give yourself some focus and tell someone about them so they can spur you on.

Make 2024 your year. The year when you achieve what you set out to achieve. The year that you feel really fulfilled.

Find a healthy, happy balance in life and thrive!

Janice