4 Ways to reset your body this new year

If you’re anything like me, you let loose a little over the festive season. Perhaps you had some extra treats you wouldn’t normally indulge in, or spent a large amount of time on the couch. Maybe your workout routine was put on hold and the only bicep curls you were doing were the ones to lift that wine glass to your mouth. A much more fun alternative if you ask me. And you know what? That’s OK. Life is short, family is important and a little leeway here and there makes life more enjoyable. 

And now it’s time to get back on track. To reset and continue to move closer towards your health and fitness goals.

Here are some ways to reset your body this new year:

1. Get into a healthy routine 

• Make sure you get back into a healthy sleep routine, getting in those very important zees. Getting enough sleep will help curb your cravings and will give you the energy needed to reboot your body. 
• Get back on track with your exercise regime. Perhaps you hit the pause button on this and need to pick up where you left off. Or maybe this is your year to start a new program that’s right for you. Check out one of my earlier posts that might help get you started.
• Drink loads of water to help detoxify your body. Not only will it aid in ridding your body of toxins, but it will prevent you from eating unnecessarily as sometimes our bodies mistake thirst for hunger.
• Start meal prepping! I am a huge advocate of this especially when needing to get back on track. Having meals planned and prepared in advance will prevent you from giving in to those post-festive-season cravings. Here is a previous post to help you start your new year meal prepping.

2. Eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods

• Cut out the junk that’s causing your cravings. Foods that are high on the glycemic index such as breads, pastries, pasta, white potatoes, sweets etc. will keep you craving high-carb and sugary foods. Stay away from these if you want to get back on track.
• Rather incorporate tons of veggies and other nutrient rich foods. Pack your salads with nutritious ingredients like kale, spinach, arugula, broccoli etc. and make them delicious with healthy foods. My favourite additions to salads include nuts, cranberries and pesto.
• Eat good proteins and fats to keep you satiated and provide you with lasting energy.
• Snack on foods like nuts, seeds, full-fat yoghurt and berries if you’re hungry between meals. 
• Get in some gut-healing foods like kimchi and bone broth to help your digestive tract heal and better support your body during this reset.
• Check out some of my favorite recipes for nutrient packed meal ideas:

– Loaded Cauliflower Mash

– Chicken Chili and Thyme Casserole

– Bangers and Mash with a Paleo Twist

– Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Asparagus 

– Asian Chicken Salad

– Thai Red Coconut Chicken Curry

– Rustic Coconut Crumbed Fish Fingers

3. Get your body moving again

The festive season often involves a large amount of time being sedentary. Either spending long hours in the car traveling or lounging around on the couch. Although this is a great time to slow down and relax, it’s now time to pick up that metabolism of yours by moving more.

This doesn’t only mean your 30 minutes of physical activity 5 times a week. This means providing your body with more opportunities to move. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the store instead of driving, standing while working at your computer etc. For more ideas on how to incorporate more movement into your lifestyle check out this post. 

4. Be mindful of your body’s cues

At the end of a busy year we have worked hard on all fronts. Keeping it all together while remembering to smile and wave in the process is exhausting at times. So it is only natural to slip into a state of laxness come Christmas and New Year – what a treat! We join in on the food and drink festivities, we stay up late watching mindless TV, sleep in way passed a rational hour and generally coast through this time trying to make the most of this opportunity to just chill. Paying close attention to our body’s cues is often the last thing we do. 

So now let’s start listening to our bodies again.

I’m not saying that this time of letting go means you’re neglecting your body’s needs or that you have failed. But it’s the nature of this festive season in which our regular routine is thrown off and we’re confronted with a way of eating and being that is quite different from the rest of the year. Generally speaking that is. Sometimes this can result in ignoring the signals our bodies are giving us. Signals that it needs to go to sleep, signals that it is full, that it needs more nutritious foods, more water, more movement etc. It is amazing how our body speaks to us when we truly listen. 

Start paying attention to these cues and you will find it a lot easier to reset and get back on track! 

A new year is such an exciting thing! A time to refocus and set new goals. Go for it friends, I believe in you!