Driving Into 2015!
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the holidays with family and friends. We had quite the eventful past week and a half. Joey turned one. We traveled to see all of our family for Christmas, welcomed our new adorable nephew, celebrated my other adorable nephew’s 5th birthday, rang in the New Year, was asked to come on MSNBC live on New Year’s day to discuss resolutions, celebrated my cousin’s wedding, and are now finalizing our plans for Joey’s birthday party Whew! Just writing all that makes me feel tired. But not Joey, he’s still not a napper. He’s too busy driving his sweet new ride (pictured above) from his aunts and uncles! I think I was under the impression he may turn the corner at one year, but not so much. I am not giving up hope though!
Joey had his one year check up (and of course shots) this past week as well. We know he is growing, but getting his actual height is pretty much impossible. The last two checkups they keep getting almost the same measurement. I’m pretty sure we won’t know his true height until he is old enough to stand still next to a height rod. Trying to measure him laying down results in him squirming, screaming, doing sit ups, refusing to straighten his legs, and the list goes on. So, he’s somewhere between 11th-40th percentile for height. I know he’s taller than he was last month, so that’s all that matters.
Like I am sure most of you found, having so many celebrations and parties over the holidays of course can lead to making it hard to eat healthy. A bit too much dessert, alcohol, and fats can make you feel a little sluggish starting off the New Year. However, if you’re making a resolution to lose weight and improve your health in 2015, make sure that you use the KISS method and keep it simple! Making resolutions that are too complicated, or unrealistic, will only result in frustration and failure, causing you to go right back to old habits. Instead, make your resolutions as simple as possible. Here are my top 5 wellness resolutions for 2015 that are simple, and most importantly, really work:
Better Eating Tip:
Fill half of your plate with vegetables at each meal. This sounds so simple, and it really is, but it’s also a very effective way to boost the volume of your meals while lowering your calorie intake, allowing you to feel just as satisfied while reducing weight. In addition, this helps to boost your daily intake of fiber and antioxidants, helping to fight against disease and boost the immune system.
Less Stress Tip:
Boost your dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to help decrease the level of stress hormones circulating in your body, therefore helping to reduce damage and inflammation brought on by chronic stress. Great sources include fatty fish like salmon and tuna, chia seeds, walnuts, and flax seeds.
Boost Fitness Tip:
Invest in a simple pedometer and aim for at least 10,000 steps each and every day. Two thousand steps is equal to just about one mile of walking, which is about an additional 100 calories burned. If you walk just one more mile each day than you usually do, you will lose a pound in about 35 days!
Time Management Tip:
Create a to-do list for the next day every night before going to bed. Prioritize your list in order of what’s more important to least important, so you know just what you need to do, in what order, at the start of your day. This not only will help you to save time, but will help cut down on your stress levels as well.
Wellness Tip:
Take a few minutes for yourself each day to relax and unwind. If you don’t take care of you, who will? Taking a few moments out of each day to relax will help to bring down stress levels, which can fight off stress related weight gain, health issues, and even help you to be more productive and better manage time each day. Taking time to relax can also boost energy, making it easier for you to get and stay physically active.
Happy 2015! Let’s make it a great, and healthy, year!