The New Year is the perfect time to start making changes to my health, especially my diet and workout routine. I have made significant changes to my diet in the past and have stuck to them, but there is always room for improvement in both diet and exercise. I like to eat as much fresh and organic foods as I can, but I want to find some that are locally grown. The best method to tackle this resolution is to find produce that is available year round and see which stores carry them. For example, I will go to stores like Whole Foods and Fairway or seek out vendors who supply farmer’s markets in the spring and summer months. My goal is to add two servings of fresh locally grown produce to two meals a day.
A healthy resolution that I’ve not had to make before is to drink more water. Drinking water is not something I’ve had to think about in the past, however after a checkup with my physician she noted that I was severely dehydrated. Drinking spring water, in addition to eating foods that contain water like fruits and vegetables, I will have fewer digestive problems. My plan is to buy a bottle or container to refill throughout the day. This will cut down on buying water bottles and help keep track of how much water I drink per day.
In addition to water, my third personal health resolution for the New Year is to try some alternative health drinks. Coconut water, acai berry juice and fermented teas like Kombucha are said to have several vitamins and minerals that keep hydration and energy levels up, especially after workouts, which leads to my fourth personal health New Year resolution which is to try yoga. Yoga seems to have a large cultural and community following and I have always wanted to try those poses. My goal is to find a local yoga class with an instructor who has many years of practice. I want to attend at least three classes before I make a decision to stick with it for the entire year.
As someone who enjoys working out, I have heard that yoga is great for stress relief and my fifth personal health resolution is to reduce stress. In 2012, I want to start with taking five minutes a day for “me” time and build up to fifteen minutes per day. I am thinking of even learning about meditation and how to practice that for a few minutes. Through yoga, meditation or simply learning methods for deep breathing, if I am able to incorporate at least one of these resolutions in the coming year, I will consider my resolutions a success, especially if the health benefits are noticeable to myself and others.