7 healthy habits to keep you healthy, year-round

Day 1: Set realistic goals (that speak to you)

Who are we kidding? Don’t rush out of bed today, even if you wake up. There’s nothing wrong with starting the new year with ease and relaxation. Instead of rushing out to the gym or going out for brunch just to ‘feel good’, enjoy a day of thinking, pondering, and exploring your vision for the future.

Grab some highlighters, make a pot of coffee, and map out the person you want to be. This exercise can help you isolate a few gettable goals to keep you motivated, healthy, and fit. Be honest, realistic, and speak from the heart.

It might be as simple as:

• Exercise Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
• Cook Monday to Friday. Don’t buy any meals.
• Start taking dietary support for energy (like Xtend+ and Viva+)
• Eat less meat. Switch to a Mediterranean-style diet.

Day 2: Create rituals to promote those healthy habits

Okay, so let’s say, you don’t want to buy any food on weekdays. You’re aiming to only cook and eat out on weekends. So, what do you need to do to instil this habit? This is what you should think about today. For example, create a shopping list with ingredients for meal ideas. Go food shopping every Sunday afternoon. Do this exercise for all your habits.

Day 3: Share your new healthy habits

Got a friend who loves working out? Is your partner obsessed with protein shakes or acai bowls? Round up your wellness buddies and communicate your healthy habits. You don’t have to tell all of them to everyone, but it helps to voice what you’re working towards. These people will become your advocates.

Day 4: Expect ‘bleh’ days

Once the energy of the New Year has worn off (right about now) and you get busy in the chaos of daily life, you’re going to experience one of these days. You know, where you can’t peel yourself off the bed, no matter what you do. All you want to do is eat chocolate and binge, both on food and Netflix. This is natural. It’s PART of the process. Expect it, plan for these lulls, then get back up. This is where the power of your rituals comes into play, as they do all the heavy lifting for you – conditioning your mind to maintain the habit.

Day 5: Temptation ‘bundle’

So, you’ve got your rituals, which subconsciously lead you into starting the habit. But go one step further and pair an activity that you don’t enjoy with something you love. Make a list of all the things that bring you joy. Does coffee top the list? This can be a ‘temptation bundle.’ You reward a workout with a delicious coffee, afterwards. Create two or three ‘bundles’ for each habit.

Day 6: Don’t diet. Eat Mediterranean.  

You don’t need to diet. Thank goodness! Add these Mediterranean foods to your shopping list and follow the advice from scientists. This eating regime helps prevent disease and boosts longevity.³ The Mediterranean lifestyle focuses on fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. Less dairy and meat, more fish and seafood.

Day 7: Support your diet

You’re doing great! Keep going, you’re making awesome headway. Now, make sure you’re supporting your body with nutrients that it can’t make naturally (like essential Omega-3 fatty acids ²). Before you start a course of oil or supplements, take the BalanceTest to find out what your Omega-6:3 ratio is. For 95% of people, this is way off (and in fact, in the danger zone for our bodies). After this, you can re-balance your body with these oils.

Doesn’t it feel GREAT to forget diets? With these seven strategies, you’ll be well on your way to thriving and jiving in 2023.