Do you use the New Year as an annual health seminar with yourself? In the past, I would host my own personal white board session, creating resolutions and brainstorming all the ways I wanted to better myself in the coming year. These included exercising daily, losing weight, dining out less, reading more high-brow literature, analyzing business trade publications weekly and drinking less soda. I loved the idea of a new and improved me, but seldom made it past week two. According to Forbes, only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. I clearly was in the 92%. So now, after ten-plus years of living clean, embracing a plant-based diet, power-walking and using green products, I’ve comprised a list of 24 simple wellness tips to jump start your 2024 New Year and beyond.
Here’s to 2024 – we’ve added a few more tips and tools to our on-going New Year’s Resolutions Wellness Tip List. Also, check out “Happiness through Hardship” – The Podcast where authors and wellness experts share inspirational stories and a ton of healthy living tips and if you’re looking for items to help take small steps toward better wellness, here’s our Amazon storefront* with some of our favorites: https://www.amazon.com/shop/prettywellness
Top 24 Tips for Better Health and Happiness
1. Set a goal and come up with a simple plan/make it measurable. Check out our SMALL steps formula on how to take successful steps toward your goals or these tools that help us make healthy living easier.
CLEAN EATING
2. Add more fruits and vegetables at each meal
Many scholarly and anecdotal studies highly promote plant-based eating. Consuming a variety of colored fruits and vegetables have shown to promote longevity, disease prevention and overall wellness.
3. Keep healthy snacks near you at all times
When healthy food is near, it’s easy to forgo the salty and sweet cravings. I blend smoothies during the weekend and freeze them so I can pull one out of the freezer each morning and eat as an afternoon snack. I also keep dehydrated fruit, seeds and popcorn in my glove compartment.
4. Add one new healthy food each week
Better yet, make it a family affair – no matter the age of your kids. If they are young: start with the alphabet: week one, A is for asparagus. Eat them raw, sautéed, baked, grilled. If you need some ideas, here are the small substitutions I made when I started on my journey eating clean.
5. Drink half your body weight in water
When the body is dehydrated, it doesn’t run efficiently. Drinking water has plenty of benefits including increasing energy, flushing out toxins, improving skin complexion and boosting immunity, to name a few. If you don’t like plain water, try infusing it or drinking a non-GMO, herbal tea.
6. Start your morning with a hydrating warm drink
I choose warm water and lemon because I like the taste and the lemon alkalizes my system. I’ve also seen some morning apple cider vinegar drinks that serve a similar purpose. Drink these before your coffee and breakfast for instant energy, likely from the rehydration process.
7. Experiment with spices
There are many health benefits in using spices such as cinnamon, turmeric and garlic while cooking. Studies show that antioxidants in many of these have been linked to lower inflammation, which is often linked to toxic diseases. Stay tuned for our January podcast episode with celebrity nutritionist and entrepreneur, Rachel Beller. Rachel shares the importance and benefits of spicing for our health.
8. Add beans to everything
They are high in fiber and provide protein, too. I add white beans to make soups creamier and smoothies more bulky. My favorite bean recipe is a Chickpea Miso soup. I also love lentil salads and including beans with my favorite pasta or zoodles dishes.
NON-TOXIC LIVING
9. Examine your beauty regimen and substitute new, green products when you run out of your old ones
Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database to learn more about toxic chemicals in skin care products.
10. Use wholesome and natural items for beauty products
The key is to find products with few non-toxic ingredients. For example, using cold-pressed organic virgin coconut oil can be a solid replacement for moisturizer. Scouring Pinterest or Instagram for DIY soap scrub recipes is also an easy way to improve your beauty regimen while on a budget.
11. Use wholesome and natural items for household cleansers
Substitute vinegar and water to clean countertops and baking soda to cut grease rather than strong, toxic cleaners. Or look for cleansers filled with more natural ingredients.
12. Use lemons as a sponge
I take the lemons from my morning drink and throw them in the sink. It smells nice and is easy on my hands when scrubbing.
13. Add essential oils to your beauty regimen
I started using essential oils a few years ago and my skin’s been nearly flawless ever since. While many people use essential oils for their calming and anti-bacterial healing benefits, using frankincense with coconut oil has kept my face hydrated and smooth. I also use lavender as well as tea tree oil to improve the look of scars.
ACTIVE LIVING
14. Be active daily
Aim for 30 minutes of activity daily. Break it up throughout the day: 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes afterwards and 10 minutes home with the kids. Many studies show that walking daily promotes disease prevention.
15. Find a workout buddy and set goals together to make fitness fun. Power walks can be social and provide support so that you stick to your goals. If your best friends live far away, make phone dates to walk together. Check out virtual fitness classes and do them with a friend across the country.
16. Aim for new measurable goals monthly
Think short-term; create a new goal every month. Think homemade juices or smoothies five days a week or don’t eat packaged snacks for a month. It doesn’t seem like such a life overhaul if you add or eliminate a certain food for just 30 days. Plus, if you get in the rhythm of it, you might continue. Or if not, you know you will start a new goal the next month.
MINDFUL LIVING
17. Meditate for 10 minutes early morning
Check out iTunes for guided imagery or other meditation resources. My favorite is still Headspace, because I love the animated explanations and the simple steps. However, I know a ton of people love Insight Timer and Calm. If you only have a few minutes, check these out and sample to find which one will fit best in your life. The Peleton app also includes tons of meditation sessions, too.
18. Listen to Meditation Stations
If you can’t see yourself meditating, listen to the Deepak Chopra Pandora station while walking outdoors. It’s calming and a great de-stressor.
19. Find an inspirational space to recharge and just be
Give yourself a few minutes a day to recharge. Create a space in your home or office where you find calm. Whether you take a few moments to pray, meditate or journal, give yourself a few minutes to just be.
20. Create your own power phrase or a mantra
Our mind is a powerful tool and sometimes we get stuck thinking about negative thoughts that bring us down. In an effort to be our own cheerleader, find some mantras to use (and say to yourself) when you’re feeling down. “Be a warrior, not a worrier,” “Be in love with your life,” and “Don’t ruin a good day today by thinking about a bad day yesterday” are a few that resonate with me.
21. Make sure you get a good night sleep regularly
I didn’t realize how important it was for my cells to replenish and revive themselves in a good night’s sleep. Now, it’s part of my healing regimen – sleeping regularly. Yes, some nights are better than others. However, I’ve made sleep a much bigger priority the past seven years. If you are looking for more tips, check out our podcast – this season we talk about sleep with Dr. Sarah in January. We also interviewed, Ingrid Prueher, the sleep whisperer a few years ago.
22. Create a gratitude ritual
After my second cancer diagnosis, I started to research who was thriving with cancer and what were they doing to be well. I learned that wellness is about consistent self-care – creating everyday practices that help improve your body and mind toward a state of good health. And studies show – according to Harvard Medical School that within “positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, which is why I promote small gratitude practices for all of us including our closing segment on “Happiness through Hardship” – The Podcast called “The Grateful Game.”
23. Be kind. To yourself. To others.
Always – it really does make a difference. I know we see memes and hear stories of kindness efforts. From the bottom of my heart, I know I’ve had bad days where one person says/does something and it changes the energy around me. It’s important to be kind and accept kindness, which can be so simple and meaningful.
24. Note your positive connections
There are many studies about the importance of support in one’s healing journey. Whether you’re on the top, bottom or somewhere in between of that rollercoaster of life – make note of which friends/family members are authentically supportive. When you need it, let them in to provide support, care and help. It’s often a gift for both parties.
Need daily inspiration to keep you going with your resolutions, check us out on Instagram @PrettyWellness – for motivation and tips on how to take small steps toward better health and happiness.
For wellness daily tips and inspirational ideas on healthy living, clean eating and a non-toxic lifestyle, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Please remember to talk with a doctor or natural practitioner when making lifestyle changes.
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