New Year, New You
New Year’s resolutions have the best of intentions – but you don’t need a new year to create a new you.
Begin by understanding that “health and beauty” is more than just the label on an aisle or two at your local drug store. Health and beauty really do go hand in hand. You cannot be or feel truly beautiful without first being healthy, and being healthy will help you look and feel beautiful. For many of you, dissatisfaction with your body centers around being overweight – but in the words of one of my favorite nutritionists “weight ain’t nuthin but a number”. Athletes regularly tip the scales at over 200 lbs (well above what they “should” weigh for their heights) and are, for the most part, incredibly healthy. What matters is not the number on the scale, it’s the excess body fat – and nothing busts fat like muscle!
“Exercise” can be a scary word, so don’t do it. Instead, find a way to play. Don’t waste the money joining a gym. All you really need to get started is to just get moving. Maybe take a walk or make it a point to play with your kids or pets. While you’re out on your walk, call a close friend – you’ll be amazed how much walking you’ve done by the time that conversation is over. Do something silly. Why not jump on a trampoline for a while?
Next up is improving your diet with small, simple, sustainable changes like making sure you drink 64 oz. of purified water daily and reducing or even eliminating soda. When it comes to fruits and veggies, one easy way to make sure you’re getting a variety of vitamins and nutrients is to remember that color is the key! Leafy green veggies are great, but they’re all green because they contain many of the same compounds. Your body needs a lot of different things and one way to get it without having to think too much about it is to eat fruits and vegetables of differing colors. Purples, reds, yellows, oranges – try new things and see what you like.
Did you know the plates most of us use as dinner plates are entirely too large? A salad plate is closer to the correct size for the portions we should be eating. Sectioned plates (like the ones you would give to young children) are great also. Fill the large section with your veggies, one small section with your protein, and the other small section with your carbohydrate. Yes, you read that right, carbs are ok to eat. Your body needs them! Not all carbs are created equally, though. A little research will help you figure out what is the best kind of carb for you and your family.
One of my favorite and potentially healthiest carb sources is pizza (yes, you read that correctly) – especially when it is homemade and topped with veggies and cheese. If you are out eating pizza, ask for your slice to be “double cut” – a full slice of pizza is actually TWO servings, not one.
Now that we’re more active and eating smaller, healthier portions – we can begin to look at our skin and hair. Over time aging skin and hair begins to dull – one of the major reasons for that is a lack of hydration. That 64 oz. of purified water a day will help with that. Another reason is the chemicals we have been using over the years.
Did you know that almost every skin cream on the market in the U.S. right now has at least one ingredient in it that is known to actually age you and may even be a known carcinogen?
Why not make your own products? The recipes section is full of instructions on how to make your own bath salts, soaps, shampoos, face masks, moisturizers and much more! If you aren’t the DIY type – then look for products that are free from sulfates, PEBs, and other harsh and harmful chemicals. For a free report teaching you how to properly read labels as well as what to avoid and why, visit this link:
http://www.justaskdavid.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DontBuySkinCareReport.pdf