Health Starts at Home this New Year

With the holidays over and the new year officially in full swing, many of us have turned the focus away from family gatherings, rich food, and multiple glasses of wine and are now intent on creating fresh beginnings and healthy habits. We want to detox from the stress and excess of the year before and let the first of the year grant us a new start with our health and productivity at the forefront.

While getting started with healthy goals and intentions can be hard, especially after a few weeks of over eating, setting up your home in a way that supports your goals can keep you on track until healthy living becomes second nature. Health can truly start at home if you’re willing to put in the effort.

First clear out the cabinets and fridge: Start right away by getting rid of what doesn’t serve you. Go through your cabinets and your fridge and throw out the food and beverages that aren’t in line with your goals for the new year. Let the clearing out be less about punishing yourself for having those foods in the first place, and more about letting go of those things because you want to put your health and your goals as a priority now. If you have leftover unopened food that you don’t just want to throw away, put it all together and donate it to your local shelter or food bank.

Plan to cook at home more: Once you’ve cleaned out the stuff you don’t need, go stock up on the food that is in line with your vision of health and start planning all the wonderful and nutritious meals you’ll make this year.

Print out some recipes and keep them in a drawer nearby for when you need extra inspiration, organize your kitchen drawers and cabinets so that everything is easily accessible, and keep your kitchen clean and clear so that you’ll have no excuse not to whip up delicious meals there.

Keep high quality food accessible: We all know we are way more susceptible to temptation when we haven’t prepared. An easy way to avoid unhealthy temptations is to keep high quality food always accessible. Keep fresh fruit in a bowl on your counter so that you have something to reach for when you need a snack. Pre-wash and cut up raw veggies to have ready before or between meals, and always keep some frozen vegetables in the freezer and the basics to make an easy, nutritious meal. Being prepared will keep you on the right path and allow you more time to move forward with your other new year’s goals as well.

Take breaks for movement: Your home and kitchen aren’t only a great place for planning meals and providing your body with quality nutrition, they can also be where you find the daily movement that your body wants and needs. Move your dining room out of the way to lay down a yoga mat and get in some stretching or a gentle asana practice, or make a habit of doing ten squats every time you go to the kitchen to get more water. You can use your kitchen wall to do wall sits or use the angle of the counter for modified push-ups, or maybe you use the floors of your kitchen for a dance party while cooking. Break up the day with little moments of movement that help keep you present, happy, and moving towards your healthiest self.