2021. A new year full of possibilities and opportunities. A new year in which vitality is more important than ever. A year in which you may plan to take steps towards a healthier version (in the broadest sense of the word) of yourself. A year in which you want to explore how you can get more out of yourself. Resolutions, intentions, goals... They can be quite overwhelming because they are often made very big.
A nice tool to tackle this is to ask yourself the following questions:
- Where am I now?
- Where do I want to go?
- What's stopping me?
- What steps can I take to get where I want to be?
- Which (small) action can I start with and how can I integrate it so that it becomes a new healthy habit?
New habits don't develop overnight. It is important that you take your time when asking yourself the above questions. It is important that you actually write down the answers. Need inspiration? We are happy to share our best health tips that you can take with you in the new year! Note - don't do them all at once. Every step is one and most valuable if it eventually becomes a permanent part of your routine.
- Immediately after you wake up, say what you are grateful for. It can be small or big things. This is how you start your day positively!
- Drink a large glass of lukewarm water after you get up to hydrate your system after a long night. Your body consists for the most part of water and therefore functions best when it is well hydrated.
- Take a walk* before breakfast, possibly in combination with a number of stretches. Good for blood flow, massage of organs, a calm mind and hopefully a little sunlight.
*Note, take a quiet walk, watch your breathing and try to enjoy the surroundings.
- Make yourself a full breakfast and try to vary it. Try to make sure that every meal contains some carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Think of banana-egg pancakes baked in odorless coconut oil, oatmeal with fruit, a little nut butter and possibly a scoop of vegetable proteins, a smoothie with vegetables, a piece of fruit, half an avocado and vegetable proteins or a tasty omlette with vegetables.
- More vegetables is always a good idea. Do you have trouble increasing your vegetable intake? Try to eat a lot of soups and choose all colors of the rainbow. Another option is drinking vegetable juices. Ever thought about buying a juicer? This way you get a lot of vegetables in an easy way.* Add some cinnamon or black pepper to your juice during the dark months. This supports digestive energy.
*Tip, juice a stock during the weekend and freeze your juices. Saves a lot of time that is often scarcer during the week.
- Do you have a sedentary job? Then try to get up, move, stretch or do a breathing exercise for a few minutes every hour if you notice that it is high. Relax your shoulders during work, check whether you are sitting upright and take the tension off your jaws.
- Clean up! Nothing is more refreshing than a tidy environment. The turn of the year is of course the perfect time for this, but don't underestimate the small daily clean-up sessions. When you end your day, make sure that your workplace is tidy and that you have made an overview of the things you want to do the next day. This way you can end your day peacefully and start the next day clearly.
- Do not eat all day long, but opt for 3 full meals a day. This has a positive effect on our blood sugar level, inflammation sensitivity, endocrine system, energy and concentration. Important! Don't starve yourself, your body needs fuel!
- Relax consciously. Build in moments when you are consciously engaged in relaxation and silence. One of the best and most important means for good health. How? For example, plan 2 regular evenings a week when you do an online yoga class (and make those moments really sacred). Go for the soft forms such as yin, yoga nidra and/or restorative yoga. Our body needs rest to recover. The problem is that we are generally quite overactive. This overactivation/stress causes low-grade inflammation and thus an overload of the immune system in the long run. There is an awful lot to be gained in softness. Of course, this can also be completed in other ways. For example, think of lying flat on a mat for 10 minutes after a working day, sitting down, closing your eyes and being quiet, taking a walk in nature, taking a warm bath.. You name it!
Good health is essential for our energy levels. A healthy energy level enables us to take action. Get up on time, make healthy food, exercise, work out ideas, be that nice father, mother, partner, boyfriend or girlfriend, have a positive attitude to life and so much more. Make yourself a priority. Explore what steps you can take to give back to yourself, feed yourself so you can enjoy 2021 more and, above all, enjoy yourself more.
We wish you a very beautiful, healthy and inspiring 2021!