As the festive season approaches, it’s crucial to prioritize our health amidst the celebrations. Often, indulgences like late-night revelries, outside meals, and excesses can compromise our overall well-being. This New Year, let’s embark on a transformative journey by adopting a wellness challenge— a resolution to safeguard our health.
New Year’s resolutions signify a commitment to self-improvement. By honoring them, individuals cultivate discipline, resilience, and a sense of accomplishment, ultimately leading to enhanced well-being and success in various facets of life. Let’s dive into these challenges one by one.
Early dinner: An early dinner, particularly by sunset or within an hour afterward, offers manifold benefits; try to manage at least six days of the same. It aids digestion by giving the body ample time to process food before bedtime, preventing discomfort and promoting efficient nutrient absorption. This timing also supports a boosted metabolism, ensuring better utilization of consumed calories. Additionally, an early dinner aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythm, enhancing sleep quality by reducing the risk of acid reflux and indigestion and promoting deeper and more restorative sleep.
Mindful breakfast: Eating in sync with the body’s natural clock aids digestion, optimizes metabolism and supports stable energy levels throughout the day. Break your fast or eat when your body is hungry, and let’s not force feed ourselves because when we eat as per our hunger, it enhances nutrient absorption and utilization.
Mindful chewing: Make this a priority during the New Year and follow it well. Thoroughly chewing food aids digestion by breaking down nutrients for easier absorption. It initiates the release of digestive enzymes, easing the digestive process and reducing strain on the stomach. Proper chewing prevents indigestion, minimises acidity by stimulating saliva production and alleviates constipation by aiding smoother bowel movements. This mindful practice promotes satiety, allowing the body to control portion size and it helps with weight loss as well.
Regular meal schedules: This is a very important point to aid digestion, stabilise blood sugar levels, and aid in sustained energy throughout the day. By aligning with the body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm, regular meal schedules enhance digestion, optimise nutrient absorption and minimise digestive issues. Additionally, adhering to set meal times regulates hunger hormones, promoting better appetite control and potentially aiding in weight management.
Rainbow plate: Try and add a cup full of salad at least in one meal during the day this elevates fibre intake, aids digestion, and promotes gut health. The abundance of fibre helps manage blood sugar levels, benefits those with diabetes and aids in regulating blood pressure. Salads offer an alkaline dose, balance body pH levels, and provide digestive enzymes, supporting efficient nutrient absorption, fostering satiety, aiding weight management and keeping you lighter.
Movement or activity: For those who are regular with their workouts, it’s really awesome and for those who don’t do it, it’s time for you to get started. Add 45 minutes of activity at least four times a week and manage walks on other days because it elevates energy levels by enhancing oxygen flow and nutrient delivery, boosting metabolism, and combating fatigue. Exercise triggers hormone release, promoting endorphins that elevate mood and reduce stress. Improved circulation through movement enhances cardiovascular health and cognitive function. Consistent activity, workout, weight training or strength training assists in weight management by burning calories and building muscle, leading to enhanced vitality, hormonal balance, an uplifted mood and better weight control.
Keep away from light: This practice safeguards the sanctity of presleep and post-wake-up periods. Try to stay away from light-emitting gadgets at least an hour before bed and an hour after waking up. The blue light emitted by screens disrupts our body’s natural sleep cycle, impeding the production of sleep-inducing hormones like melatonin. By disconnecting from devices, we enhance sleep quality, improve overall well-being ensure a refreshed and energised start to the day.
Wake up early: Exposure to early morning sunlight jumpstarts our body’s internal clock, optimizing hormonal balance and enhancing mood. It fosters a sense of alertness, boosting productivity and mental clarity throughout the day. Furthermore, sungazing during the early hours provides essential vitamin D, crucial for bone health and immunity and helps in setting a balanced circadian rhythm.
Deep breathing: We were designed to breathe deeply, but we aren’t following the same, and a lack of oxygen leads to a lot of consequences in the body. Try to add in five long, deep breaths every hour because it will gradually optimize energy levels by enhancing oxygen intake and vitalizing cells for increased vitality. Controlled breathing influences hormonal balance, reducing stress hormones and boosting mood-regulating hormones. Additionally, mindful breathing aids weight management as oxygen fuels fat metabolism.
The oxygen-fat-burning relationship highlights its role in promoting healthy weight by facilitating efficient fat utilization during metabolic processes. Overcome excuses to cultivate a routine aligned with our body’s circadian rhythm, and if faced with a setback, resume the challenge the following day. But let’s try to take up the resolution and give our best. Embrace this journey with discipline and consistency to witness remarkable improvements in overall health.
This New Year, let’s commit to these wellness challenges, not as a fleeting resolution but as a transformative lifestyle shift. Prioritising health sets the tone for a vibrant year ahead. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.