Tag: New Year Goals

A Guide To Breaking Bad Health Habits

(Image: Pixabay / CC0 Licence)

 

There are certain things that we all do that we know we really shouldn’t. Whether it’s eating a little too much sugar, smoking cigarettes, or rarely exercising, we all have something that – in the harsh light of day – we know isn’t the wisest choice for our health.

 

Of course, a new year always heralds an opportunity to break these bad health habits – but, unfortunately, actually defeating these habits once and for all can be a tough ask. However, if you’re hoping that 2019 will be the year where you can kick one of your bad health habits for good, then the guide below may be able to help you achieve exactly that.

 

Focus on the ultimate goal

 

When seeking to conquer bad health habits, people often focus solely on the end itself; they will, for example, say that want to “quit smoking” or “eat less sugar”. However, it’s usually preferable to reshape your thinking a little, transforming your goal into something that sounds a lot more enticing. For example, rather than “quit smoking”, you could tell yourself you’re “reducing your risk of cancer” or “improving your lung function. This simple shift in thinking helps to emphasize the benefits of quitting your bad health habit, rather than focusing on the self-denial aspect.

 

Decide if you want to take a gradual or abrupt approach

 

  • A gradual approach would be cutting from 10 cigarettes to five in the first week, then moving to zero in the second; or exercising once a week for the first month, then twice a week for the second month.
  • An abrupt approach is the opposite; it means throwing yourself wholeheartedly into the change, quitting smoking entirely, or starting a three-sessions-per-week exercise regime right from the get-go.

 

There’s no right or wrong decision here, by the way – everyone responds differently, so it’s best to make the decision on what you think will work best for you. When you have established which approach you prefer, choose a date at which your approach will begin; if you’ve adopted a gradual approach, you’ll also need to plan the next few weeks or months to incorporate the next stages, too.

 

Research options to help make the transition easier

 

Even when focusing primarily on the benefits of changing your bad health habit, it’s still important to acknowledge the process is going to be tough. You may need a little help to make such a significant change easier to deal with. If you’re looking to quit smoking, you could look to purchase a few vape liquid sample packs and a vape pen; if you’re hoping to exercise more, a personal trainer might be a wise choice; or if you’re looking to cut sugar, you could explore sugar alternatives. Again, breaking a bad health habit shouldn’t feel like self-denial or even a challenge, so utilize whatever you can to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

 

Make it possible to monitor your progress

 

It’s always helpful to have hard data to affirm that breaking your bad health habit has benefited you. Returning to the examples discussed so far, this could mean taking an exhaled carbon monoxide test if you’re a smoker, take a blood sugar reading if you’re cutting sugar, or time yourself running 1k if you’re looking to exercise more. Whichever habit you’re trying to break, there should be a similar metric that you can establish as a starting point. You can then refer back to this baseline metric once you’ve broken your habit, allowing you to see how much good breaking your habit is doing.

 

Hopefully, the guide above should assist you in breaking your bad health habits once and for all in 2019 – good luck!

 

 

Make your New Year Diet Plan more exciting with these Natural Sweeteners and Drinks!

Let’s see what Iram Zaidi, an eminent Nutritionist and Fitness trainer with an expertise in Sports Nutrition, Fat-Loss, General well being, Makeover and Transformation has to say. Her inspiring tale of overall transformation from an overweight girl to a fit and fab nutritionist is something that inspires people to take every word of her training as a mantra for fitness and weight loss.

We are all set to welcome the New Year with new pledges and resolutions to stay fit and tune in to a healthy lifestyle. To beat a big hurdle in your healthy resolution i.e. dieting boredom, one needs to keep the diet plan and healthy eating target as exciting and simple as possible. Nature has blessed us with few natural sweeteners which can best fit into our healthy diet.

Stevia-Plant based, zero calorie, easy to use and safe sweetener

Stevia is widely getting popular across the world as a natural sweetener. There were certain misconceptions with its bitter taste as a majority of products were based on traditional stevia sweeteners offered in the form of high purity Reb A molecule. A recently developed variety of Stevia called Star Leaf sweetener tastes exactly like sugar, so that our taste buds should not compromise. Given stevia can replace some unwanted sweetener calories, it can be one tool in the toolbox for cutting calories from your daily diet without affecting blood sugar or insulin levels.

Sugarcane juice-Natures Superfluid and a great sweetener

From thousands of years Sugarcane juice has been a part of Indian culture. Ayurveda acharyas prefer the juice to be extracted from healthy canes and consumed in hygienic form. A great energy drink, skin toner, body cleanser and loaded with a variety of medicinal properties to fight a majority of diseases, unfortunately Sugarcane juice was missing from our diet plans. One of the biggest reasons was the hygiene concern. Products like OMG (Oh My Ganna), a bottled sugarcane juice with 3 months of non refrigerated shelf life or Rawpressery’s cold pressed sugarcane juice are good pickups for a healthy start.

Honey- Nature’s best antibiotic and great sweetener

Natural honey is loaded with nutrients, and is an essential part of Indian home remedy solutions from ages. It has in the form of proteins, minerals, and vitamins. The plant enzyme amylase present in the raw honey is effective in breaking down and helping the predigestion of the starches and also helps to raise the level of antioxidants required in the body. One teaspoon of honey is only about 20 calories.

Coconut sugar- lower glycemic index and great nutritional value

Coconut sugar is also called Coconut Palm Sugar. It is a natural sugar made from sap, which is the sugary circulating fluid of the coconut plant. It is a good source of minerals like Iron, Zinc, Calcium and Potassium, along with some short chain fatty acids, polyphenols and antioxidants. Coconut sugar and coconut nectar contain a fiber known as inulin. This fiber may help slow glucose absorption, offering an alternative for those dealing with diabetic concerns.

Go ahead with these natural sweeteners as there is no need to put extra efforts to fight your sweet tooth by eliminating sugar from your meals.

You can reach Iram Zaidi on [email protected] for any diet/nutrition related query

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