Now that January 2014 has come and gone, how are you doing with your New Years resolutions? Have you set health goals for 2014? I have to admit that last year, I was not successful in reaching my health goals. So this year, I approached it by setting SMART goals and 6 weeks into my New Years resolutions, I have lost 5 lbs and 2 inches from my waist. If you listen to those on your TV or internet, you would think the only way to lose belly fat is with a plant grown high in the Himalayas or an extract from a certain color of coffee bean. The truth is that there is no magic pill. Check out my 2014 plan:
1) No excuses! I will take 100% responsibility for myself. Everyone has the same amount of time in a day. I am no longer going to say, “I don’t have time to exercise” or “I don’t have time to prepare healthy meals”. I have time and I choose what priorities are important.
2) I will exercise at a minimum of 3 days per week by prioritizing it, putting it into my schedule, and treating it as the most important appointment of the day. I also completely changed up my exercise routine based on Dr. Mark Houston’s ABCT exercise program which promotes fat burning, longevity and heart health. Watch this video to see why exercise is the most important thing you can do to improve your health in all aspects.
3) I will eat at least 6 servings of vegetables and fruits per day. This isn’t always easy. How am I going to do it? I have started using my Vitamix blender every morning to make delicious green drinks. Check out my favorite recipes here. So by 9am, I have already had approximately 2-3 servings of veggies/fruits and am getting my daily greens. Your mom said to eat your greens and she was right. Greens like kale and spinach are packed with nutrients that fight chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. After my morning smoothie, I will have 3-4 more servings of veggies/fruits with either snacks, lunch or dinner.
4) I will go to bed early enough to get 7 hours sleep per night. Sleep is an important key to longevity and healthy aging. That is the time when your body repairs itself and “cleans up the mess” from that day.
5) There is strong evidence that intermittent fasting promotes longevity, prevents demenia, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol and helps to maintain a healthy weight. I will incorporate intermittent fasting into my life. I will do a juice fast 2 days per week, limiting calories to 500/day from veggie/fruit blends on those 2 days. Here is my weekly plan: Monday & Thursday juice/blend for breakfast and lunch and veggie soup for dinner; Tuesday & Wednesday – juice/blend in morning and healthy lunch and dinner; Friday – juice/blend in morning and healthy lunch; Friday night through Sunday night – eat whatever I want.
6) I will eat a plant-strong diet, limiting my animal based food intake to 3-5 meals per week. Studies show that people with the highest intake of vegetables and fruits have the lowest incidence of cancer and heart disease. If you eat meat and fish, it is very important that you eat organic grass-fed meat, organic poultry/eggs and fish that is low in contaminants. Here is a guide to healthy fish. Eat only from the green “eco-best” column.
If you haven’t yet set your health goals, take 10 minutes and do it now. Make sure your goals are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. This will improve your chance of success.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
– Chinese Proverb
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