A Healthy Nest Approach to the New Year

The new year is a natural time of reflection. Some people buy into the newness of it all and set goals. By end of January, most people are back to their same old….habits. As I write this on January 13, it’s “Quitter’s Day,” meaning that most people have already given up on their New Year’s resolutions. Kinda sad — and an opportunity to do things differently before much more time passes.

The Puzzle
We know that eating your best diet impacts everything. Your energy, your mental clarity and focus, your body inside and out. I believe in that so much (in a quite biased way). So, what we can do is to look critically at diet. Start prioritizing your food (since it’s so important). If you must, schedule a time to think about it and make a plan — planning is big.

Next, assess. What’s going well? What could be different? What’s better for you? Then, choose one little thing you can do better and do that over and over again.

This could look like:
More water tomorrow
Make one dinner
Order a salad
Order soup and salad
Don’t buy chips and pretzels during your next visit at the store
Go for a walk

Your Body Reflects Your Puzzle
Pick one little piece and do better. Then next week do it again until it sticks. This route is WAY more impactful than a general resolution. Get small, choose one thing and then practice the hell out of it.

It’s best if it is very specific (4- to 12-ounce glasses of water), actionable (drink ½ AM, ½ PM), and with a time goal (do by tomorrow) and be happy! Once that is in place, choose another tiny thing.Our bodies reflect our habits. Being well-hydrated impacts your skin, mental clarity, blood sugar balance, weight loss effort, etc. Just start something small can create its own energy and momentum.

Trying
The majority of us are TRYING to eat well and take care of our bodies. Most have some THING that is going well. Celebrate that. Be happy and kind to yourself for what is going well. THAT is the beauty of January, in my opinion. Trying counts and is the foundation for other tries.

Trying also fosters a sense of control—because we are mindful and actively trying. It should give you some happiness. Be happy and grateful for the good. And let’s build on that.

Try Tea
What is going well with me? I’m sitting here with tea. Tea is going well. I drink herbal tea in the afternoon. It ups my water count. Staves off the afternoon grazing, and helps me to slow down and look outside. Tea is going well and I’m happy for it.

Try Dinner
Dinner is going OK. I’m trying. I’m cooking and it normally tastes good. I’m going for plant forward (lots of veggies) with protein (plant or animal) and healthy fat. I’m practicing dinner to avoid last-minute decisions to go out to eat.

Trying = Happy
I do believe that it’s the little things in life that make us happy and that includes TRYING to eat more mindfully—for our bodies. Just trying makes me happy. Sometimes that means grocery shopping. Sometimes that means pre-prepping a snack or dinner. Sometimes that means ordering mindfully. All three are trying.

What’s your try?

Let’s all give our food lives more priority in 2023—and just TRY! With small achievable delicious goals. That works much better for me than any lofty non-achievable goal for January.

For more guidance on meeting your personal wellness goals, book a free 20-minute consultation with Healthy Nest Nutrition owner Robin Hutchinson. See if our programs are right for you!