Its the beginning of 2017 and you are likely inundated with this diet and that diet and “lose that holiday weight”, “do this cleanse”, “ join this gym” CRAZINESS!  If you are looking to get a bit healthier this year it is SO hard to figure out where to start.  Trust me, I have done all kinds of “diets” and work out plans to try to find what works best for me and my body, and it’s hard!  Finding what foods fuel you best, what level of exercise makes you feel strong, and what kind of self care puts your brain at ease is no easy feat.  This is the reason fad diets will never end – people are always searching for a way to lose weight and feel healthy that they can maintain and enjoy.  But I will let you in on a secret… diets don’t work. Some are great for a short time then you realize chocolate is delicious. But guess what else?  So are brussels sprouts!! I have found that the best way to find a way of eating that works for you is to find room for things that bring you happiness. The trick is determining what actually brings you happiness and what is just a craving. I could go on and on but this brings me to my first reset option, which is one I am doing right now!

Whole30

Some tips for finding a healthy reset whether it is a meal plan or mind plan!

If you don’t know what the Whole30 is about I highly suggest buying the book “It Starts With Food”. This has so much information in it about why the HECK you should give up dairy, grains, legumes, sugar and alcohol for a month. I love this reset because it isn’t a diet.  It is meant to last 30 days and they don’t recommend doing it any longer.  The elimination factor is there so you can LISTEN to your body once you reintroduce foods and figure out exactly what foods make you feel your best. If you eat whole wheat flour after your whole30 and you still feel fabulous – then eat your darn flour/bread/brownies.

If it makes you feel tired and your stomach gurgle, maybe its not the best idea.  For example – I LOVE sweets, so it is easy for me to get carried away while eating them.  I am doing my second Whole30, not because I need to find out what I’m intolerant to, but because my sugar eating has gotten out of control and not having any for 30 days brings me back to a place where I don’t crave sugar all the time.  I know myself and I know that a reset like this helps me maintain a better balance throughout the rest of the year.  This goes back to listening to your body and knowing what works best for YOU!

The Healthy Glow Guide

Some tips for finding a healthy reset whether it is a meal plan or mind plan!

The Healthy Glow Guide is a new program from the site healthyglow.co that was just launched by the genius healthy food bloggers Lee from Fit Foodie Finds and Monique from Ambitious Kitchen.  They are the perfect example of balanced eating and provide all of the following in their guide:

 

  • Weekly Meal Plans and Workouts: Introductory info on how to use the Guide, get involved with the community as well as comprehensive meal plans, grocery lists and workouts organized by week.
  • Recipes and Nutrition Appendix: 85+ recipes corresponding to each item in the meal plan and a complete breakdown of nutrition information by recipe. We’re excited to share that the majority of our recipes are naturally gluten-free! We’ve also included icons to help users identify gluten-free and dairy-free recipes to suit their individual dietary preferences.
  • Exercise Library: Step-by-step breakdown of all exercises featured in the weekly workouts for users who need more detailed instruction.

Their plan shows you how you can make healthy meals & desserts that also taste incredible.  This reset is perfect if you are SICK of fad diets restricting delicious food and just want to learn how to find a balance between veggies and cookies. The workouts in here are also great because they are mostly body weight workouts that were made by the best trainer in the world – Lindsey from nourish move love. I don’t know about you but a quick workout you can do at home or at a gym is perfection in my eyes!!  The best part about the Glow Guide is that there is a community as well.  Lee, Monique, Katie and Lindsey are all super accessible to help you along, something everyone needs during a change – support! They put together this video to help show you what they mean.   They are doing this 6 week program with you and it starts on Monday the 8th!   So if this sounds like exactly the balance you need in your life right now, check out the Healthy Glow Guide now!!

10% Happier

Okay so this is the where the mental side comes in.  I just started reading this book and now it is my goal to start meditating. Even if its for 5 or 10 minutes a day at first, I want and need to start calming my brain down from going a million miles a minute.  If you are anything like me, you look at your phone too much, snack when you’re not hungry and think about the future instead of living in the present.  These are all reasons meditation and mindfulness are becoming SO important today. Being mindful can help in so many ways and a calm mind leads to calm is every other part of your life.  This kind of reset isn’t a typical one but when you aren’t finding success is healthy eating as much as you want it, I think taking a look at your mental health should be a huge priority. I can’t wait to let you know how this goes!

So now my question is, what’s best for you? We are all so vastly different and your right fit might not be on this list, but it’s a great thing when you get to know yourself and what your body needs.  Would love to know your thoughts in the comments below!!