Happy New Year! Wow – a brand-new year and a brand-new month! That fresh feeling is in the air. We made it – we survived2020! If you were fortunate, this holiday season was spent with loved ones (whether in person or on zoom), and one thing is for sure; the holidays included a little extra indulgence if you know what I mean. Some of us maybe splurged on gifts and others on food, or maybe even both. But now you’ve moved on to making a different list, and you want to get back on track. Here are 6 tips to help you kick that health and wellness journey back into full gear.
1. Hydration- This is so important! Our bodies cannot function properly if we are not drinking enough water. And after days of carb loading, it’s even more important to drink water so you can flush out your system. There are a ton of articles with different information about how much water you should drink, so I won’t tell you how much you should drink. But if you’re drinking 2-3 cups of coffee, tons of diet drinks, and haven’t had one cup of water yet, this one’s for you. I try to get at least 8 cups a day, or 64-100 ounces. Start where you feel comfortable and grow from there. I will mention that adding electrolytes is also key if you are doing keto or low carb, as this will help ease some of those keto flu symptoms like headaches.
2. Eat whole foods and dense meats- Eating unprocessed foods and dense meats like steak, eggs and avocado will help you feel fuller longer. Why? Because they take longer to digest. This will help you transition from your carb relapse and keep those cravings at bay. Stock up on salmon, chicken thighs, beef, butter, and olive oil, just to name a few.
3. Avoid overly processed foods, even keto! – This may not be a popular opinion and I completely understand, you’re already restricting with high carb snacks, now you have to do that with keto snacks!? But let’s be real – too much processed anything isn’t good for you. Stick to whole snacks like dark chocolate, sugar free Jell-O with whipped cream and high-fiber fruits like raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. Keep keto snacks with lots of ingredients to a minimum. One example is Shrewd Food because what you see is what you get – very clean ingredients that will satisfy your cravings and keep you on track. Stay away from snacks that require you to subtract a ton of fiber from the carbs, at least when you’re starting out.
4. Mindset matters- This is such an important factor that often times gets overlooked, but making changes out of guilt rarely leads to sustainability. So, don’t feel guilty for eating off plan. It is totally a part of the process while learning how to do that thing called balance. Set up realistic expectations and don’t compare yourself to who you were or who you are trying to be. Run your own race.
5. Exercise- You don’t need to run a marathon or complete some crazy intense workout. Remember you’re trying to get back on track, not traumatize yourself. If you have 10-20 minutes to get up and walk or have a dance party in the kitchen do that. Move in a way that feels good for youbecause this will help you make exercise sustainable. Don’t work out to punish yourself – do it to love yourself.
6. Find support- Yes, you can do it alone but doing it with a like-minded community is better. I encourage you to surround yourself with people who are looking to accomplish the same thing. I can’t tell you howinstrumental the keto community on Instagram has been to my success.
Alright, I will wrap it up there! Take these 6 tips, drown out all of the distractions and go get it. You’ve got this!
Bio:
Rachel Morales is an entrepreneur born and raised in NY. She is a married mother of 2 who understands the struggles that come with making healthy food choices. As a blogger sharing her ketogenic lifestyle and recipes, Rachel’s passion is to encourage others on their health and wellness journey. She finds healthy substitutions, shares tips and tricks, and is your personal taste tester, trying new foods to give them the green light. You can follow her on Instagram @Its_keto_sis for more ideas and support.
