Lifestyle

12 Ways to be NICE to Yourself this Year

In the new year, getting healthier always seems to be the ambition, and I LOVE it! However, we don’t have to go to extremes to get there. Extremes are things like the master cleanse, juice cleanses, fasting, detox diets, or exercise bootcamps.

This year simply BE NICE TO YOURSELF.

I’ve come up with with 12 NICE things to do for your mind/body.

How to do this: Pick ONE nice thing each month & aim to do it EVERY DAY for the whole month!  Feel free to mix them up and personalize them to your lifestyle!

Lately I have been in to challenges because they are energetically set intentions that drive healthy habit changes. They can also be a fun way to kickoff something new.

12 Nice Things to do for Yourself

1 – Eat non-starchy vegetables at breakfast each day

2 – Swap dessert to a dessert-flavored tea.  Some of my favorites are:

3 – Clear your system of alcoholic beverages for one month and ENJOY the process of doing it by using club soda + bitters as your beverage of choice.
4 – Do  the scientific 7 minute work out everyday. Yes, there is an app for that.
5 – Watch an inspirational TED Talk each day.

6 – Slow down and chew each bite about 15 times. Sometimes slowing down can be challenging, so here are a couple apps to use as tools to slow down.

7 – Swap all white, refined grains to whole grains.  And even better choose more whole, intact grains – think quinoa, brown rice, oats, barley, faro, millet, buckwheat.

8 – Eat 1 meal each day outside or near a window for a natural light fix and sunshine.

9 – Reach your magic fiber number.  The Institute of Medicine recommends each day men reach 38g fiber and women reach 25g fiber.

Fiber superstars:

  • 1 c raspberries – 8g fiber
  • 1/2 avocado – 7g fiber
  • 1/2 c chickpeas – 6g fiber
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds – 5g fiber
  • 1c oatmeal – 4g fiber
  • 1c carrots – 4g fiber
  • 1 c brown rice – 3.5g fiber
  • 1 ounce of almonds (about 23) – 3.5g fiber
  • 5 prunes – 3g fiber
  • 1 banana – 3g fiber
10 – Do a five minute meditation each day.  You know how I love Insight Timer.  When you feel ready, increase your mediation by 1 minute each week.

11 – Buy yourself flowers. Maybe not everyday, but try to keep fresh flowers handy for about one month and see how it makes you feel. As one of my favorite authors, May Sarton says, “From the beginning I have considered flowers a necessity, quite as necessary as food”.  I couldn’t agree more. Health benefits of having fresh flowers in your home is even backed by science!

12 – Try the 30 Day Plank Challenge for your strongest core ever by SHAPE Magazine.

Sometimes we are our own worse critics.  Be nice to yourself, because it is hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time.

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Katie Abbott, MS, RDN, INHC

Author Katie Abbott, MS, RDN, INHC

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