Five days to a healthier you
If the cold weather has zapped your motivation to eat well and exercise, these simple steps will help you get back on track.
Unless you’re built for the cold, winter has a way of dulling one’s desire to exercise and eat fresh, nutritious food. But that doesn’t have to mean the end of your health goals. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is about balance – and that’s far easier to achieve when we set realistic targets for ourselves.
These five “challenges” below are a great place to start. Simply follow one a day for five days and in less than a week, you’ll feel a shift towards greater wellbeing!
Day 1: Add proteinÂ
Having protein in your diet fuels the metabolism and keeps energy levels high. It also helps the body to maintain muscle mass and is important for all-round health. Choose a fish, chicken, lean meats and dairy products and plant-based options like beans, lentils, nuts and whole grains. Â
Day 2: Drink water
This simple step is often the hardest for people to implement, especially when it’s freezing outside. But water plays an essential role in every process in the body, including energy, mood, mental clarity and immunity. Drink it at room temperature for maximum benefits or choose herbal teas and warm water with lemon to keep fluid levels up.Â
 Day 3: Get moving
Exercise doesn’t have to involve intensive workouts that wear you out. Walking is an easy way to get the heart pumping, as is rebounding on a mini trampoline, dancing around the lounge, or playing sport socially. Get the whole family involved so that you can motivate each other – that way you can reap the benefits of time spent together, along with improved mental and physical health.Â
 Day 4: Go green
The more plant foods you can include in your daily diet, the better your health and that of the planet. Fruit, salad, vegetables, beans, legumes and whole grains are high in fibre and rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.Â
 Day 5: Focus on mental health
Health is a state of body and mind, and just as it’s important to fuel our bodies with nutritious food, it’s imperative to nurture our state of mind, too. Be kind to yourself and know that nothing changes overnight. Set clear, easily achievable goals and practice patience and persistence.
Good luck!
* Information supplied by Herbalife; www.herbalife.co.za
