Goals for a Healthy and Happy 2014

Wow, is it just me or did Christmas come and go with the blink of an eye? I guess that’s what happens when you’re having fun and eating good food.

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I made eggplant rollatinis with roasted green beans, red peppers and mushrooms in this marinade for dinner and it paired perfectly with a glass of red wine.

I also got a pretty exciting gift from Brandon that some of you might’ve already seen on Instagram yesterday.

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I guess I’ve got some baking to do!

So it’s back to work for me today but my thoughts are already shifting to the new year. It ought to be an exciting one; between our wedding in April and a trip to Maui to celebrate, I’m as giddy as a school girl.

Besides that, I’ve got a few other things that I would like to focus my attention on in the coming year. I don’t like the word resolution because I feel like it’s implying there’s a problem of some kind {I’m aware it’s all in my head} so I prefer to make goals that help me keep my health a top priority:

Emily Ley Planner

Make a plan. The easiest way for me to stay on track with a healthy diet and exercise is to have a planned schedule. I usually sit down at the end of every week to meal plan and write down my workouts for the following week. Then I make time over the weekend to prep what I need for lunch and dinner so that I can easily whip something up when I get home after a long day.

I was kind of scattered last year with random pieces of paper everywhere so I’m pretty excited to use my new Emily Ley Simplified planner for 2014.

Emily Ley Planner

It has a monthly calendar along with hourly layouts and corresponding to-do lists for each day. Plus, there’s an inspirational quote on every page.

Emily Ley Planner

I personally love having a place to write everything down because it helps me clears my mind at the end of the day. There’s nothing worse than contemplating tomorrow’s to-do list while you’re trying to fall asleep!

Unplug at night. Speaking of sleep, I’ve developed a bad habit of checking Pinterest or reading blogs at night before I shut the lights out. While I like to think it doesn’t have an effect, I know it makes it harder for my body to calm down and achieve restful sleep. Settling in with a good book would be much better for relaxing the mind and body for a good nights rest.

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Drink more water. One of the most important things we can do to look and feel our best is to stay hydrated. I’m pretty good about bringing water with me to work but I can be lazy when it comes to getting refills. My goal for the new year is to refill my bottle.

Staying hydrated gives you more energy to knock out a workout, makes your skin glow, and prevents overeating. Plus, it deters prolonged sitting by forcing you to get up and go to the bathroom frequently. That’s one solution to so many problems!

Give up dairy two days a week. I’ve done a pretty good job at giving up meat but I just can’t get away from cheeeeessse! There are conflicting studies regarding dairy and our health but I’m interested to see how cutting it out two days a week will affect my body. Keep an eye out for more vegan recipes next year!

Reduce stress. Stress is one of the most destructive things we can do to our health so it’s vital that we learn how to keep it in check. Things like meditation and yoga can help tremendously but something as simple as learning to take deep breaths and think of something happy can ease a moment of panic.  I often struggle with this so I’m hoping to find new ways to relax and just go with the flow.

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Eat less sugar. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 5 teaspoons (20 grams) of sugar per day (for women) but this doesn’t include sugar found in foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.

I have to have dessert every single day and even though I keep my portions small, I feel like I’m reliant on having sugar. I know it’s not realistic to completely give it up but I want to break the daily dessert habit and pay closer attention to how much sugar I consume.

Floss all of my teeth.  It’s an easy thing to overlook but flossing is so important, not just for our dental health but for our overall health. Not doing it can actually increase your risk of a heart attack!

I’m good at flossing my teeth regularly but I tend to skip the ones in the back that are difficult to get to. My dental hygienist shared a funny saying the last time I had my teeth cleaned: “Only floss the teeth you want to keep”…WHAT? I want to keep all of my teeth!! I can’t help but think of that every time I floss now and it makes me reach for the ones in the back too.

Schedule down time. One thing that many of us forget to do is take some time for ourselves. Whether it be sleeping in Saturday morning or taking a relaxing bath every Sunday evening. We all need those moments to look forward to so that we can keep our sanity!

 

What are your goals for a healthy new year?