- Jan 5, 2021
- 5 min read

It's 2021 - Do you have Resolutions for a Better You?

It’s 2021 — thank goodness, right? 2020 was a rollercoaster ride through unknowns and emotional turmoil.

But here we are — a New Year. A Vaccine. And goals for a healthy year ahead.

If you are like most of the world — you stayed home and well, ate. And ate...and ate.

Then whether or not you celebrated the holidays with family and friends most likely you ate some more.

Some of us gained the “quarantine 15”...or 20. No judgement, it was a rough year.

But as we move into 2021 with hope, goals, and resolutions it is important to make sure they are sustainable and attainable.

Per statista.com, the top two New Years Resolutions for 2021 are to exercise more and eat healthier.

After 2020 — that is no surprise.

But how many of us have this goal every year. We start strong and then fall off the wagon. So when the New Year comes around again — our goal is to be healthy...again.

What if you adopted a healthy lifestyle that you maintained so that in 2022 you could focus on other goals?

We want to help you do that! We want to look at these goals and help you determine the best path to success.

So what does it mean to “eat healthier”? For some it may mean adhering to the Keto Diet, Atkins Diet, Paleo Diet, or whatever the next new diet is. Right now it is low carb — high fat. Lots of protein.

And although these diets may work — for a time — they are not sustainable for many.

Therefore people lose weight quickly, go off the diet, and then put it back on.

So what can you do to take off the weight, feel better, and maintain it?

First things first — as you go into this year with your health goals in mind remember, what you tell yourself is crucial. You are “adopting a healthy lifestyle” — not “going on a diet”.

So with that in mind — here are our tips to help you achieve and maintain your goals for a healthier 2021 and beyond.

Here’s the thing though — none of the things we are going to tell you are new. They are all things you have heard time and time again.

Why? Because it has been proven over and over again that they work. And are sustainable.

So here we go.

Eat more plants.

Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash

Eating a plant based diet is ideal. But for many of us, it may not be sustainable.

Therefore it is best to increase your fruit and vegetable intake.

Eating more plants has a direct impact on your health. It helps with diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol, and lower levels visceral fat.

There are many places to find great plant based recipes and meal plans. Forks over Knives, Minimalist Baker, and Lazy Cat Kitchen are just a few.

It’s just a matter of finding what works best for you and your family.

That may be eating more salads. Or using a larger portion on your plate for vegetables. Or even following a weekly routine of a “Meatless Monday”.

This is one set day a week where you do not eat any animal based food products. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner — along with any snacks — are all plant based.

You will probably find that once you start, it’s not that hard to find recipes that you and your family enjoy.

Even if it’s one day a week it can make a big difference for your health — and the planet.

For your Meatless Monday make extras so you can incorporate a few more meatless meals throughout your week with the leftovers.

2. Eat Lean Meats

When you are choosing meats for your meal — go for lean meats.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to the term “lean meat”. You may think

that you can’t eat red meat anymore. That your diet has to be just turkey and chicken but that’s not the case.

There are cuts of beef and pork that have less fat in them and therefore are lean. The

Mayo Clinic released an article showing what cuts are considered lean and extra lean.

Choose ground beef that has less fat in it. And meats that have less fat marbled into

them.

Also, eliminating processed meats is ideal. Hot dogs, sausages, and cured ham are all forms of processed meat. Unfortunately, these meats are linked to chronic illnesses.

If you can’t eliminate them all together, then remember eating them less often will

make a big difference on your health.

3. Exercise

Photo by Arek Adeoye on Unsplash

Whether you walk, run, do crossfit, or chair exercises — it improves your physical

and mental health.

In today’s world with exercise routines at our fingertips, there is really no excuse.

You can do high intensity or low intensity workouts in the comfort of your own home — at any time.

YouTube has just about any kind of workout you could want.

Don’t have weights — use cans of soup. Can’t get off the couch — do limited mobility chair exercises.

The truth is usually the biggest obstacle is — you. Your determination to exercise.

Your mindset that this is important for your overall mind and body health.

Make the time — you will not regret it.

4. Drink Water

About 60% of our body is made up of water and about 90% of our blood is made up of

water. We need it to live.

And yet ,it is believed that over 75% of Americans do not drink enough water and are

dehydrated.

Drinking water has a slew of benefits, from helping with weight loss, helping maintain

blood pressure, even making nutrients accessible.

Have a set goal of how much water you want to drink each day. Use the same glass or

cup so that you can measure that goal throughout the day. You can find lots of fun cups that have encouraging phrases to help you with your goal.

Other tips are to start off your day with drinking an 8oz glass of water. Drink an 8oz glass of water before and after you workout.

Also drink a big glass of water before you eat a meal. Many times when we think we are hungry — we are actually thirsty.

Do What Works For You!

We want you to find success in your goals for 2021 and beyond. We want you to be healthy both mentally and physically.

At Dimensions Direct Primary Care we believe that life has to be lived in moderation. You are not going to be perfect in everything you do.

But if you do things for your health consistently and you find what works for you — you will find success.

If you would like help with your goals — we would love to help you!