Looking for a jump start to create healthy habits in the New Year? Why not set yourself some healthy challenges? Try them for 30 days and your body will tell you the difference, then try to integrate them as best as you can in the long-run.  

1. Start Making A Daily Smoothie

Get into the habit of getting up earlier to blend yourself a nutritionally dense smoothie for breakfast. It can help increase your daily fruit intake, and you can consider adding superfoods like chia seeds, cacao powder, or turmeric powder to your smoothie to help increase the micronutrients in your delicious smoothie.

2. Stay Hydrated

Drinking a sufficient amount of water is known to help your metabolism. Water is a detoxifier that helps to flush out toxins we get from our everyday life. It is recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, however, many of us are too busy or simply forget to drink water until we are dehydrated. To help us - we can try to fix certain times of the day to drink water, such as every morning when waking up, or even install an app on our phone to remind us to get hydrated as well as track our water intake.

3. Reduce Refined Sugar 

We all know that too much processed sugar does not help our health. But does breaking up with sugar mean saying goodbye to all the sweet treats we like? Actually you can still enjoy natural sweets like fruits, honey, maple syrup and dates. If you happen to be a chocolate lover, Cacao Powder might be the right call to satisfy your chocolate craving - and it doesn’t have any added sugar. Also, start paying attention to your food labels, it’s not shocking that some of the labeled  “healthy foods” include refined sugars. You may not be able to quit refined sugar cold turkey, but you can gradually reduce processed sugar by replacing it with healthy alternatives. Over time, you will feel and see the difference.

4. Move Your Body

Do what feels right for you! Whether that be going to gym, swimming, taking a walk, going on a hike, joining a zumba class, doing yoga, trying kickboxing or just jogging. Look into what classes might be offered in your area and take the plunge to try something new.

If you’re looking for a daily challenge that can be done at home, try the 30-day plank challenge. Start with a 30 second plank and work your way up each day by holding it 5-10 seconds longer. The key to success is to plan a certain time a day to do this challenge so it becomes your daily routine.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Never neglect the important of your mental health, as it’s essential for our overall well being. Start today by waking up 10 minutes earlier to do a morning meditation, light up an incense, put on meditation podcast, follow the unwinding music and focus on your breath. By developing this habit, you feed your soul with gratitude and affirmation before starting the day fresh.