Build A Healthier Life In 2025 By Adding To It (Rather Than Restricting It!)

The New Year is typically the time of year when people start to restrict everything in their life in a bid to be healthier.

The truth is this is rarely sustainable. Are you, right now still following the habits and routines you said were going to make you healthier in January 2024? If you are, well done and if you aren't then here is my list of things you can add to your life to make you healthier next year and not fall foul to over restriction.

1. Daily Movement - If you aren't already hitting the minimum step count for health of 7k then it's time to start building that number up so it's in a good range for health.

2. Lift Weights - Adding even 1 session per week of resistance training will give you benefits that go way beyond, just building muscle (but adding muscle would be an awesome goal for 2025 too!).

3. Exercise - Adding some form of exercise, even once a week whether it's lifting weights, yoga, running, or swimming has been shown to improve your risk of all cause mortality. Unpopular opinion, if health is one of your values and you do no exercise you are not living in line with your values! 

4. More Fruit & Vegetables - Ensure you are adding fruit or vegetables to every meal and snack. The increased fibre is great for your body, makes you full as well as keeping your gut and bowels happy.

5. More Water - I know it's difficult in these cold months to keep on top of your hydration but let's have some water with every meal and those teas and coffees count too. Let's use those Stanley Cups and keep trying to get your wee to be that magical straw colour, wink wink!

6. Eat Enough Fat - Make sure your meals also have a nice healthy fat like avocado, hummus or cheese. The vitamins ADEK are all fat soluble so with adequate fat, your body will absorb these essential vitamins easier.

7. Increase Gut Healthy Foods - Add nuts, seeds, yogurt, kimchi, pickled vegetables, kombucha (as well as mentioned above fruit & vegetables) to support your gut microbiome.

8. Quality Sleep - Start a cosy night time routine to set you up for your 7-9 hours. New pyjamas, a nice big blanket, a warm drink and finish off with a good book to drop off. Everything in life feels better with good sleep.

9. Supplements - Remember these are optional but some that I take all year round are Creatine, for better recovery, drawing water in to my muscles so I perform better and some evidence of improved cognitive function. Vitamin D, I live in the UK and take this year round, we just don't get enough sunlight and we need it every day. Omega 3 (2,000mg daily) I do try to eat oily fish at least once a week but I'm not consistent so I take this year round. Protein Shakes/Bars, on days when I don't hit my protein goal I will add in either a shake or a bar just so I hit my personal target of 120g-140g Protein.

10. Time In Nature - I know it doesn't sound very exciting but I promise you getting out in the elements and being in the world, really can have a positive effect on your mental health and the by product is you hit your step goal and live in a healthier, more active body. Even if it's just a post dinner walk around your neighbourhood, I can't tell you the number of times my mood after a tough day has been improved by going for a short walk.

Let's make 2025 a healthier year but let's do it with an abundance mindset and not a scarcity mindset x