Healthy Habits Throughout the Year
The beginning of a new year is always the time where we make new resolutions and goals. Whether it’s self-improvement on health, productivity, or work - a fresh start is always welcome.
Here at The Whole Kitchen, we’re all about taking it one day at a time which is why we’re introducing Reset Your Health, simple and sustainable healthy habits to slowly introduce throughout the year that can bring long term positive benefits to your life.
Throughout this year, we’ll share with you one healthy habit at a time to focus on and carry forward for the rest of the year.
Ranging from general lifestyle to nutrition, here’s are some points that are important to us, and we’ll be diving deeper into them throughout the year:
1. Focus on fresh, whole foods
Fresh, nutritious whole foods make the general foundation of a healthy diet. A well balanced way of eating includes filling up on a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, high quality protein, and unrefined carbohydrates. At TWK, this is also an important part of our food philosophy, along with using gluten free ingredients, free from preservatives and additives, and low in natural sugars.
2. Healthy fats
Fat often gets a bad rep so we want to help you build a positive relationship with healthy fats by understanding why fat is an important macronutrient and what kinds of healthy fats we can include in our daily diet. Many of our products here at TWK contain plenty of healthy fats - from whole nuts in our grain free granolas and nut mixes, nut flours in our muffins and cakes, to avocado and olive oil in our cafe food.
3. Crowding out gluten, dairy, sugar
Not restricting - but limiting. Even if you don’t have an intolerance or sensitivity, there is growing evidence that having too much of these foods can bring about negative effects to our health. Gluten and dairy are allergenic foods that can interfere with the gut which can affect our overall health. This is why it is also crucial to pay attention to how different foods make us feel physically and mentally and start to crowd out the ones that don’t make us feel as good.
4. Moving daily
Getting adequate movement throughout the day can help improve multiple aspects of our lives. Physical activity and exercise is beneficial for our cardiovascular health, improves strength and flexibility, and also boosts our mood!
When we say “moving daily” we don’t mean a full intense workout every single day, but rather joyful and mindful movement. Whether it’s a walk in nature or dancing at home with the kids, moving daily is key to a healthy lifestyle.
5. Self-care
How often do you have small moments to yourself during the day?
With work, family, and other priorities, self-care is often down at the bottom of the list. Having a self-care routine has been clinically proven to improve concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, minimise frustration and anger, and increase energy and happiness. It doesn’t have to be something grand all of the time, sometimes just taking 30 minutes out of your day to indulge in a good book, or enjoying a quiet cup of tea is all we need.
6. Hydration
Being well hydrated is important for overall health as it helps our body systems function properly. We should be drinking at least 6-8 glasses or about 2 litres of water daily, or more depending on daily activities and the weather.. Another key aspect of hydration is also the quality of the water we have. Water filters and purifiers can help further remove any contaminants to improve the quality of our drinking water.
7. Sleep hygiene
The optimum amount of sleep adults need is around 6-8 hours. However, it’s also important to get good quality sleep to improve overall health and productivity. This can be improved by having a wind down routine like reducing screen time before bed, or setting up a good sleeping environment to ensure we get undisturbed rest.
8. Gratitude practice
Take the time to count your blessings - whether it’s through journaling on your own or a guided meditation or yoga session where you can set intentions for yourself in the beginning of class. When we stop and be present in the moment, we can truly appreciate the little things or moments we have, the environment we’re in, and the people we have in our lives.
9. Community
Who you surround yourself with plays a big factor in your own growth and health. Find your tribe that can nourish you and fill up your cup!
10. Focus on practice, not perfection
It’s all about freeing yourself from the notion of perfection and keeping in mind that each small positive change counts!
We’re so excited to delve deeper into each of these healthy habits through 2022 and we hope that discovering them together with the TWK community can help you be your best and healthiest self!