Do you nourish or punish?

New Year’s resolutions and the post-Christmas reset are very much upon us, and we are bombarded with messages to give up everything: alcohol, carbs, anything that tastes nice, go vegan, hit the gym, run and then run some more, Detox this and purge that, take up 12 hobbies and do each one for 100 days.  The messages can be everything from inspiring to shaming, and how we react is very individual.

Numerous polls and studies show that the majority of us give up our New Year’s resolutions between two weeks to four months, with more than 50% of us abandoning them by the end of January.  But is this always a bad thing? 

There are so many things at play in our day-to-day lives.  If you are an all-or-nothing kind of person, a three-week stint, alcohol-free, sugar-free, or plant-based (or even all three) might be just the annual reset you need to generally drink less, eat more plants, or less sugar over the rest of the year.  But it could also leave you feeling like a failure and hitting those things hard as the self-sabotage plays out.

Flexibility in achieving our goals for many is a more successful approach.  Small changes that can become long-term habits, adding in the beneficial and nourishing things that we like rather, than demonising and abstaining from the things that we are constantly told are bad. Finding things we enjoy and can make time for, without martyring ourselves, and things that make us feel good from the start.  And here’s a biggy, accepting ourselves and embracing the fact that the images of perfect bodies, skin, and aesthetics of health are created, and often make us feel less than adequate.  What’s that line in the Baz Luhrmann song Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen? ‘Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.’

Even as a Nutritional Therapist, I feel these pressures – I should be thinner, stronger, fitter so people will respect me.  However, I try to drown out the noise.  My body is not my advert. I try to balance my health, nutrition, day-to-day family life, and enjoyment to be the me I’m good with.  So for me, January is going back to eating the things I know nourish me personally, getting back into the routine of normal life after Christmas – less of the treats around that tempt me, eating regular normal meals, and exercising and moving in a way that supports my physical and mental health, only having an alcoholic drink if I really want one, not just because it’s 8 p.m.  The long-term lifestyle that’s mine, not borrowed to bully me for a few weeks before I ghost it for another 11 months.

You can be the best you, and the best you includes your genetics, build, the life you lead, the people you hold dear, and how you enjoy your time with them.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and hoping you find you in the noise.

January Meal Idea

Breakfast throw together

Yogurt/Kefir with fruit, seeds and nuts – in a combination that you like, suggestions below.

Yogurt – always plain but options that might suit you and your dietary needs:

            Skyr – high protein and naturally low in fat

            Greek – High protein – range of fat levels from 0% to 10%

            Soya – Plant based decent protein level – check for added sugar content

            Coconut collab – plant based and very low protein

Kefir – again go plain either dairy or plat based. This is a probiotic food that can help support gut health – It tastes like a more sour/savoury yougurt and adding a tablespoon to your normal yougurt will give you the gut benefits without the taste if it’s not for you.

Topping combinations to try:

Pear, walnut, chopped date, sunflower seeds and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

Frozen mixed berries and mixed seed sprinkle.

Frozen/fresh mango and pumpkin seeds (great for getting the gut moving)