Usually every December the same story unfolds – we promise ourselves the same things, we say that this year will be different, that we will start off on the right foot; that we will, finally, improve ourselves for the better. But then, after doing it for a while (around a month, at best), we go back to our comfort zone, full of bad habits. The same habits that are holding us back and keeping us locked in a vicious cycle of laziness and stagnation.

Habit Detox: Replacing Bad Habits With New, Healthier Ones

Usually people fail on the first step – they set big, hard to achieve goals from the very start. Most people wake up with the idea of change without having made a plan in their head and immediately throw themselves into their idea of success.

For example: A person wants to exercise 1 hour a day, 5 times a week, eat healthy, stop smoking,  and on top of that, read a book every day for 1 hour. But given that they haven’t done any of these things before, they are taking too big a step outside their comfort zone and failing because of the discomfort of the sudden and abrupt change.

Instead, if they were to take small steps and gradually achieve long-term, quality results, they’d find themselves picking up the pace in no time. Detoxing one’s habits and creating new, healthier ones can truly turn one’s life around and make one a better version of themself.

By undergoing a habit detox, not only will you lead a healthier lifestyle, be healthier overall, more energetic and more motivated, but you'll also be able to improve your mental health and prepare for any day, regardless of the challenges before you!



Why and How do Habits Affect Our Lives and Why Should We Have a Morning Routine?

Our minds are evolutionarily designed to find short routes to everything so we can conserve energy and focus on what's important. Once our brain notices that we are performing a certain behavior over and over again, a habit is formed that allows our minds to run on autopilot.

Although they save us time and energy, habits can also negatively impact our productivity, well-being or happiness. Usually, habits start forming from early childhood, and the longer a habit is practiced, the harder it is to get rid of, which is why establishing a morning routine is one of the best ways to take conscious control over your habits.



As tempting as it may be to hit snooze in the morning and give yourself an extra 5 minutes, you'd be surprised how beneficial it is not to do so. Getting up early helps you focus more, become more active, and improve your mood.

An Example of a Healthy Morning Routine:

When you first attempt to build a routine, take 30-40 minutes to complete these 5 tasks:

Stretching - 10 minutes



Stretching your muscles regularly improves your flexibility and overall tone. As a result, you take the strain of everyday activities with ease and slow down the aging of your bones, joints, and muscles. Stretching also increases blood flow to your muscles, improving circulation. This, in turn, reduces recovery time and muscle soreness. It also improves your posture, helps heal and relieve back pain, relieves stress, calms the mind, and relieves headaches.

Meditation- 5 minutes



Regular meditation trains your mind to be present and has numerous health benefits. It is used to increase self-awareness and achieve a better perception of your surroundings. It helps reduce stress, anxiety, promotes emotional health, improves sleep, helps fight addictions, and extends attention span.

Reading a book- 10 minutes



Reading a book, even 2 pages a day, can also have great benefits. Reading, especially fiction, allows you to distance yourself from reality and have a pleasant break. On the other hand, if you prefer non-fiction, you get to learn something new with every page you read. This is exactly why reading improves brain connectivity, boosts your mental health, makes you sleep better, reduces stress, and makes you a better person overall.

Cold shower- 5 minutes



There are numerous benefits to both hot and cold showers. When it comes down to morning routines, scientists recommend taking a quick cold shower because it speeds up metabolism, stimulates the production of the happiness hormone, energizes the body for the whole day, and stimulates the immune system and circulation. On top of that, your skin and hair will love it!

Breakfast - 15 minutes



Breakfast is the first meal of the day and is usually eaten in the morning. It is often referred to as the most important meal because while we sleep, our body does not receive energy and metabolism slows down. Breakfast has the responsibility of providing our body with the energy and nutrients it needs to start our day the right way. The most important thing is to choose foods that will provide you with a high amount of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Eat like a king in the morning and like a pauper in the evening! Also, eat slowly and savor every bite, try to chew each bite at least 20 times and eat mindfully. Don't eat like someone is chasing you!


Make a Vision Board a.k.a a Dream Map

If you already have a morning routine, here’s another great idea to try out and make the upcoming year absolutely unforgettable!

The Vison Boardor "Dream Map" is the visual depiction of our goals, dreams, and desires. Whether you include pictures, magazine clippings, words or drawings, the idea is to depict everything you want to happen to you in 2024 (you can also do it month by month). By making such a map, we are telling our subconscious mind what we really want to happen to us and achieve during that particular period. In this way, we tune our body, mind, emotions, and spirit in such a way that primes us for success.

Once your dream map is ready, you should put it in a prominent place so that you see it often. If it's made on cardboard, you can place it in your room or living room, or somewhere you look often. If the vision board is digital, you can put it on the home screen of your computer, tablet or phone. The idea is for it to be in your line of sight often. You are now instructed and ready to make the most unique vision board. Grab your markers and ideas and start creating the dreams and goals that are about to come true!



An Active Lifestyle Can Also Be a Great Addition to Your Already Established Routine:

Our body needs regular physical activity in order to maintain strength, endurance, a healthy cardiovascular system, and optimal circulation. Your mind also needs exercise to stay sharp and balanced. For adults, at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week is recommended, as well as twice-weekly cardio sessions. The benefits of changing your lifestyle from sedentary to active are significant, and it doesn't take that much effort to get a pay off. Exercising increases coordination and endurance, prevents bone loss, and can help you live longer. In addition, moderate exercise can reduce your risk of stroke by 20 percent, and that percentage increases to 27 percent with regular, intense physical activity.

Last But Not Least - Healthy Foods + Detox:

If, for example, after the New Year holidays, you have overindulged and ate a bit too much, a quick detox can help you clear excess water from your body and heal your organs. Detoxification is the process of eliminating toxins and residual products, cleansing the intestines, liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, lungs, blood, and skin. That is, the organs and human systems that maintain the body's all-important alkaline-acid balance, absorb nutrients needed by the body, and participate in the detoxification of chemicals and toxins from the body.

By detoxing these organs and systems, we restore our energy and vitality, boost our immunity, become more focused, and improve our overall health. The detox can vary between 7 and 21 days, the choice is entirely yours. Of course, if you haven't tried it before, we recommend starting with a 1 week detox. The list of healthy foods is not short at all and each one has its own advantages. Here they are, our selected top 5 superfoods to include in your post-celebration detox:



Spinach

Spinach is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, including iron, folate, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, selenium, and zinc. It also contains flavonoids, which protect the body from free radicals and have anti-inflammatory effects.

Blueberries

Blueberries have a beneficial effect on the lipid profile, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Due to the abundance of antioxidants in them, they are considered one of the best in the fight against premature aging. They are also believed to alleviate intestinal inflammations such as ulcerative colitis.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin contains an astonishing 457% of the daily recommended dose of vitamin K in just one serving. It contains vitamin A - a powerful antioxidant, beneficial for eyesight and mucus tissue, skin and protects against some cancers.

Cauliflower

One serving of cauliflower contains 77% of the recommended daily serving of vitamin C. It is also a good source of vitamin K, vitamin B6, proheynes, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese. Cauliflower is also a good source of choline, a B vitamin believed to be actively involved in brain development and has a wealth of anti-inflammatory substances. Some of the ingredients in cauliflower also show anti-cancer effects.

Beets

Beets have high levels of the main immune-stimulating vitamin C, fiber, and vital minerals such as potassium (important for nerve and muscle function) and magnesium (which is good for the kidneys, bones, liver, and the pancreas). Beets also contain Vitamin B folate, which reduces the risk of birth defects.

Conclusion



We can conclude that a healthy routine requires time, patience, small-but-quality steps, balanced exercise and nutrition, and dreams to follow! Over time, a routine can help you build a better future for yourself.


Everbuild Nutrition.