New Year, New You, One Shot at a Time

January is the month of that cruelest and most futile of human gestures … the new year’s resolution. 

Thank goodness it’s over.

Like pardoning a turkey or leaving cookies for Santa, we persist in this annual charade, year after year. We create lofty, unattainable goals. At first exciting and inspirational, our big change-making mantras become quickly stale as we’re faced with turning away yet another decadent dessert or morning mocha.

A future of pure and healthy habits feels less daunting (inevitable even!) when we are three gin fizzes deep on New Year’s Eve, vowing to do better, get better, be better (and by golly, to get started the very next day!).

But we tend to be a little less exuberant upon waking. We made the vows, and we plan to keep them. But the promises are already making us feel a bit … claustrophobic. It’s so easy to, from the very get, start making excuses for why we aren’t ready … yet … to make our resolutions a reality. Why is resolve so tough?

If you are like us, a month into 2021 we find ourselves getting real about what we are willing to do, what we are willing to give up, and what we really just plain want to keep indulging in. Irresistible as the lure of drastic reappraisal and rebuilding was, we are now in the thick of it and, honestly, we’re not feeling very virtuous. 

Why is this? Is it because our list of resolutions is too long? Are the resolutions too big? Does the change seem too great? Do we feel that there simply isn’t enough time to focus on all the ways we want to be better?

Back in reality, where a tipsy declaration does not a life change make, most of us began the year with little appetite for life-overhaul, but a residual craving to feel fresh and pure as the driven snow. Or at least healthy, energized, and clear in our minds and bodies. However, when we began the year by yoking this wholesome wish to our plans for radical self-improvement, we cheated ourselves out of actually beginning to live and feel better.

Why?

Because real change comes in small, shot-sized increments that we give ourselves every day. We don’t need more resolve, better character, or an iron will: we need to think small. And that’s why we have compiled a list of small things you can begin and keep doing all through the year. Excited? We thought so.

Five 2021 Resolutions you can keep

1. Walk every day. One of the greatest enhancers of physical well being is something you already do every day: Walking. In fact an additional 1000 steps (about .4 miles) a day takes you from ‘average’ to ‘recommended’! We are more than happy to go from a ‘minimally adequate level of physical activity’ (the motto of 2020) to ‘setting the bar’ by adding 15 minutes to my afternoon walk, which is a thing that many of us are now doing with ease thanks to a work-from-home lifestyle.

2. Reflect on the good. A friend of ours shared that one of the greatest enhancers of his mental well-being (ever) was writing down three good things that happened to me each day for two weeks. Studies suggest that this exercise is as effective as Prozac on boosting our mood and that the effects last for months (look it up!). Consider starting a daily journal to reflect on the positives from your day. This could become part of your evening bedtime ritual and we truly believe that the more you focus on the good, the less (over time) you will feel like filling ‘the void’ with bags of chips and bowls of ice cream. 

3. Drink water. You must be thinking, “I know, I know …” but then, when it comes time to drink that eighth 16 oz. glass of water, you realize you haven’t even had one and catching up just feels oh-so-daunting. But, real talk … hydration can really help if you struggle with a too-hearty appetite or find it hard to lose weight. We don’t claim to be weight-loss experts, but Medical News Today shares Six Reasons Why Drinking Water May Help You Lose Weight and we have to agree. You should check out the entire article, but here are the highlights:

• Water is a natural appetite suppressant
• Water increases calorie burning
• Water helps to remove waste from the body
• Drinking water can reduce overall liquid calorie intake
• Water is necessary to burn fat
• Water helps with workouts

4. Improve your nutrition. For those of you who block out your daily vitamin regimen because it’s just so darn unpleasant to swallow those horse pills that taste like soil, you may be missing out on super important nutrients. We don’t like those pills either, and that’s why we developed Immunity Helper and Good Gut. We have found that people really dig nutrition most when it’s easy and tasty, and our wellness shots certainly are both of those things. Keeping wellness shots on-hand make getting your daily dose easy (and enjoyable), so take a look at our two essential shots …

• Immunity Helper: Whether you want the tickle in your throat to take a hike, or you need something to get you past some serious sniffles, our Immunity shot packs proven ingredients that help you get well soon for real. Each two-ounce bottle is loaded with simple, clean, 100% organic ingredients that give your immune system a leg to stand on. In addition to citrus and turmeric tastiness, each shot is fortified with immune-boosting herbs and fruits, as well as the natural supplement Wellmune, which is clinically proven to improve general immune health. Our goal is to get you so well that you’ll have to save your sick days for when you feel like faking it. That’s why we developed the Immunity Helper wellness shot.
• Good Gut: Whether there’s quease to ease or just a desire to keep “things” running more smoothly, our Gut Health shot has the stomach to make it happen. Each two-ounce bottle is full of simple, clean, 100% organic ingredients that can help tame even the most tumultuous tummy. Delightfully tangy with a spicy kick, we’ve blended inflammation-soothing herbs you can see and topped it off with good gut bacteria staples—apple cider vinegar and prebiotics. As you know, your gut is at the epicenter of all things health. This Healthline article outlines some important reasons the gut is so important to our overall health. The article shares that, “Numerous studies in the past two decades have demonstrated links between gut health and the immune system, mood, mental health, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders, skin conditions, and cancer.” Wow. Knowing all that definitely makes us want to start doing things differently. What about you?

5. Establish a sleep schedule. The Sleep Foundation shares that, “The relationship between sleep and physical health is well-documented,” and they outline a number of things that can happen when we opt out of a full night’s sleep in favor of binge-watching Bridgerton or The Mandalorian. They say that sleep deprivation can impact obesity, your heart, insulin management, immunohealth, cognitive performance, memory consolidation, and … the list goes on … But seriously, getting into a good sleep routine is one of those things that only takes a little bit of sacrifice (you don’t need just one more episode) but the health benefits are kind of amazing.

See? Favoring small changes over big, life-changing resolutions it is far easier and more effective. If you are as fatigued as we are by the last 12 months, then you can totally relate to the need to back away from big goals at the moment. And for us, that means that instead of focusing on limiting ourselves, we have decided to focus on adding to our existing less-than-perfect routines.

Maybe you’re not going to start eating vegetables every day or replacing your morning cereal with a juicy apple, but the science and the wisdom of the ages does tell us to consume healthy foods. Good nutrition works magic in our bodies. It helps rebuild our cells, reduce inflammation, and gives us energy to fight another day. Our bodies need good things (notably water; go fill up your Yeti) but they also need the kinds of things found in nutrient dense foods (dark green leafy vegetables, our friends turmeric and ginger, blackberries; think everything that Andrew Weil loves). We can go all-or-nothing and then hate ourselves when we consume garbage, or we can go small, making sure we give ourselves and our bodies a little boost. 

We think it’s super reasonable to want to feel better, look better, and be healthier (for not a lot of effort). We say, go for a crisp winter walk, make a list, drink your water, shoot your turmeric and black pepper, and get some sleep. Your mind and body are worth it!