10 Tips from a Holistic Nutritionist to Prioritize Your Health and Nutrition in the New Year

It’s that weird time of year between Christmas and New Year’s when you’re not sure what day it is or what’s even going on…or is it just me?!

Many people use this time of year to set resolutions and make big plans for the coming year. Personally, I love to use the new year as a way to reset my health and identify what I want to achieve in all areas of my life throughout the coming year. Are you one of those people too?

Today I want to discuss 10 practical and useful tips I love to share with my clients to help you create healthy and achievable 2023 goals. So let’s not waste any time and start creating the plan to make 2023 your healthiest year yet!

1. Set realistic goals

This may seem obvious but it’s probably the number one tip I can give. Make sure your goals push you to change but are also attainable. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure right out the gate by choosing something that is not realistic.

For example - deciding you want to run a marathon in three months when you’ve never even ran a 5k before…or worse - never even ran at all. That would be an unrealistic goal!

So be real with yourself and walk that line between pushing yourself out of your comfort zone while also choosing something that is attainable. It’s all about baby steps and realistic goals that will help you make meaningful and long-lasting changes in your life.

2. Identify specific actions you can take to achieve your goals

It’s one thing to identify the goal, but it’s another thing to identify the steps you need to take to achieve that goal. This is where a lot of people get stuck. They don’t dive deeper beyond stating the goal. If there is no clear plan on how you will achieve the goal, then you may get lost in the process, which in turn will frustrate you and possibly lead to you abandoning the goal.

We don’t want that! If we return to our example goal of running a marathon… You would set the specific action goals of researching the many training plans out there and deciding which one you will follow. Then you need to block out the necessary time and make arrangements to ensure you are able to train appropriately.

These actions will take you one step closer to achieving your goals so don’t skip this step!

3. Create a fitness routine - whatever works for you is the right one!

Movement is so important to not only our physical well-being but our mental health as well. I tell my clients - it doesn’t matter what type of fitness routine you choose, as long as it’s one that you love. This means you are more likely to stick with it long-term and will avoid burnout.

It’s also important to realize that fitness is always evolving, especially as your ability and fitness levels increase. Your routine could be more advanced with weight lifting 3 days a week coupled with cardio on the 2 other days but it may have only started with walking twice a week for 30 minutes. It’s all about the journey and we all have to start somewhere.

So choose your starting point and know that any regular movement is better than none so just get up and start!

4. Choose a new hobby/skill to learn

I’ve found that the older we get, the less time we dedicate to learning new skills. Maybe it’s an assumption about ourselves regarding a diminished ability or that it’s not worth learning new things as we age, but I couldn’t disagree more!

Learning a new skill or hobby is great for maintaining our mental sharpness and it also can foster new passions in our lives. So don’t brush aside that skill you’ve always wanted to learn! Whether it’s learning to paint, rock climbing, ballroom dancing or weightlifting…just sign up for the class and start learning.

I guarantee you won’t regret trying! It could lead to a new hobby and/or new friends made along the way and either outcome is totally worth it.

5. Create a healthy meal plan (or get my help to make one!)

If we leave our nutrition to chance, then we’re more likely to grab the easy, convenient options when life gets stressful and crazy. A healthy meal plan for the week, especially with some easy meal prep ideas on the weekends, can make all the difference when it comes to a regular routine of healthy eating.

If you’ve never meal planned before but always wanted to, then be sure to check out my FREE 7 DAY MEAL PLAN to help you jumpstart this goal. You’ll get a sample meal plan for the week that will help you set your nutrition up for success.

You can also check out my Top 15 Meal Prep Tips to help you get started on your meal prepping journey!

6. Schedule time for yourself

If you’re a mom like me, or really anyone with kids and/or other responsibilities beyond yourself, we tend to put our own needs, wants and desires on the back burner. We prioritize others, which is amazing and to be expected to a certain extent, but not when it’s at the expense of our own physical and mental health.

I encourage you to carve out time for yourself - whether that’s when you’re learning a new hobby, getting in your exercise routine, reading a good book, or taking the time to get enough sleep at night.

7. Stick with your action goals for at least 30 days.

It takes at least 3 weeks to make a new habit stick…so be sure to give yourself a realistic amount of time to integrate a new routine into your life. If you can commit to something for all of January then you are more likely to continue it beyond the month.

Additionally, you can look at it as adding in a new healthy habit each month. That means 12 new health goals you can integrate into your daily routine over the course of the year!

Stop waiting around and let’s get started!

8. Prioritize your sleep

I don’t think the average person realizes just how important sleep is for our health. A constant state of sleep deprivation takes a major toll on our mental, physical, and emotional health.

It even affects our bodies' immune health - think about when you get run down, tired and stressed…don't you always seem to get sick a lot of the time as well? That’s because our body's immune system becomes suppressed and we are unable to fight off the pathogens we come in contact with on a daily basis.

The average adult should get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. So turn off the tv and other screens about an hour before you want to go to bed and prioritize getting as much sleep as you can.

9. Don’t get frustrated if you fall off track or don’t achieve a goal on your set timeline

This is an important one - don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day of exercise, splurge on the birthday cake or get a bad night of sleep. We’re only human and no one can plan out EVERY day perfectly and have it go as planned. That’s just not realistic!

So shake off the disruptions to your goals and decide that the next day you’ll get back on track. Because one day doesn’t define your success. It’s what you do the majority of your days that determines your health and lifestyle.

10. Get help!

Don’t be afraid to get help in the areas you need it! Identify your goals that require extra support and find the professionals that can help you. If you know that your nutrition routine is solid but that exercise is a struggle for you, then hire a personal trainer.

As a holistic nutritionist, my passion is helping people find a nutrition routine that will work for them every day. Not a fad diet they can follow for 6 weeks and then go back to their old habits once they’re done with it. So if you need help with anything nutrition related, check out my services to see how I can help you achieve your health goals in the new year (and beyond!). I’d love to help you find some easy and healthy meal prep ideas that will work for you and your family.

Now take these 10 tips, create some health goals, and make 2023 your healthiest year yet! You got this!

Wishing you health and wellness,

Ashley