If you only do one thing this week… Try our No-Diet, New Year Detox!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas last week! As we give 2013 a traditional, joyful send off, we welcome another year with new opportunities and a chance to have a fresh start.

Most of us are already thinking about New Years resolutions and how we can try to make 2014 a healthier one. Who’s tried giving up chocolate in the past? How did it go? Rubbish? Don’t worry your not alone! In 2012, The Daily Mail reported that out of 3,000 surveyed Britons, three-quarters admitted that after just nine days, they were no longer confident they would stick to their health or fitness resolutions for the rest of the month! It’s not surprising. As soon as you tell yourself you’re going to cut out something, it seems the brains is programmed to want it even more. So, this year H&H want to show you how to kick start the New Year in a slightly different way. We want to encourage you all to add something into your life that will benefit your health, whether it’s trying out a new exercise class or adding more superfoods in to your diet. This is a New Years detox with a twist! So forget restrictions and deprivation diets, it’s all about taking something up, rather than giving something up!

Here are some H&H resolution ideas to help you get started: 

Start your day with something green – What’s better than to start your day with something as nutritious as a green juice or smoothie? You’re giving your body a head start and it will set you up perfectly for the day ahead. A green juice, as well as a healthy and nutritious breaky will also help ward off sugar cravings…leaving you less likely to munch on unhealthy foods later on. Start great, stay great! Why not try our Jolly Green Giant smoothie recipe – http://www.hipandhealthy.co.uk/hip-healthy-smoothie-challenge-sponsored-herbalife-day-10/

Try a new class or workout – Stuck in an exercise rut? Fancy a change of pace? Give your body a new challenge by trying out a new class in your gym or even trying a completely new form of exercise altogether. Crazy about spinning? Why not add a few yoga classes in between to restore and release your body. Or perhaps you feel like swapping your zumba for ballet bare classes? Whatever you choose, it will open your eyes to a whole new way of keeping fit and you never know, you might really enjoy the change!

Add Organic – Choosing organic food is the ultimate healthy indulgence for any fittie. We’d all love a completely organic life but it can be hard, especially if you’re on a food budget. Instead, we suggest to buy just a few items organically as a step towards doing something good for your health. Ever heard of The Dirty Dozen? It’s a list of foods that are most likely to be contaminated with pesticides and horrible toxins. If you’re going to buy something organic, definitely choose it from the list below:

Peaches

Apples

Sweet Bell Peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Pears

Grapes

Spinach

Lettuce

Potatoes

Discover a new superfood – There are so many superfoods to choose from, and it can get a bit confusing as to which one to buy. We suggest incorporating a new superfood once a month to see how it makes you feel. Maybe you’ll go for the green goddess, Spirulina in January for a detox hit, and maybe Baobab in dull and dreary February to give you an energy boost! We love Organic Burst’s Spirulina – http://www.organicburst.com/spirulina/ and Aduna’s Baobab – http://www.aduna.com/

Try one new recipe every week – We can all easily get used to cooking our old faves time and time again simply because we know they’re going to taste yummy and they’re familiar to us. But our bodies can become used to eating the same foods and it can lead to nutritional gaps. Trying a new recipe every week can be a great way to spend time with your family and it’s always great when you find a dish that you know will become a regular! Variety is the spice of life!

words by Molly Jennings