A Better Approach to New Year's Resolutions
How about trading in the lofty New Year’s resolutions that often leave us feeling deprived and unhappy for living an intentional and mindful year that prioritizes self-care?
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
While self-care has become quite the trendy term, it simply boils down to prioritizing one’s own physical and mental health. It requires turning inward to uncover the things that bring joy + gratitude, and ensuring we do more of those things!
So, instead of creating a rigid list of things you’re swearing off, consider creating a list you can draw upon whenever you’d like to revitalize your commitment to self-love and self-care. Begin this self-care list by taking inventory of all of the things that bring you joy. This list may include people, places, activities, hobbies, and perhaps even smells and tastes! Know that this list is ever-evolving, so remain flexible and update it as needed.
Let’s call this list your rhythms list. I’ve swapped out “resolutions” and “goals” for rhythm. This simple swap has brought me more peace and joy with my goals and how I choose to show up for them. I think it just might have that same effect on you. :)
rhythm \ ˈri-t͟həm \ noun: movement, fluctuation, or variation marked by the regular recurrence or natural flow of related elements.
Have a different name you’d like to use? Go for it! You want to choose a word that resonates with you. Last year I used the word ritual and I’ll often interchange rhythm with ritual now.
Cultivating a self-care practice takes time and it’s different for every person, which I think is pretty cool. Self-care happens in things like the foods you choose to eat, the way you approach and take on movement, how to show up to be with your children, how you choose to start and end your day, and so on.
Each one is important and unique. There isn’t a set self-care list. The point is to recognize what you need to do to engage in a loving + sustainable self-care practice, and then start slowly sifting those things into your life.
Creating your rhythms list shouldn’t be stressful or degrading. Instead, it should excite you, bring you joy, and give you a sense of release. If it doesn't, re-evaluate your list and cut out anything you dread. Sure, make it challenging if you want, but the idea isn’t to create a list you want to avoid at all costs..
Be kind to yourself and be brutally honest with what you want to do.
Some of my rhythms this year –
Go camping/ hiking 2x a month
Drink lemon water with ginger coins every morning
Get outside at least 15 minutes a day
Meditate or journal my thoughts Monday- Friday
Share with my husband how much I love and appreciate him every day
I don’t recommend writing out more than 10. If you’re hesitant as to how many you want to do, start with three and re-evaluate after a few months. Again, these rhythms are meant to ebb and flow, and they are YOURS to modify!
“Lots of love in, lots of love out. ”
To help you succeed at this ongoing self-care practice, I’ve curated a list of foods you can draw on to incorporate as part of your self-care practice. For each of these foods, buy organic and local whenever possible to reduce pesticides and toxins on your foods and increase support of your community and local growers.
Foods to help you focus –
Salmon (and other fatty fish)
Many researchers consider DHA to be the most important fat found in the human brain, and the unusual concentration of this omega-3 fatty acid in salmon helps explain the research-documented benefits of salmon, including better brain function, better overall cell function, and improved control of the body's inflammatory processes (1).
Strawberries
The strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits provided by strawberries have proven to improve brain function. Certain research studies have shown the connection between strawberry consumption and new nerve generation in the hippocampus, which is often involved in the learning and recall of new information(2)!
Cinnamon
Just smelling the wonderful aroma of this sweet spice boosts brain activity! Purchase cinnamon in its dried stick or powder form, or as a high-quality essential oil to diffuse in your home office. My favorite – Ceylon cinnamon.
Other suggested foods – avocado, blueberries, oranges, walnuts, and green tea.
Foods to decrease stress and tension –
Turmeric
Prized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, recent studies have shown the spice plays an active role in treating various central nervous system disorders as well as offering a protective action against stress (3). Turmeric can be utilized either fresh or dried and is easily incorporated into many types of cuisines.
Tip – always add a couple of cracks or a pinch of black pepper to activate curcumin, the healing property in turmeric.
Eggs (and other proteins)
Incorporating high-quality, pasture-raised and organic, protein, like eggs, is key to supporting your body through stress as it will fuel your system from a cellular level, ensuring your body will return to balance. Eggs are also an excellent source of choline, a nutrient that has been shown to play an important role in brain health and may protect against stress (4).
Leafy greens
Leafy greens, including spinach, kale, and chard, all contain choline as well, which as mentioned above, play an important role in managing and reducing stress in the body. Additionally, the antioxidant richness found in leafy greens is helpful in the reduction of oxidative stress.
Other suggested foods – broccoli, parsley, organ meats, sweet potatoes, and filtered water.
Foods to soothe and relax you –
Walnuts
A fascinating aspect of walnuts and their potential health benefits involves their naturally occurring melatonin. Melatonin is a widely-active messaging molecule in our nervous system and is critical in the regulation of sleep, daily (circadian) rhythms, light-dark adjustment, and other processes (5). If you’re looking for improved sleep and relaxation, grab a handful of walnuts!
Tip – choose sprouted nuts and seeds when you can! Soaking and sprouting nuts and seeds makes them more digestible and increases your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients.
Chamomile
Chamomile is best known for its wonderful calming action and is used to ease tension and stress, emotional upset, nervousness, and insomnia (6). Purchasing dried, organic flowers in bulk is an easy and affordable way to always have chamomile on hand to be utilized as a tea, compress, or a lovely addition to your bath.
My favorite herbal companies are Mountain Rose Herbs and Starwest Botanicals.
Bananas
Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium, an important mineral that relaxes your muscles and activates your parasympathetic nervous system that regulates “rest and digest”.
Other suggested foods – honey, nuts, seeds, and eggs.
Foods to energize you –
Coffee or Green Tea
Both beverages naturally contain caffeine that stimulates the brain and central nervous system, helping you stay alert and energized. If coffee makes you too jittery, swap your afternoon pick me up for green tea.
Tip – Coffee is the top sprayed crop for pesticides, so always buy organic + fair trade coffee and organic tea. One of my favorite coffee companies is Purity Coffee. because they double-check their beans for mold and toxins and their coffee is easy on the stomach. Plus, their decaf coffee undergoes the Swiss water method, which is a gentle and safe way to remove the caffeine.
*Use SCATO20 to receive 20% off and free shipping on your first order of Purity Coffee.
*Read up on coffee benefits here and get my warming + healthy creamer recipe!
Cacao
Cacao is a superfood that will boost your energy! It comes in many different forms, including powder and nibs, and can be added to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, or chia seed pudding. I love adding it to my creamer sometimes and my overnight oats!
Apples
Due to its comprehensive macronutrient and micronutrient profile, this fruit provides a burst of energy in the form of carbohydrates and natural sugars, while also stabilizing blood sugar.
Other suggested foods – rice, quinoa, potatoes, pineapple, and dark chocolate (buy at least 70% chocolate for the health benefits).
Re-framing complicated resolutions for clear intentions and rhythms will help support your goals and get them to stick. Sustainability doesn’t just have to do with our environment and the clothing we choose to buy! You can choose to cultivate and embrace a sustainable self-care practice, as well. This will, in turn, help you to create and embrace more joy + gratitude + presence + slower living.
Yeah, I’m all about that too.
Tell me – do you have a word you use in place of goals? Or a system in place that helps you to do a little better than the year before?
Wishing you health, happiness, and joy for 2021!
Sources
“Salmon.” The World's Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=104.
“Strawberries.” The World's Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=32.
Kulkarni, S K, and A Dhir. “An Overview of Curcumin in Neurological Disorders.” Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medknow Publications, Mar. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929771.
Glenn, Melissa J, et al. “Supplemental Dietary Choline during Development Exerts Antidepressant-like Effects in Adult Female Rats.” Brain Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 14 Mar. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327365/.
“Walnuts.” The World's Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=99#healthbenefits.
Justis, Posted By Angela. “A Family Herb: Chamomile Flower.” Herbal Academy, 25 Jan. 2018, theherbalacademy.com/a-family-herb-chamomile-flower/.