New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthy New Year

The new year represents new beginnings, and many people set goals and resolutions to become better people during the upcoming year. Are some of your resolutions or goals about becoming healthier, devoting more time and energy to building your business, or using essential oils more every day? If so, keep reading and check out the other posts in this series:
New Year’s Resolutions for a Successful New Year
New Year’s Resolutions for Living an Essential Oil Lifestyle

The hardest part of goals usually lies in their implementation. Having the desire to change is the first step, but you also need a plan. First, decide what your goal is, and prioritize it in relation to everything else you have going on. Then, list out specific things you will do each day, week, and/or month in order to achieve your goal. As you do these things, keep track of your progress so that you can look back and see how far you have come. Keep a journal, and record the things you’ve done. Track progress by finding a way to quantify your goal. Such measurements could include how much you weigh each week, time spent in a specific activity, body measurements, or how you feel. Write down discoveries you have had such as new insights, things that work well for you or things that don’t, new recipes to incorporate in your diet, or exercises to try.

Weight Loss

Goals to lose weight are very common this time of year and, unfortunately, are often difficult to achieve. There are many facets to losing weight. Sometimes weight loss can be achieved through diet and exercise; other times, one may need to rid the body of toxins that are preventing weight loss. 

When trying to detox your body or lose weight, it is important to drink a lot of water. Your body needs water to flush toxins as well as to keep your organs doing their proper functions. How much water should you drink? To figure this out, simply take your weight and divide it by 2. The answer you get is the minimum number of ounces of water you should drink per day. To aid in weight loss, however, your body will benefit from more than the bare minimum. Multiply your weight by 2/3 (or .67) to get the amount of water you should consume if weight loss is one of your aims. So, for example, if you are 200 lbs, then you should be drinking a minimum of 100 oz. and ideally 134 oz. of water each day.

Essential oils may also help you achieve your weight loss goals. According to the book Modern Essentials, some oils that may help with weight loss are grapefruit, Metabolic Blend, orange, lemongrass, rosemary, thyme, lavender, Joyful Blend, and patchouli. Modern Essentials suggests adding 5 drops of lemon and 5 drops of grapefruit to 1 gallon of water and drinking it throughout the day. The additional research listed under the “Weight” section in the Personal Usage Guide suggests that grapefruit essential oil may reduce appetite simply by being exposed to the scent of the oil (Modern Essentials, pp. 313–314).

Losing weight may also require lifestyle changes in exercising and eating healthy meals and snacks. Below are some ideas to help inspire you to maintain a healthy diet.

Healthy Eating

If you want to eat healthier, you may want to plan out a meal schedule with healthy meals and healthy snack options. Make a grocery list, and stick to that list, making a diligent effort to not purchase items you didn’t plan for. Shop with a full stomach to prevent extraneous purchases because “it looks so good.”

As soon as you get home after grocery shopping, wash and cut up vegetables and prepare snack-size portions so you have ready-to-eat snacks when you need them. Prepare as much of the food as possible so it isn’t overwhelming when it comes to making the meals each day.

Salads make a great lunch meal or side dish for dinner. A salad can be quite nutritious and easy to make. While at the grocery store, grab the baby spinach or lettuce options that are already pre-washed. Make sure to buy salad topping such as carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumbers, onions, peppers, tomatoes, peas, beans, nuts, and dried or fresh fruit. Wash and cut as many toppings as you can, and combine them into small bags (excluding items such as cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.) for an easy lunch. Make your own dressing (below is a recipe you can start with), and divide it into small condiment containers. When it comes time to eat, just throw some spinach or lettuce on your plate, add a bag of toppings, add extra toppings that are better not prepared ahead of time such as cheese, tomatoes, fresh fruit, etc, and add a small container of your homemade dressing. Then sit back and enjoy this healthy meal that only took a few minutes to prepare!

Creamy Cucumber Dill Dressing

Servings: 1 cup | Time: 5 minutes | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 seedless cucumber, chopped into chunks
• 4 Tbsp. sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (or a combination of the two) Note: Add more if you like a thicker dressing.
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
• 1 drop dill essential oil or 1 Tbsp. dried dill weed
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Put everything in a blender, and blend until smooth. Add spices to taste, and blend for a few more seconds.
2. Chill in the refrigerator, or serve immediately.

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

The following are other healthy food ideas that incorporate essential oils:

We wish you a happy, healthy new year!