The start of a new year usually calls for big resolutions, unrealistic goals, and sometimes disappointment.
In 2020, make a promise to yourself that you will set small, attainable goals that you can accomplish! At MNGI Digestive Health, we teamed up with our group of skilled dietitians to help you make the smartest choices when you set your New Year’s Resolution.
Two easy and healthy goals you can incorporate into your daily lives are including more vegetables with breakfast and drinking more water every day! By taking these small steps, you are helping yourself live a happier and healthier life.
Vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals for your body that help maintain your health. But eating vegetables the same way for every meal can be boring and cause you to crave some not-so-healthy alternatives.
Adding vegetables to breakfast is an easy way to include a couple more servings into your day. Try a veggie omelet in the morning for added energy! You can also try adding shredded zucchini or carrots to a whole wheat pancake batter or have a quinoa bowl topped with egg and sautéed greens (kale, collard), bell pepper, avocado, and tomato.
If you like to make fresh, homemade alternatives to the food you love, try this recipe for homemade V8 juice:
- 4 cups tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup carrot, diced
- Small sliver of beet (mostly for color)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 cup water, divided
- 1/4 cup spinach
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Add all the ingredients above into a blender and pulse until you have achieved your desired juice texture.
Making sure you are drinking plenty of water is another small, yet important thing you can do for your health! Staying hydrated benefits your digestion and keeps your gut healthy. Even if you can’t constantly drink water all day, there are unique ways you can up your water intake!
Try adding flavor to your water by incorporating fresh fruit like lemon, lime, strawberries and grapefruit, vegetables like cucumber, ginger, and celery, or herbs like basil and mint. You can also eat more water-rich foods like cucumber, zucchini, and watermelon.
There are habits you can create which will make drinking water second nature! Try drinking a glass of water every time you have a bathroom break. It is an easy reminder to keep hydrating! You can also use an app on your phone to track your water intake. Apps like Daily Water Free or Daily Water can be downloaded for free and can be used to help set reminders and alarms.
The start of 2020 is a great time to set goals that can help you live a healthier and better life! Remember to keep them small and have a plan on how you will achieve them. Small steps of progress will turn into big achievements for you in 2020!
