Adhering to New Year's resolutions is difficult! Obviously, in the beginning we are excited to achieve our goals. We dive first with a rigorous schedule and sophisticated tools that will help us stay on track. Thus, we get exhausted and started to see that the expectations we set are not realistic. Some of us last for a few weeks, while others only a few days, but we all fail in the same way.
The philosophy of the Clube Meu Equilíbrio (My Balance Club) is based on the mantra of the four pillars: food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. So I'm here to share ideas to nourish all the pillars of your being so that you feel good!
New habits - New resolutions for a new year or a new decade.
The beginning of a new cycle is a special moment. It is a time for renewal, a time for growth and a time for making a new list of goals. The new year symbolizes a new beginning. There is a deeper meaning to New Year's resolutions, but we end up losing touch with that over the years. We have become impartial to this. That is why I propose that we commit ourselves to something deeper; to create new habits.
This guide describes healthy habits for a happy life that I have been committed to for some time. Whether our goal is to lose weight, relieve stress or prevent aging by committing to these habits every day, we will establish a routine that will set the tone for the new decade.
Weight Loss Habits - 1 - Recognizing Willpower
The intention of each of these new habits to lose weight is to clean, renew and train. Weight loss is something that will be achieved as a result, but the foundation we are establishing is to strengthen our minds and our bodies. This is not a quick fix, loves! If the goal is weight loss, it is important to remember how long it took to accumulate it. Which brings me to the first new habit ...
Weight Loss Habits - 1 - Recognizing Willpower
A healthy lifestyle is easy to achieve. With so many processed foods, sugary drinks and lame excuses, it is no wonder that we gain weight. Especially on holidays! Therefore, it is important to recognize our daily choices. When we decide to get that candy or coffee full of sugar from the waiting room somewhere, let's think about how it will make us feel after digestion. Sure, it will taste very good at first, but it will make us feel too electric, irritated or even too tired. Instead, why not have a cup of unsweetened, caffeine-free herbal tea and leave the candy for someone else. Better yet, make an elixir of those I recommend in my Instagram or a homemade truffle (dates, cocoa powder and crushed nuts) and put in your purse.
There is so much beauty and a sense of power when we deny temptation. In addition, the decisions we make help to motivate the people around us. Inspire a revolution!
Weight loss habits - 2 - Warm water with lemon
This is a great way to start the day! Lemons are full of vitamins and antioxidants, and are natural cleansers too! These tasty “beauties” will boost our immunity while they detoxify our digestive tract and cleanse our liver. Warm water also helps with digestion, so this combination is a great way to prevent bloating. All of this symbolizes renewal and balance.
The addition of warm water with lemon as a daily ritual is an essential habit of the My Balance Club routine and benefits weight loss in several ways.
First, we are hydrating our body. Second, it helps to eliminate toxic waste and speeds up our metabolism. Third, we are replenishing essential vitamins and minerals, allowing our bodies to function at optimal levels.
Also try this lemon elixir as a beautifying reward for overcoming our daily temptations!
3 minute recipe: 1 glass of water or coconut water, a pinch of turmeric, half a spoon of chia and a squeezed lemon. (In the photo, lemon from my friend Graxa’s backyard).
Weight loss habits - 3 - Eat when you are hungry
Many studies speak of the benefits of intermittent fasting. Studies have shown that it can improve memory and brain function, reduce asthma symptoms and assist with weight loss. This is how it works ... There is an 8-10 hour window to eat during the day. So, if we stop eating at 6pm, we won't be able to eat again until 10am. What this does is allow our bodies to use their stored fats for energy.
Another benefit of intermittent fasting is the so-called reduced digestive energy expenditure. Our digestion requires a ton of energy, and intermittent fasting allows that energy to be applied to other functions in the body, such as our hormones, our endocrine system and our skin.
This ritual is not for everyone, doing for many hours can especially affect those who struggle with eating disorders, female hormonal imbalance and those who have a health problem should talk to their doctors, nutritionists and therapists first. Also, consider starting small, with a 12-hour fast. Start once a week and see how you feel. We don't have to do anything extreme.
Stress Relief Habits
Stress distracts us from reaching our ultimate goal, happiness. Too much stress can affect our hormones, interrupt our focus and damage our relationship with others. In addition, stress can really make us sick, damaging our immune system. Relieving stress also goes hand in hand with weight loss.
Here are some effective rituals to help you relieve stress!
Stress Relief Habit - 1 - Breathing Exercises
We can effectively relieve stress with breathing. It seems too easy, right? But it is so true. Proper breathing ensures that we receive more oxygen in the brain and heart. Our breathing tends to be shallow during the day. This means that we do not expand and fill the full capacity of our lungs with fresh oxygen. Consequently, this means that we also do not expel all used air, which becomes carbon monoxide.
Ujjayi Breathing - This breathing exercise, also known as “ocean breathing”, is used in yoga to help increase oxygenation, to develop self-awareness and ground yourself [2]. You don't need a yoga mat to do this. Start by breathing deeply through your nose, filling your belly, then expanding to your upper abdomen for four seconds and then exhaling for another four seconds. The passage of air through the throat produces an oceanic sound.
Meditation - Meditation has been practiced for centuries as a way of reducing stress and leading to mental clarity. Close your eyes and instead of focusing on your thoughts, focus on your breathing. Along with reducing stress, meditation can also improve focus.
This morning ritual will help you to reduce stress and better prepare your mind for the day. Also, take a look at the exercises I left in the highlights of my Instagram.
Stress Relief Habit -2 - Practice Gratitude
Studies have shown that practicing gratitude lowers aggression levels and can help overcome depression . Expressing gratitude can be as easy as telling our other significant person or child how much we appreciate their help with the dishes, or saying, "Thank you" to someone who keeps the door open for us.
Let's take this even further, combining gratitude with another ritual. With each breathing cycle, we can think of something for which we are grateful for. Who said we are not good at multitasking ?!
Stress Relief Habit - 3 – Writing Affirmations
Affirmations are powerful tools that channel energy into our beliefs and goals. These are statements that inspire change and positivity. As we repeat them, we begin to program our minds to believe and manifest them.
Here are some of my favorite statements:
"I focus on the joy and in the light regardless of the situation".
"There are no limits to my creativity and my ability to give and receive love and abundance."
"I am never really alone, because I am one with the whole."
Write a statement on a post it, or in your calendar.
Keep it next to the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator door, or on the desk, and say it out loud every morning as you prepare to start your day.
Ritual for Longevity
Restoring and preserving our youth is important for all of us, regardless of age. Performing these rituals beautifies our skin, increases our resilience and allows us to shine from the inside out.
Ritual to age well
1 - Drink Your Nutrients -
The Clube Meu Equilíbrio focuses on improving our health and beauty by obtaining our nutrients from whole foods. The quickest way to replenish our energy and restore our youthful glow is to drink our nutrients!
Here are some of my favorite anti-aging vitamins and elixirs:
Sparkling Green Smoothie - This green smoothie version is perfect for those who like creaminess. It is packed with high quality vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibers and amino acids. All of this benefits our digestion and our beauty from the inside out:
Receita:
1 cup filtered water
1 cup full of chopped spinach
1 cup of Ora-pro-nobis or Toscana Kale
1 small apple (or half a large one)
1/2 banana
1 thin slice of fresh ginger
1/2 fresh lemon
1 coffee spoon of spirulina (optional)
Mix all the ingredients in a blender till you achieve a creamy consistency and you're done.
Sleeping Beauty Elixir - Sleep is one of beauty’s vital components, and this drink has all the necessary ingredients to induce a restful night's sleep. I am a big supporter of sleep. I used to care when my colleagues were given me nicknames such as “grandma” just because of my habit of going to bed early but not anymore.
Receita:
1 1⁄2 cups unsweetened vegetable milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon of edible lavender (or lavender tea bag)
1 spoon of coconut sugar or a few drops of Stevia. (If the milk is already sweetened, do not add anything)
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Directions:
In a small saucepan add vegetable milk, cinnamon stick and lavender over medium heat until boiling. Mix the vanilla extract and Stevia or coconut sugar for another 1 minute. Enjoy!
Ritual to age well - 2 - Use more natural products
Another principle of the Clube Meu Meu Equilibrio is to reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins in our lives. In addition to our food, this also means our cleaning products, personal care products and our makeup and beauty products. Research or ask your dermatologist what are the best options for your skin type.
Ritual to Age Well - 3 - Move!
Last but not least, this final ritual supports each of these goals. Daily exercise not only increases our youthful energy and brightness, it also relieves stress by triggering the release of happy chemicals in our brains called endorphins. And, of course, exercise opens the door to weight loss! You don't need a gym or sophisticated equipment to benefit from exercising. Here's what I've been doing lately.
Walk - One of my favorite things to do lately is walking. There is so much positive energy and beauty in nature, and I often lose track of time when I walk outdoors. But when I can't, I listen to a podcast or video and exercise in the treadmill. But if none of this is an option, I just leave my house to walk around. I used to leave and walk through the neighborhoods of my city where there were lots of hills, back in the days, I had no resistance to run.
Practice Yoga - Yoga is my passion, it is my temple. In addition to my degree in journalism, being a Portuguese teacher and a master in teaching English as a foreign language, I am also a certified yoga instructor. The daily practice of hot yoga makes me happy and keeps me balanced. It is where I incorporate deep breathing with muscle strengthening thus illuminates my mind and tones my body.
Small steps turn into big jumps!
Before you know it, this 15-minute walk will turn into two a day.
Our brains crave endorphins because they make us happy.
And the more we increase our daily physical activity, the happier and healthier we become.
Anyway, my loves! These rituals are the basis for not only a happy new year, but for a life of well-being, full of peace, power and growth. I hope that what I wrote can help you with weight loss journey, stress reduction and quality aging.
With love,
Translation by Aline Sanchez