It’s normal to over indulge during the festive season, in fact towards the end of the year many of us  slip into unhealthy habits. Now is the perfect time to make good health and wellbeing your new year’s resolution! 

Here are some things you can do to improve your physical and mental wellness to make 2023 your healthiest year yet.

• Commit to eating more raw food: Hopewood’s proven natural health philosophy advocates an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet with 60% raw food. While we do suggest 60% of your diet should be eaten raw, not everyone can comfortably eat this volume of raw food at first, especially if their digestive system is stressed and tired. So start with soups and lightly steamed veggies.

• Start your day with a healthy breakfast: Eat something high in fibre that includes protein to keep you feeling full and energised. If you start the day right, you tend to eat better throughout the day. 

• Stay hydrated: Your body relies on water to complete daily tasks. To ensure you are staying hydrated, keep track of how much water you are consuming, make drinking a glass of water part of your normal routine, carry a water bottle and choose hydrating snacks like cucumber, celery or watermelon. 

• Move more and sit less: Exercise can give you a fantastic energy boost. It can also assist with managing weight, reducing the risk of certain health conditions while improving your mental wellbeing. Work 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine and find small ways to keep moving as much as possible throughout the day. Try a standing desk at work and park your car five minutes away from wherever you are going to encourage short bursts of additional walking. 

• Get into nature: Fresh air and making time to get out into the natural environment are essential to our wellbeing. This year, try to get into nature at least once a week. Deep breaths of clean fresh mountain air, a walk in bushland, bare feet on the grass or the sand all do wonders for our health!

• Learn to relax: It’s vital to make time to rest and recharge. Meditation, yoga, beauty therapy and massage are all great ways to manage stress. Commit to regular self care this year!
• Improve your sleep habits: We all know how quality sleep can improve our wellbeing. Some tips for improving your sleep include sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, keeping your bedroom quiet, dark and cool, avoid using technology in bed, limit afternoon naps, avoid caffeine and exercise regularly.

We hope you have a healthy 2023!