My 2018 Health /Wellness Goals

Hello, everyone! And Happy New Year! I was originally supposed to post my health journey this week on the blog, but I decided I need to wait a few weeks to post that in order to give you all the information. For wellness purposes, I had some tests done this past winter break so once I get my results I will go finish and publish my "Health Journey" blog post for you all! Health and wellness have been such a big part of my life the past two years, especially the last year. Throughout the year there will definitely be individual blog posts where I update you on how these resolutions are going.

1. Less consumption of refined sugar: So this is probably going to be pretty tough for me, but I love myself a great challenge. This not only means the obvious sugary foods like chocolate, donuts, and cakes, but it also means the hidden sugars that can be found in many other foods. There are so many hidden sugars in the foods we eat (I'm talking about packaged and processed foods) that we don't know about. Hidden sugars can even be found in healthier foods like bagels, almond milk, oatmeal, and nut mix for example. Eliminating refined sugar out of my diet will not only make me feel a million times better, but it will make me more aware of what I am putting into my body overall. Something I got really good at doing throughout last year is reading the ingredients on labels. If you too are trying to lessen or eliminate your sugar intake, be on the lookout for these names as well: high fructose corn syrup, molasses, dried cane syrup, sucrose and brown rice syrup.

2. Less caffeine Give me the title for caffeine queen. I have so much caffeine in a day that I can't even keep track. BUT I had recently been having trouble sleeping at night, and even though I was exhausted I couldn't go to sleep. I would get muscle spasm/tremors, and stomach aches. I did some research and I found out caffeine could be the cause of it ALL. Shortly before the new year started I had already cut back on my chai latte Starbucks runs, but I am going to make it a huge effort to not consume as much caffeine this year. I will definitely do a blog post about an update on how less caffeine has made an impact on me.

3. Meditate Let's face it, life can get pretty stressful at times... okay, a lot of times! So, I want to make it an effort to meditate this year whenever I feel like I need to take a breather. Even meditating in the morning is something I want to start practicing. Some of the many benefits of meditating are increased self-awareness, better concentration, less stress, and so much more!

4. Develop an AM and PM skincare routine This has been a goal of mine for the past 3 years! However, I feel dedicated to finally figuring out a skincare routine for myself this time around. I used to have such bad acne when I was in middle school that I had to go to a dermatologist. Let me tell you, there were so many steps in my routine. But for the amount of money my parents were paying, it didn't work as good as it should. Then one day in high school, my skin just gradually got clearer. Even though it got clearer, there were still small traces of my bad skin from the past. I truly believe that taking care of your skin now is so important for having great skin when you're older. I also want to use cruelty-free, and natural products.

6. Live a minimalist life Oh boy, this is going to be tough. But living a minimalist life is so good for your mind, and it is life-changing. Minimalism is simply having less in your life, and only having things you TRULY need. Having less clutter in your life will not only reduce stress, but it will also allow you to focus on the important things in life. Clinging to materialistic possessions builds stress because we are afraid of losing them. This is why it's so important to identify what really matters. For 2018, I want to create a life that is happy, peaceful, and free through minimalism.

#Wellness #Health