Hello.

It's a fresh new year and I know a few people who have set daunting fitness goals for the year 2017. We all want to be healthy and fit - and so we attempt to create a list of ideals for where we want to be health-wise. Here are five tips to help you on your way to a healthier you:

One.

Drink More Water.

This one is not very easy if you cannot stand the taste of water or simply do not remember to drink water during the day. However, it's easier to remember to drink your required dose of about eight glasses of water, if you have some reminder to do so. A great trick is to have a large bottle of water of about one litre, which you can place on your desk or carry around with you - and from which you drink over pre-determined intervals, Water is good for hair, skin, digestion and so much more. Drink up!

Two.

Green Tea.

Green Tea is a great drink because of it's many benefits. It contains antioxidants and is reputed to aid in fat loss, while also improving brain function. It is also a great substitute for coffee. Although the taste could take some getting use to, adding lemon or honey or both improves the taste tremendously and makes for a refreshing drink to be consumed throughout the day.

Three.

Quiet Time. 

We currently live in a very fast-paced world where everyone is busy doing everything, all the time. We sometimes forget to take the time out for ourselves. Taking a few minutes a day to sit in a quiet space could do wonders for stress levels and also improve creativity. 

Four.

Exercise.

There's not much to say here. Just do it!

Five.

Food Substitution.

There are a-million-and-one diets out there today guaranteeing weight loss with the elimination of everything but leaves and water; and without disregarding the importance of both , sometimes outright elimination makes it really difficult to stick with such diets. A modified version would be to make simple food substitutions, one at a time. Take for example, replacing full cream milk with almond milk; or replacing white bread with whole wheat bread; or substituting green tea for coffee. This method makes it easier to make great lifestyle changes for health improvement, as the changes are not so drastic as to cause major resistance.

I hope these tips have been helpful. What tips help you live a healthier lifestyle?

xo 

The Nines and Prosper Team