New Year, New Me....

I haven't made any New Year's resolutions for several years now - because I never keep them. But this year I feel more motivated to make changes for the better so I thought I'd give it a go. And perhaps sharing my progress will help me stay on track and reach my goals.

So what's so different this year? Well, I have a significant birthday coming up and they tell me "life begins" so it's an added incentive for change. Plus, over the last two years I have managed to address a few minor health issues that used to get in my way (and provide an easy excuse when I couldn't be bothered).

Here is what I want to achieve in 2012 (in no particular order):

1. To run more regularly, and improve my pace and distance
2. To get a grip on my eating habits
3. To keep on top of my paperwork
4. To replace as many 'toxic' products with organic (more of this in a future blog)

I'm also hoping that by sticking to resolutions 1 and 2, I'll lose some weight!

How is it going so far?

I decided to start as I mean to go on so, despite the pouring rain, I went for a run on New Year's Day and I actually really enjoyed it! Since then I have run every Wednesday and Sunday and as I start to feel fitter, I plan to increase this to three times a week. I love getting outside in the fresh air with my cheesy music on the ipod. And I have my sights set on a few races throughout the year as well, beginning with the Stubbington 10k this Sunday and I'm very much looking forward to the Olympic Park Run in March (more of this in a future blog).

And to tackle the healthy eating, I decided to try a 10-day elimination diet with Nature's Sunshine's Healthy Starter Programme for support.

The Elimination Diet enables the body to get rid of toxins, allowing a 'clean slate' if you like for healthy changes in food habits. If you want to try it for yourself, here is what to do:

Eliminate:

Gluten
Sugar
Dairy
Red Meat
Processed and Fried Foods
Caffeine
Salt
Alcohol
Tap Water

Increase:

Plant proteins
Healthy fats (coconut oil for example)
Fresh (preferably organic) fruit and veg
Filtered or Mineral Water

Ten days ended today. I found it really easy to stick to the rules and, despite the 'detox' headache on day one, I have felt better and better with each passing day. I have more energy (which helps with the running!) and after about three days I realised I was also feeling much more motivated (helping with resolution 3). I had a few 'spotty' days but now my skin is clearer and brighter. Taking the supplements before every meal was really easy as well as each dose comes in its own pack. I chose to do the Programme which includes Liquid Chlorophyll to add to water and aid cleansing (amongst other benefits) and Bifidophilus to replenish healthy gut flora after the 10 day cleanse. But I have used the Healthy Starter Pack previously with good results. It's definitely worth a try.

I have lost just under 5.5lbs which is an added bonus and has made me more determined to maintain healthier eating habits now that the 'strict' 10 days are over. The next step is to start to reintroduce in moderation some of the items from the 'avoid' list. I plan to reintroduce foods which I know I can handle - dairy and salt (and alcohol come the birthday). I don't eat red meat anyway and I will be avoiding wheat (my nemesis) for the rest of the month at least and aiming to keep it to a minimum thereafter! I'm going to try and stay caffeine-free too but I may treat myself to a fresh coffee at the weekends.

If you're trying the plan for yourself, the reintroduction phase should help you identify foods that you don't cope so well with, so introduce one at a time and see how you feel with it back in your diet over a period of a few days before introducing the next item. Wheat, dairy and sugar are the most common culprits of food intolerance.

It's early days but so far, so good! Let's see how long it lasts...