Winter can be a time when motivation is lacking and health gets forgotten. Rainy days and dark mornings make getting up for exercise harder, cold days and heavy coats make comfort food so much more attractive than chicken salads and hot chocolates or just one more coffee seem more appealing than drinking water.
Unfortunately for many of us, this means that every Spring we are forever chasing our Summer bodies and trying to get our health goals back on track. It’s like two steps forward and three steps back!
For those with hormonal health conditions or trying to conceive, getting off track with your goals can be frustrating and may cause your symptoms to worsen. For example, in women with PCOS who are avoiding grains and sugars to reduce insulin sensitivity in the ovaries and encourage regular ovulation, going back to eating toast for breakfast and indulging in some afternoon chocolate can be enough to inhibit ovulation and create long, irregular menstrual cycles.
For women suffering from endometriosis, going back to drinking milky coffees and not eating enough fresh veggies can contribute to increased pain and inflammation during their next period.
Studies have shown that sharing one bottle of wine per week while undergoing IVF can reduce that couple’s chance of success by over 25% – these examples are not designed to be scary or make you think that you have to follow the perfect diet 100% of the time but just shows that sometimes very small differences in what you are doing can change your health outcomes.
I am a big believer in balance and moderation but sometimes you need to get motivated to create real change! The Seed iPhone App can help you stick to your goals by providing you with personalised diet and lifestyle tips including meal suggestions and recipes to help you achieve your optimal health goals.
Research has found that when achieving goals, your chance of success increases by 33% if it is shared with others and a massive 75% if money is put on the line. Promise or Pay is an awesome website (http://promiseorpay.com) which combines these two statistics and helps you stick to your goals by donating money to charity if you don’t follow through! Check out their website to set your goal, put money on it and get support!
Make now the perfect time to set some health goals and be one step ahead before Spring! My goal is to get 10,000 steps daily or I am going to donate $150 to Sustainable Table which is an environmental charity providing free tools to help Aussies eat sustainably, for the good of our environment, farmers, animals and health. Check out Promise or Pay and make your pledge today. What will your health goal be?
