Start the New Year Right: Intentional Acts for Eye & Brain Health, Energy, and Sleep

This content was written in partnership with OmniActive Health Technologies for its “Lutein for Every Age” initiative, a consumer awareness initiative with the goal of educating people on the importance of lutein for eye health throughout life. It’s January, and we’re all about that fresh start energy. There’s just something about the new year that makes us all want to do better in all areas of life, especially our wellness. This year let’s skip the over-the-top resolutions and focus on intentional acts and goals that are meaningful, doable, and at the same, downright transformative. A focus on eye and brain health, energy, and sleep—may be the trifecta to feeling your best this year—and a great place to start a new year wellness journey. Why? Achieving progress and benefits in these areas can actually be enjoyable (and tasty!) with the right recipes (and products). Let’s dig into specific health goals for each of these areas of focus, why they matter and how to crush them with ease.  Goal number 1: Prioritize Eye & Brain Health Why It Matters:Your eyes and brain are the ultimate multitaskers, whether you’re hustling through work, scrolling your feed, or sharing laughs with your favorite people. Eye health and brain health are synergistic. Think gut-brain axis. There is an eye-brain axis, and if you notice  issues with vision, it may be a sign that something is going on in the brain.  If you care about your eye and brain health, you’re not alone. A recent survey conducted by OmniActive Health Technologies (I’m a nutritional advisor to the company) found that 76% of people prioritize eye health and 80% value cognitive health.  One of the easiest ways to care for your eyes and brain this year is to incorporate the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin; they’re your secret weapons. These nutrients act as antioxidants to not only help shield your eyes from blue light but also support memory and focus. But here’s the thing: the body cannot make macular carotenoids, so dietary intake (or supplementation) is the only way to get beneficial amounts. Think of lutein and zeaxanthin as your natural vision and brain protectors—good for everyone in the family, from the youngest to the wisest. Here are a couple of delicious ways to get your lutein and zeaxanthin in: When shopping for supplements, look for Lutemax 2020 or Lutemax Kids on the label. They’re formulated to deliver that lutein goodness for healthier vision and sharper focus. Check out  Lutein for Every Age for more expert insights on eye and brain health and how lutein and zeaxanthin work to support eye health and cognition. Goal number 2: Boost Your Energy Why It Matters:Let’s face it: consistent energy is key to tackling everything from your morning workout to after-school carpool—and still having the mojo for a little “me time.” In the same OmniActive survey  81% of people said that they value steady energy, and 69% say it impacts their mood. Makes sense to us. How much better is everything when you feel more alive?  There’s no better reason to fuel your body smarter than to beat the afternoon energy crashes. Nutrition is a game-changer here, helping you stay energized and focused throughout the day. To get you started, aim to do these few things: 1) Start the day with a breakfast of whole real foods to lay a good foundation for the entire day, 2) continue to eat whole real foods consistently throughout the day that provide fiber, protein and healthy fats, 3) stay adequately hydrated and 4) minimize highly packaged processed foods and sugar. This is a great way to ensure proper blood sugar control and steady energy.  Here are some delicious ways to keep your energy up: If you’re still in need of a little boost or mental energy, look for supplements or ready-to-made drinks featuring enXtra. enXtra is a caffeine-free ingredient that can help you power through your day without the crash often experienced when consuming caffeine. It has been shown to increase alertness, focus and attention.  Goal number 3: Improve Your Sleep Why It Matters:Sleep is a pillar of a Nutritious Life for good reason. Sleep is critical to brain function, immune health, and heart health. And, there is a direct link between inadequate hours of sleep and being overweight and obese. Seventy-eight percent of people prioritize better sleep, yet it’s still something many of us struggle with achieving.  Research shows that sleeping only 4 hours per night for 2 nights causes leptin, the satisfaction hormone that tells your body to stop eating, to drop 18%. And levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone that says “eat more,” to jump 28%. There’s a reason you can’t stop chowing after pulling an all-nighter.  Stress, screens, and busy schedules can all wreak havoc on our sleep cycles. This year, give yourself a real bedtime and stick to it, ditch the screens at least 30 minutes prior to going to bed and focus on nighttime eating and drinking habits that support your sleep.  Nighttime foods and drinks to help you sleep better: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nutritious Life | Founded by Keri Glassman (@nutritiouslifeofficial) If you still need help, botanical ingredients such as Sleeproot can help. This low-dose valerian extract can be a game-changer for better sleep hygiene. Recent research suggests that those who took Sleeproot significantly increased actual sleep time and fell asleep faster.  This year, let’s focus on these intentional shifts that make us feel sharp, focused and energized. Prioritizing eye and brain health, maintaining steady energy, and improving sleep are key. With simple lifestyle shifts and a little support from the right products, these goals are absolutely within reach. Check out Lutein for Every Age for more expert advice, recipes, and inspiration. Cheers to your healthiest, most energized year yet! (Image: Unsplash)  

Forget Resolutions: Here are 3 Goals for Health and Happiness in the New Year

New year, new you! Looking at you, girl, with all your best intentions wrapped around you like a warm and cozy blanket. I bet you’re thinking it’s time for a revamp—and you’re not entirely wrong. If you think I’m going to write about setting New Year’s resolutions, you are wrong. Contrary to popular belief, while I am a goal-setter extraordinaire, I am not big on New Year’s resolutions. Why is that, you ask? Well, read on to find out. Focus on Consistency Instead of Resolutions With the holidays and their indulgences just behind us, we often enter the new year looking to undo all the damage we’ve inflicted on ourselves. Some of us believe that we can transform all that indulgence with a few simple resolutions. But it’s rarely that simple. The thing about resolutions is that the best thing they’re good for is to be broken. And a broken resolution only sets you up for a whole lotta disappointment and frustration. Who needs that? None of us, that’s who—especially as we look ahead to all the possibilities of a new year! That’s why I like to think about resolutions in a different way. The key is to shift your thinking to focus on consistency. If you stay consistent with your healthy habits day to day, you don’t just avoid the holiday overindulgences, but you also avoid all the mental baggage that comes with jumping off the healthy bandwagon. (Btw, I’m a big fan of the concept of “conscious indulgence,” where you allow yourself to indulge in things that genuinely bring you joy or that you truly love, without going overboard. That sets you up for a healthier mindset entirely.) RELATED: Why We Should Stop Using The Words ‘Moderation’, ‘Willpower’ and ‘Guilt’ So now that we have that straight, let me tell you what goals (not resolutions!) you can focus on to begin the new year in the best place possible. Below I share three goals to set you up for a happy, prosperous and healthy new year. 3 Goals for Health, Happiness and Prosperity in the New Year Look to the Past for Inspiration As the new year begins, I actually want you to look to the past. Take a look at what has worked for you and what hasn’t previously, and learn from it. If, for example, you’ve always been a breakfast lover, then taking up an intermittent fasting lifestyle in 2025 is not for you. If you’ve always loved a good cardio workout to boost the endorphins and get your mojo on, then maybe skip the yoga sesh for a dance cardio class in the new year. If you love the meditative powers of restorative yoga, then forego that HIIT workout for some deep breathing and stretching, stat! Or if you’re a night owl, then don’t schedule that important meeting or appointment first thing in the morning. You get my point. Work with what works best for you—and set yourself up for success by setting realistic goals that suit your lifestyle. Focus on What You Can Do vs. Not Do Health and happiness go hand in hand, and the health benefits of a positive attitude have been well-documented. That’s why this new year, I want you to focus on what you can do versus what you can’t. The positive energy will take you far. RELATED: 5 Ways to Cultivate Optimism for More Happiness If you’re choosing to swap in some greens for lunch and forego chips for a quick snack fix, think about how you absolutely can add greens to your lunch, rather than how you can’t eat those chips. Or maybe it means saying “yes” to getting to bed an hour earlier for more restorative sleep rather than thinking, “Bummer, I can’t stay up for one more episode of this TV show I’ve been bingeing because I really need to get more sleep.” Positive thinking begins with this self-talk, so keep practicing. Check yourself when negative thoughts arise and counter them with positive ones, and you’ll be on your way to making 2022 the year of, “I CAN!” Now, come up with three simple lifestyle tweaks that will enhance your well-being, which you can easily incorporate into your day and that suit your life. Forget about what you’re giving up and focus on what you’re gaining. Write your new wellness goals down, and start doing them … today. RELATED: If You Want to Lose Weight and Be Healthier and Happier, Nutrition Is Just the Beginning Beyond Food: What Else Needs Cleansing? If the eight pillars of a Nutritious Life have shown us anything it’s that food choices alone do not make us healthy or unhealthy. No amount of healthy eating can negate the effects of toxic habits we acquire through the years. This is why I suggest that you sit down and make a list of all the toxic behaviors you engage in (we all do, there’s no shame!), and then think about each one and how it may be sabotaging your wellness goals. Are you a sugar junkie? If so, consider what too much sugar does to your body and motivate yourself to cut down on added sugar this year—and maybe you’ll lose a few pounds in the process. If the pandemic has given you—like so many others—a new reason to start boozing, then maybe it’s time to consider a little new year’s detox (Dry January, anyone?) RELATED: Why I Had to Break Up With Alcohol to Get Healthy Of course, drinking too much alcohol can leave you feeling tired and dehydrated—the two are totally interrelated. If you’re dehydrated, you’re not going to have energy to get through the day (let alone kill it at work, get in a HIIT class, and make a healthy dinner for the kids.) And lack of sleep can then lead to consuming too much caffeine in the morning for a fake burst of energy. And all these toxins put a load on your liver, your body’s main organ