A New Year's Resolution Challenge

A New Year and A New Resolution, or perhaps new RESOLUTIONS! It’s an exciting time of year…a chance to start anew with a blank slate. A chance to try to do better, be better, and live better. But what does that mean to you? Perhaps you want to read more books and watch less TV, or perhaps you want to start exercising more and eating healthier. Whatever it may be, it is a chance to reevaluate the previous year and what positive changes you would like to make for the future. Resolutions are very personal, some easier to speak about some more difficult, but each are valid in their own right. I for instance will challenge myself to a whole month free of sugar and alcohol. This means no chocolate and no red wine. Bummer, I know. However, I do know that once I start, I will feel so much better. Sadly, this means for all you readers that I will not be posting any sweet treat recipes for the next month :)

If taking charge of your health is a New Year's resolution for you, then I have a treat coming your way. While on my break, I have put together a fabulous six week nutrition overhaul that will bring back the spring into your step and start your year off right whether your new to whole foods, or your just needing to hit the reset button to find your natural groove again. Come join me in the REfreshME! challenge for free!

REfreshME! is designed to slowly build your basic nutrition knowledge up over a six week time period, adding a new whole foods based challenge every week. Each week you will continue the previous week’s challenge on top of the new challenge of the current week, until you reach week 6. At this time you will be “fueled” with rich nutrition tips and tricks to hopefully take you on a lifelong journey of incorporating nutrient dense foods into your diet. Each week I will post a recipe along with the week’s nutrition topic and link other recipes from my recipe index that fit. All participants can download the REfreshME! Challenge Tracker, to check off the days you successfully meet the challenge. Also, you can get in touch with others that are doing the challenge with you. Tag your REfreshME! meals, goals, and challenges on Instagram at #refreshme2015. I will be posting meal inspirations via @poppiesandpapayas on Instagram as well.

So now are you excited? This is what will come your way if you join the REfreshME! nutrition adventure!

WEEK 1: Stay Hydrated!

This week will highlight the importance of staying hydrated for detoxification, skin rejuvenation, weight loss, and overall health. Filtered water is a vital component of leading a healthy lifestyle, yet it is often forgotten and replaced with flavored and sugar sweetened beverages that add calories and additives to our diets.

WEEK 2: Energize your Eating Pattern!

This week will highlight the importance of building a balanced plate, and will identify proper mealtime patterns to balance blood sugar and stabilize energy throughout the day. Also, focusing on how you are eating is a vital component to moving forward towards a healthy lifestyle.

WEEK 3: Choose WHOLE Fruits and Vegetables!

This week will highlight the importance of eating whole fruits and vegetables, using current research to identify the health benefits of eating plenty of plants every day. A few superstar fruits and veggies will be identified to boost your plate.

WEEK 4: Nourish your Microbiome!

This week will highlight the importance of the relationship between your gut bacteria and your health. Interestingly you can alter your gut bacteria by eating a whole foods diet. Certain foods will be discussed that greatly benefit the growth of good bacteria.

WEEK 5: Extinguish Inflammation!

This week will highlight the benefits of eating anti-inflammatory foods that reduce inflammation and support detoxification. You will learn a few tips and tricks to keep your cooking healthy for you and your family.

WEEK 6: Rejuvenate your Lifestyle!

This week will highlight the importance of reducing stress, engaging in enjoyable movement, and sleeping well. Focusing forward on creating a balanced lifestyle and reducing stress is vital to overall health and longevity.

Before the challenge begins on January 5th you should…..

• Prepare yourself: Let family members and close friends know what your plans are. Hopefully they will help support and motivate you along your way.
• Clean your house before you start: Having a nice place to start your nutrition overhaul will help get you in the right mind set from the get go. 
• Clean out your refrigerator: Get rid of any old food, sauces, etc that clutter your fridge and do not support you on this journey. You know what they are, just throw them out.
• Pick your incentive: Select something that you will reward yourself with when you have successfully completed the 6-week challenge. For example, new running shoes or a dance class. 
• Get excited!!! Subscribe to my email list to make sure you don't miss a weekly challenge!

A challenge is called a challenge because it challenges you to do something you might otherwise choose not to. And more often than not, it is much harder to choose things that will enhance our health and support our long-term health goals, than those that do not. Therefore, let’s build a community of support amongst the REfreshME! participants. Tag your REfreshME! goals and challenges on Instagram to support and motivate each other with #refreshme2015. I want to see what you are all up to!

Below you will find the REfreshME! Challenge Tracker to download before the challenge starts on January 5th. To download hover your cursor over the top right corner and click the "Pop-out" icon. Once open, you can download the PDF to your computer and print the document. Use this Challenge Tracker by crossing off every day you successfully complete the week's challenge. As REfreshME! moves forward each week, the pervious challenges carry over to help build new long term habits. Therefore, by week 6 you will have collected all the previous challenges along with the final challenge for Rejuvenate your Lifestyle.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me during this challenge. I will do my best to get back to you within 24 hours.