New year, new you!

Given up on New Year’s resolutions? Don’t set unrealistic goals, follow this monthly goal plan

In that post-festive pall when we’re partied out, have eaten too much and exercised too little, we over-commit to a host of radical changes we think will make us feel instantly better.

Gauteng physiotherapist, Sue Fuller-Good sets one single profound intention for the year. “I set the intention of ‘telling the truth at all times’ two years ago. That was tougher than I thought, but it was very liberating. Last year I set the intention of ‘playing big all year’, this left me taking risks and making decisions that stretched me. It’s been challenging but fun.”

As with weight loss, an all-or-nothing approach is doomed to failure. Instead, we say, take one thing at a time. Set yourself one simple goal each month for the next year and we guarantee that by the time December rolls round you’ll be looking at a happier, more confident, slimmer and healthier new you. And the habits you’ll have learned will stay with you, so you won’t need to make those silly resolutions come 2011.

Your body

This is an obvious place to start because regular exercise and a healthy diet is an essential foundation on which to build a strong body, mind and soul.

1. Adopt a healthy eating plan
Here are a few simple rules to follow to kick-start your new plan:

• Always have breakfast. It speeds up your metabolism. If you don’t your body switches into conservation mode and you’ll burn kj at a slower rate.
• Drink 2l of water a day. We often mistake hunger for thirst. If you feel hungry, have a glass of water. If the hunger persists, eat.
• Eat six small meals a day. When you’re consistently feeding your body, your metabolism doesn’t get the chance to slow down.
• Get the mix right: 5 portions of fruit and veg every day, plenty of wholegrains, the good fats found in fish and protein to help you build muscle.

2. Commit to exercise
This is often the toughest goal to stick to – for a variety of reasons. We suggest:

• Enlist an exercise partner. You’re more likely to stick to a programme if you have a friend to work out with.
• Try something new. When Shape reader Jackie Warrington moved from London to Johannesburg, she had to give up her early morning runs as her new suburb wasn’t deemed safe. “A colleague persuaded me to try tennis instead, and, in addition to the great workout, the tennis club has been great for my social life. I’d never played more than a few games at school, now I play up to three times a week and I’ve made loads of new friends,” says Jackie.
• Get motivated. The best inspiration comes from women just like you and me who’ve gone out there and done it.
• Go slow. “The temptation to push a little too hard often leads to injury, frustration or burnout,” says sports scientist Dr Ross Tucker. The key is to begin with the right expectations. If you haven’t exercised regularly in years, start with walking – 20 minutes, 3 times in the first week. In week 2, increase to 30 minutes and from week 3, introduce jogging into the training, by breaking that session down into intervals of walking and jogging (walk 3 mins, jog 2). Register for the free 10km Challenge!

3. Book your health check-ups
Pick up the phone – and your diary – right now. Regular health check-ups may save your life. One in nine South African women is diagnosed with breast cancer annually yet death rates have decreased by 20 percent, partly due to early detection.

• Book an annual gynae appointment for a professional breast exam and pap smear; if you’re over 40, book a mammogram too.
• Add ‘health checks’ to your weekly shopping list so that when next you’re at the mall, you’ll remember to pop into a pharmacy for blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and BMI checks. If there’s a history of heart disease, colon or any other cancers in your family, discuss additional tests with your GP.
• Don’t neglect your skin. The Cancer Association of South Africa suggests a once-yearly overhaul at a dermatologist but Shape advisory board member, Dr Dagmar Whitaker, says it isn’t enough to wait for the derm: “Once a month, get naked in front of a full-length mirror and take a close look at your skin. Even places that rarely–if ever–see the sun (like underneath your fingernails, your scalp, behind your ears, between your toes, and on your labia) can be prone to cancer. Anything that does not heal or changes or gives any kind of sensation is abnormal,” she says.

4. Listen up
Our bodies speak to us. “Once we come to an understanding that illness in our physical bodies is a direct and non-verbal message that all is not well in our emotional world, we begin a new understanding of self-healing,” says Trish Holdengarde, a KZN-based business intuitive who assists corporates and entrepreneurs in making business decisions based on intuition.

“Stepping off the treadmill of life for a few minutes each day, dedicating time to ‘tune in’ and to live intuitively, we slowly start a journey of personal recovery. By choosing to live in tune with our deeper self, we are given a wonderful opportunity to heal negative energy pathways in our bodies and to feel how our emotions, both positive and negative, impact on our energy levels and overall physical wellness, ” says Trish.

Your mind

The greatest mental health challenge for most women right now is stress. We’re doing too much, too fast, with too few resources and it’s impacting on our health.

5. Get a handle on it
A body subjected to too much stress may manifest serious illnesses, like heart disease and high blood pressure; a mind that is sick with worry is unable to concentrate, think clearly, suffers mood swings and anxiety attacks.

• Give your mind time to ‘breathe’. Meditation, music, and even a new hobby, which take you away from every day worries.
• Fuel up on food: eat carbs for breakfast. Carbohydrates fuel your brain so you think more clearly, which helps to keep you calm. A study from Cardiff University in Wales found that people who ate a bowl of cereal in the morning had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol during the day; snack before bed. An all-carb snack an hour before bedtime will up your serotonin levels, the brain chemical that has a soothing effect on the body, says nutritionist Elizabeth Somer. Just 30g is all you need (four cups air-popped popcorn, a wholewheat muffin).
• Exercise at least three times a week. There is plenty of evidence to show that people who are physically fit have less extreme physiological responses when under pressure than those who are not. This means that fit people are more able to handle the long- term effects of stress, without suffering ill health or burnout. Regular exercise also boosts the immune system so your body stays strong against outside aggressors like colds and flu.

6. Be bold
For career women, the last year has been exceptionally tough. Recessionary woes have forced widespread corporate restructuring and retrenchments, while those who have retained their jobs are doing more for a lot less money.

• Learn something new. Ask yourself what you could be doing that could add value to the company. What your bosses will see is enthusiasm, passion and ambition.
• Offer to help. Tough times require a caring, supportive attitude. People who are positive, enthusiastic and goal-setters are the people companies retain in tough times.
• Speak your mind. Industrial psychologist, Kat Farquharson, of Human Capital Assessment, Inc. says, “In order to be in control of your own career path, you need to understand and think about your aspirations regularly. When the opportunity comes to discuss them, you’ll sound clear and confident. Don’t wait for opportunities to present themselves, make an appointment to see your manager to elicit performance feedback and discuss your aspirations. Understanding the company’s goals and current situation can also be helpful as it means it’s not only about you and your needs, but you are considering your company in your reflection.”

7. Keep it strong
“There is a gradual growing awareness that challenging your brain can have positive effects,” says Dr Gene Cohen, the director for the Centre of Aging, Health and Humanities at George Washington University (US). He says the plasticity of the brain is directly related to the production of new dendrites, the branched, tree-like neural projections that carry electrical signals through the brain “Every time you challenge your brain it will actually modify the brain,” he said. “We can indeed form new brain cells, despite a century of being told it’s impossible”. You don’t have to become a member of Mensa to give your brain a workout: a simple crossword, memory game or Scrabble evening several times a week will keep yours in shape.

8. Mind your money
If there’s one lesson learned during a recession, it’s this: fiscal discipline at all times. “Now that markets are moving upwards and interest rates have come down several percent, the doom and gloom is quickly being forgotten as a thing of the past,” says Anthea Knowles, director of oAssure Investment Services. But she warns hard times could soon return, so be prepared. “General consensus is that markets have rallied far too quickly and interest rates could start turning again. If you were fortunate enough to get a bonus in 2009, you would do well to use it to pay off debt as quickly as possible,” she says.

Your soul

Ok, ‘fess up. This is where most women fail miserably. We know that balance is key to health and happiness but when it comes to giving it to ourselves, we’re hopeless.

9. Take me-time
Commit to time out. Once a week – at the very least – for 30 minutes to an hour make an appointment with you. “What you choose to do in that time is anything that makes your heart sing – the pampering massage or manicure is an ideal ‘time out’ exercise,” says medical practitioner (and mother of five) Dr Linda Friedland.

Here are some of our favourite ‘time out’ activities:

• breakfast alone in your garden
• take a yoga class
• bake a cake or try out a new, exotic recipe
• meditate

Dr Friedland has one more suggestion: “Acts of loving kindness, of giving to those beyond your immediate family, to those in need materially or financially, but more important, emotionally, are deeds that nurture your own soul.”

10. Get in touch with Planet Earth
Plant a tree. If your own garden isn’t big enough, donate a tree to charity or to your local park or school. Trees are one of the great providers in nature; they provide us with fruit, wood for construction and making fires, oils extracted from their sap, leaves, trunks and bark can be used for medicinal purposes.

They are also the lungs of our planet, recycling the tons of carbon dioxide that we produce into oxygen. Plus, many people believe that trees can affect us spiritually and emotionally – helping us feel calmer, absorbing negative energy and even boosting self-confidence.

If this is all a little too huru guru for the cynic in you, start small by nurturing a herb garden. The goodness of herbs in your diet will nurture your body, and the sense of achievement you’ll feel when the herbs sprout and flourish, will lift your spirits.

11. Do a review
As women we juggle multiple roles. It is all too easy to fall into an “automatic pilot” existence: doing what is needed to keep all the balls in the air but disconnecting from ourselves and our dreams, says psychologist and life coach Jonelle Naudm. “Living in disconnect from yourself or your life purpose not only restricts your spiritual health, but could also impact your emotional state and physical health. It is crucial we build “checks and balance” points into our lives. A personal “annual review” could serve as good structure for staying aligned to your dreams, goals or purpose.

“Stepping back and reviewing your life helps you to be conscious about the choices you are making and the direction you are heading in. By taking charge in this way you can regain a sense of personal control and responsibility – and live a purpose-driven life,” says Naudo.

12. Re-energise your relationship (with yourself!)
Women know intuitively how to nurture, says Dr Friedland. Whether it’s our children we’re fussing over, colleagues we’re supporting, or partners we’re protecting, it’s in our nature to nurture. But, “For almost all women the scales are completely weighted in the direction of giving outwards,” says Dr Friedland, and this can ultimately manifest in fatigue, burnout, depression and perhaps illness.

Ask yourself these questions to reconnect with yourself:
- do you feel loved?
- does your partner really listen to you?
- do you feel appreciated by those around you?
- do you set aside time that is just for you?
- do you recognize your own needs and wants?

Do you know the answers? Do you ever give yourself time to think them through? Do it this year. “As a carer of others, you need to take time out for self-care. Focusing on your needs and nurturing yourself is what fills your inner self so that you can give from a full vessel to those around you. Fill yourself up in order to give of your best to feed your family and serve your community,” says Dr Friedland.