A new month, a new Wellness Challenge, friends! Read on to hear about how January’s challenge went and get started on February’s. As always, let us know how it’s going here in the comments or on Twitter and LinkedIn.

January: Goal Setting (and Resetting)

Last month, we challenged you to set goals for mental, physical, and spiritual wellness for 2019. This CEEKer got part way through, then read Whitley’s eye opening Year in Review. I am revisiting my goals to make them SMART-er, while pushing myself further out of my traditional comfort zone. I am also committing myself to continually revisiting my goals. Rather than locking them down, I’m giving myself the OK to adjust them as I learn and grow.

February’s Challenge: We challenge you to pick one or more of the tips below to embrace healthy eating habits.

Healthy eating is often associated with restrictive diets and the perception that you need to deprive yourself. These are misconceptions. Healthy eating is a way to fuel your body, feel better, increase energy, and improve overall health.

Adopting healthy food habits can require changes in what we eat, when we eat, and how we prepare what we eat. Choose a few items from the list below to get started:

• Avoid Processed Foods, Read Labels—Fewer ingredients usually means less processed.
• Prepare Food Differently—Instead of fried chicken, try grilled chicken or fish.
• Eat the Rainbow—Incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables of every color. Brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables have higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Prepare Smaller Portions—Use a smaller plate. A serving of protein (chicken, fish, meat) should be about the size of your fist, a serving of carbohydrates/starches (pasta, rice, potato) should be about the size of a standard light bulb. The rest of the plate can be filled with fresh vegetables.
• Drink Water—Drink plenty of water throughout the day in lieu of sweetened drinks. Need something more interesting? Try sparkling water!
• Reduce Sugar Intake—Gradually decrease your sugar intake. Feeling deprived? Rather than cut sugar entirely, try crowding out sugary snacks by adding new foods to your diet.
• Plan Ahead—Prepare healthy snacks so they are easily to reach and make a plan for your meals for the week.
• Make Food Fun—This applies for kids and adults. Try a new food or new cooking technique and get your kids in on the cooking process if you can. Teach them healthy eating habits at a young age by getting them involved and making food prep a family activity.

These tips are just a few ways that you can get started on a path to healthy eating. The goal is to create healthy habits, not restrictions! You don’t have be on a diet. Eat better, feel better, increase your energy and…CEEK a Better Way®!