28 Day Challenge: Week One

It’s a New Year, can you believe it?! The holidays were a whirlwind of parties, shopping, eating, drinking, and everything merry. But after the jam-packed days of December, I think we’re all longing for a little bit of consistency, especially when it comes to food. With the start of January comes the age-old tradition of New Year’s Resolutions. Whether it be to exercise more, eat better, or simply to slow down and enjoy life - we all have goals we hope to reach over the next year. The dietitians at Market Street understand that creating a healthy lifestyle can be difficult, confusing, and time consuming. But not to worry, we have a solution for you! Throughout January we challenge you to 28 days of creating a better you through small, attainable steps that we’ve laid out for you (you can view the full calendar here). At the end of this 28 day challenge you will be well-equipped to live a healthier version of yourself. Each week we will provide a new goal for you to work on throughout that week.

For the first week, we challenge you to simply start a vitamin and supplement regimen. Now, we’re not talking about adding 20 different supplements to your daily routine. Remember, we’re talking simple here. We have 3 vitamins and supplements we all agree are the most important to begin with. If you or someone you know suffers from a food allergy and must eliminate food groups from your diet, adding a supplement regimen is especially important and a great way to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need.

First, start with a daily multivitamin. These come in several different varieties such as a women’s, men’s, adult, child, etc. Simply choose one that best fits your needs. A multivitamin is a great combination of vitamins and minerals all necessary for your body to function at its best.

Next, we recommend an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement, also called the essential fatty acids. You’ve probably read all about Omega 3’s and cardiovascular health, but did you know that these fatty acids have been found to promote better brain function, support eye health and improve immunity? You can get a good dose of these fats through things like chia seeds, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, but a supplement can give you a great boost.

And finally, start a probiotic. Probiotics are live bacterial cultures that you ingest through several different avenues. Now don’t worry, these are good-for-you bacteria. In recent years there has been a growing body of evidence that supports a healthy gut can improve GI distress, lower diarrhea, improve immune function and more. The great thing about probiotics is that you don’t necessarily have to take a pill every day to get in those healthy bacteria. You can get these beneficial bacteria from things like kefir, kombucha, kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut and any other fermented food.

So this week, focus on forming the habit of taking these supplements every day! Next week we’ll be talking about drinking more water and eating more fiber. And, if you haven't entered to win one up to $500 in prizes, you can enter by clicking here. Good luck!