The Secret to Making Your Resolutions Last All Year (Hint: There’s Cocoa Involved)

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By Keri Glassman –

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? If you have, I’m going to bet they don’t include cocoa. But maybe they should! I’ll share more on that in a minute.

I’ve never been big on the idea of resolutions. After all, there’s a reason that 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. But there is also a reason so many of us make them. At the end of the year, most of us are ready to start fresh. We’ve had food, drinks and parties aplenty – and January seems like the perfect time to reset and refocus on healthy living.

But as the days – and then weeks – go by in 2017, those resolutions will become harder to maintain… especially if you don’t have a solid foundation in place for forming good habits. So, instead of setting unattainable goals or ending up disappointed in yourself for giving up, I recommend starting small – with simple, easy goals that, in a matter of weeks, you won’t even have to think twice about sticking to.

A Strong Foundation for 2017 Goals

My tips below can help set you up for a year of healthier living, making it easier to achieve any goal you want to set for 2017:

1. Sleep: Who here doesn’t need more sleep? I’m always resolving to improve my sleeping habits, but with busy schedules, it can be tough. Sleep is so important for your health – not getting enough can lead to unnecessary stress and weight gain – which is why I recommend making sleep a top priority in 2017. Our bodies like routine, so set a bedtime! Doing so really help set that habit for getting a good night’s rest.

   Resolution Tip: Instead of setting a goal to get in bed at a certain hour every night, choose three nights each week to stick to your bedtime. That way, it’ll be easier to form the habit.

2. Diet: Let’s be honest… we can all make improvements to our diet! For me, it’s a daily battle that often comes down to trying to make good choices for my body every day. If you’re not sure where to start, try my seven-day Eat Your Greens challenge. Every day for one week, add any green veggie to just one meal per day. Trust me – soon, you won’t even have to remind yourself to do it!

   Resolution Tip: If you are already a healthy eater, bring it up a notch by trying to get two cups of dark leafy greens each day as well as five to seven servings of veggies.

3. Whole Body Wellness: Getting a daily serving of cocoa flavanols is as simple as adding a serving of CocoaVia® cocoa extract supplement to your favorite food or beverage. CocoaVia® supplement delivers the highest concentration of cocoa flavanols in a cocoa extract supplement today; cocoa flavanols are beneficial plant-based nutrients found naturally in cocoa. Numerous studies have demonstrated that cocoa flavanols help to support your health by promoting healthy blood flow – and supporting healthy blood flow is essential to helping you maintain who you are for years to come. I add one CocoaVia® Dark Chocolate stick pack to my morning coffee – it’s a delicious way to get my day going!

   Resolution Tip: Start with adding a stick pack of CocoaVia®  supplement to your food or beverage of choice on the weekends. Then, once you’ve established the habit, you can start including it during the week, as well. The recommended use is one CocoaVia® stick pack daily, which will provide 375 mg of cocoa flavanols – simply add it to drinks like coffee or smoothies or foods like oatmeal or yogurt – whatever your heart desires!

4. Mind and Body: It’s not just about burning calories. Exercise is so important for our entire bodies – from our mental wellbeing to our muscles. Whether you’re into fitness programs, walking, running, or mixing it up at home, staying active throughout the year is critical to your happiness.

   Resolution Tip: Make small changes in the exercise department. For example, instead of driving to the grocery store, make a vow to walk. Or, take the stairs instead of the elevator. These are simple, everyday choices you can make that have all kinds of positive benefits.

Resolve to Start Small

Remember: starting small is the secret to achieving your goals next year. Think about one or two areas of your life that you want to improve – whether that’s your overall health or something as simple as getting more sleep – and then incorporate some of my tips. Before you know it, you’ll be having the most successful year yet!

Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, is the founder and president of Keri Glassman, Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City, and Nutritious Life Meals, a gourmet, healthy, daily diet delivery program available across the U.S. She is a member of Women’s Health Magazine’s advisory board and has authored three books: Slim Calm Sexy Diet, The O2 Diet, and The Snack Factor Diet. Her expertise is regularly featured on the Today show, Good Morning America, and Access Hollywood Live, among others. Keri is a paid spokesperson for the CocoaVia® brand.   

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