A Do What You Can Healthy Start to the New Year

There is no question this new year is different and unlike any that we’ve ever experienced before. Despite this, a fresh start always brings about a sense of renewed energy and a desire to improve habits and routines that may have fallen by the wayside as of late. For me, a healthy lifestyle is generally a part of daily life, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to revamp and amp up positive patterns come January. While a few oldies but goodies remain and begin to be incorporated into daily life again, I’ve also discovered a few new amazing products that I love and that will surely become mainstays, too. Below, my new favourite five. 

BEND IT BACK 

I’m generally a super active person, and the inability to sweat it out in a gym has been a real adjustment for me; like most everybody, I’m just not excited to roll out my yoga mat when it has to be wedged between my fridge and couch. Studio atmosphere and the social aspect will have to wait, but I’m still trying to find movement in my daily routine. With minimal space and storage, a few different exercise bands have been surprisingly satisfying when it comes to getting in a good workout without turning my living room into a cluttered makeshift weight room. A mini band does wonders for inner and outer thighs, while I’ve been working my chest, back and arms with a longer band. Sometimes, I just put the mini band around my ankles and occasionally push it apart while sitting and watching Netflix, truly defining a home workout. 

IN VOGUE, DARLING  
I’m still a sucker for a classic print magazine, and Vogue still reigns supreme when it comes to ruling the world of glossies in my books. While digital news travels at lightning speed comparatively, there’s something so inimitable about consuming media in print. The shoots and fashion spreads aren’t done justice online, and I can dreamily pore over the insanely creative sets, fascinatingly stunning models and of course the latest and greatest offerings from the world’s most talented designers for hours on end. I thoroughly enjoy reading almost every article from the personal essays to the profiles, and there just seems to be something more personal about a magazine. Long live print!

POWDER POWER
Surely I can’t be the only one taking more frequent trips to the fridge while staying at home far more often than my pre-pandemic routine. When I’m not truly hungry, but rather peckish or moreish for something tasty, PBFit has been a godsend. This powdered peanut butter is unparalleled in taste, and unlike traditional nut butters in nutritional value as after the peanuts are roasted, PBFit then presses them into a powder, which removes an impressive 87% of their fat content and slashes calories by a third. I mix the powder into Greek yogurt for a quick snack, but have also been getting creative in the kitchen and making my own chocolate peanut butter cups that truly taste fantastic and are far easier to make than I ever imagined.  

QUALITY ZZZ’s 

Being less active overall has left me restless come nightfall. and I’m having much more trouble sleeping well than ever before. While knocking back a few glasses of wine can do the trick, I have found listening to soothing bedtime stories or a meditation has been a far more effective (and likely healthy) method. The app Relax Melodies has been my new favourite digital discovery, as it has an enormous soundboard to custom create your own mix of sounds that relax you, from thunderstorms to Tibetan sound bowls and everything in between.  

FACETIME

When my skin needs an extra little boost — which to be honest, is more often than not these days — I immediately reach for my favourite high-tech facial device, the ZIIP. The super sophisticated at-home treatment is my holy grail of lifting, sculpting and firming skin, and is hands down the most results-driven device I’ve ever used. The nano-current treatment offers several different treatments via the ZIIP app, which address every skin concern from pigmentation to undereye puffiness and dark circles to tightening and toning texture. When I use it consistently, I achieve noticeably better results, and it’s done wonders for fading stubborn acne scars and keeping my face feeling lifted, fresh and glowy. I use a mask after my treatment for an extra skin boost, and always feel like I’ve done something good for myself afterwards.