It’s a vicious circle: the end of December sees lots of us making all sorts of outlandish claims as to how we’re going to transform our health in the new year. The plan is meticulously followed for a few days, but it soon gets difficult and we fall off the wagon. Then we experience the guilt-inducing recriminations, making us feel even worse than before we started.
It’s a predictable path, says Augusta Gray, a registered nutritionist and content lead at Holland & Barrett, and it feeds into a common toxic behavioural mentality known as “all or nothing”. “If you tend to go on the yo-yo of all-or-nothing, you’re probably going into that festive period overindulging,” she says. “Having that black and white way of thinking can be a really unhealthy relationship with your mind and body.”
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Studies show that by making small, incremental steps, we’re more likely to change our behaviour – and stick to new, healthier habits – rather than making grand statements that inevitably fall flat. Here are some simple steps towards slow and steady change to better health in 2024:
Gut health is good health
Gut health is a great place to start with a little lifestyle shift, says Gray, as what we eat affects the microbiome of trillions of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract and, in turn, this may impact our immune system and skin. Emerging research also suggests that the microbiota in our gut may influence our moods and appetite (pdf).
“The main thing is to ensure you’re eating a really diverse range of plants and plant-based products,” she says. “One study from 2018 found that the groups who reported eating 30 different fruits and veg a week had a more diverse gut microbiota. Think about a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and herbs. Also consider prebiotic fibres, which are found in plants such as chicory root, onion, garlic and asparagus. They’re really good options to make sure you’re getting the right bacteria to feed the probiotics – the probiotics are anything fermented: kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha.”
Check in with experts
As everybody’s health needs will differ, speaking to an expert at Holland & Barrett can help set you up with the right tools for a healthy lifestyle change. How about a 45-minute online consultation with a qualified nutritionist – available for free this new year (usually £45), and pre-booked through the wellness retail’s website? Or you could seek advice on gut-health supplements or take a look at the new food range that has Plant Points on the labelling to help you tot up your 30-plants-a-week goal.
For any serious symptoms or specific medical issues, please see a GP or your local medicinal practitioner.
Start small, and incremental
It’s fine to start even smaller, though. Positioning it behaviourally as adding something to your lifestyle rather than removing something, can make it feel like a little win. “If you’re continuing to eat the same way you were at Christmas,” says Gray, “focus on making sure you’re eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day or adding in more colours, or having one or two more greens than normal. That’s an easy way to approach it, because that way you’re crowding in the good rather than cutting out the bad.”
Incremental steps are another idea to make it sustainable, she adds, but if this is too much, then just focus on one relatively simple task every day, such as drinking lots of water, sleeping well, or getting out and about and walking. “If you’re consistent with that for three or four weeks, then you can continue to build on that.”
How to stay motivated
“Motivation is kind of the crux of it all,” says Gray. We need to recognise the difference between motivation and willpower, she explains. “Willpower is more about the ability to resist, and motivation is about the desire to act. Our brains are literally wired and set up to create shortcuts because our brains don’t want to think too much and then we create habits which tend to be bad.”
Internal v external motivations
There are a lot of studies that say internal motivation is going to make you more consistent than external motivation, so sit down and work out why you want to make a change. “If we think about internal motivation for changing the way we eat being ‘because it makes me feel good’ or ‘because I want to live a longer, happier, healthier life’ versus the external ‘because I want to look better/how I think society wants me to’ or ‘the doctor told me I had to’, you’re more likely to be motivated for the long-term and have better outcomes. Writing them out on Post-it notes, explaining why you want to do this in the first place, really checking in, and then sticking these around your house can help, too.”
Make new dopamine-boosting cues
If you really want to succeed, trick your brain by setting up new pleasure cues. One brain game you can play, Gray says, is based on studies that show that repeatedly rewarding ourselves in ways that don’t inherently feel like rewards can fool us into believing they are.
“If you’re in the habit of having chocolate at 3pm in the afternoon, the ‘trigger’ is the time of day. Going to the kitchen and grabbing a snack is the ‘behaviour’ and you ‘reward’ yourself by satisfying your cravings for something sweet, or taking a break from work. To change to an alternative behaviour, you could have some healthy snacks to hand, go for a walk, or grab your yoga mat. That way you’re satisfying your craving for a snack or getting a break from work – but you’ll need to perform these steps over and over again to make them stick.
“You can also intercept ‘boring’ habits with an internal celebration to help associate it with a rewarding feeling or dopamine release.”
Be kind to yourself if and when you fail
If sticking to a healthy lifestyle was so easy, we’d all be doing it. So accept that you might have a few bad days, but be kind to yourself about it. “A lot of our internal dialogue is so tough on ourselves,” says Gray. “And things like social media and comparison feed into that, so remove it or reduce it if that’s a trigger to feeling bad.
“We’re so hard on ourselves, and I can guarantee you no one is thinking the things you’re thinking about yourself. It’s really important to have that slight out-of-body moment and think: ‘I would never speak to my friend like this.’ Tomorrow is another day, so do what you can to start again.”
For a science-backed gut-health plan that’s tailored to you, book a free 45-minute online appointment with one of our qualified, professional nutritionists at hollandandbarrett.com. (For a limited time, normally £45)
Terms and conditions: Appointments are online only and are subject to availability. For full terms and conditions visit hollandandbarrett.com