We all make the best New Year’s resolutions. We start January with the intention of giving up our bad habits to embrace healthier ones. Quitting smoking, going to the gym, controlling our alcohol intake, not touching ultra-processed foods… That’s all well and good, but why start the year by punishing ourselves? Isn’t life already too hard? Well, at The Blue Dolphin Store we believe in joy, not pain. Happiness is not all about sweat and tears, but it can also be achieved through prizes and gifts. It’s about giving yourself treats that you can afford, and that will help you to improve yourself: Every day we face too many unpleasant things so it’s time to focus on our pleasant tasks. It’s a way to start the year not with obligations, but with gratifications. New Year’s resolutions that will make you feel great.
Purpose 1: Lose weight
Follow a healthy diet, but don’t deprive yourself of low-calorie alcohol-free drinks. Alcohol-free beer is not fattening, according to a scientific study published in Molecules. The same goes for alcohol-free wine, which retains all the taste, aroma and texture of traditional wine, but, according to the USDA database, only contains about 6 calories per 100g. That means it has 14 times fewer calories than red wine (85 Kcal/100 g); white wine (82 Kcal/100 g) or rosé wine (83 Kcal/100 g). This is why alcohol-free wine is not fattening, but there is more: because it does not contain alcohol, it prevents the accumulation of fat, which, besides avoiding ugly “spare tyres”, reduces the risk of diseases such as stroke and hypertension.
Purpose 2: Eat a healthy diet
Avoid sugar, saturated fats and ultra-processed foods. These are industrial formulations made from refined (sugar, starches, vegetable oils, salt) or synthesised (trans fats, hydrolysed protein, additives) ingredients, and do not contain any recognisable whole foods. Examples include: sugary soft drinks, sausages, sweetened dairy desserts, biscuits, industrial pastries or breakfast cereals. According to research by the University of Navarra published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, these foods are not only fattening, but they also damage the body at the cellular level.
Actually, when you give up ultra-processed foods and go back to real food, at first it may seem tasteless, but you will soon recover the palate that years of junk food have damaged. You will enjoy fish, grilled artichokes, our delicious Mediterranean diet. Reduce or eliminate alcohol. Or replace it with alcohol-free drinks. For example, alcohol-free wine is very healthy because it contains all the polyphenols and none of the substances that are harmful to your health.
Resolution 3: Quit smoking
Of all your New Year’s resolutions, this may be the most difficult. It will be hard at first, but your life will improve so much: you won’t wake up with a cough, your palate will recover, you will be able to run or dance without getting tired, your breath will be fresh and your skin will improve considerably. The way to do this is to reward yourself: every day you haven’t smoked, reward yourself: perhaps with a glass of alcohol-free sparkling wine.
Resolution 4: Exercise!
To get fitter you don’t need to join a gym – although it doesn’t hurt to do so – or go for a full-on run. Just try walking more or cycling. Routes that you used to do by car, motorbike or public transport, now do them by bike or walking. An hour’s walk is an extra 300 calories to add to your daily expenditure. And what’s more: it reduces stress, improves mental health, speeds up metabolism, prolongs life expectancy, increases aerobic fitness. And when you stop, have a nice non-alcoholic cocktail. Because this New Year is a year to enjoy, so your New Year’s resolutions must be gratifying.
