AT THIS TIME OF year, thoughts of things to come can really spur us on. That expectant feeling of turning over a fresh leaf, achieving goals and embracing our best selves carries us along, but in the enthusiasm of the new year, there can be a tendency to get a little too ambitious with our resolutions.

‘Trying to commit to several large resolutions simultaneously – such as eating more healthily, cutting alcohol and doing daily exercise – is a tall order,’ says Dr Mark Griffiths, professor of behavioural addictions at Nottingham Trent University. ‘When people set too many big goals or are unrealistic in what they can hope to achieve, resolutions are much harder to stick to.’ So how do you make sure your intended healthy habits take you all the way through 2017 and beyond feeling t, happy and accomplished? Step up microresolutions. These are small, simple changes in your habits rather than major, sweeping ones. Smaller challenges are simpler to start, easier to feel proud of progress- wise and therefore they’re a cinch to continue doing. We’ve taken some of the most popular new year’s resolutions and replaced them with easy, achievable micro versions that’ll have you feeling great all year round.

1. MAKE LUNCH YOUR MAIN MEAL OF THE DAY

There are many ideas around on how much and when to eat. But, if you go right back to basics, 2,000-year-old Ayurvedic principles say you should eat half your calories at lunchtime because it’s when your digestive re, or Pitta, is at its strongest. This approach was recently backed up by a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which said people lost weight eating this way because their insulin levels stayed regulated, meaning they didn’t get hunger pangs from their blood glucose levels dropping later on. For breakfast and dinner, stick to fibre and liquid-rich foods such as vegetables, salads, stews and soups, as these are both filling and easy to digest so will help you stay on track in-between meals.

2. KEEP TO A 12-HOUR EATING WINDOW

Simply eating within a 12-hour time frame, such as 7.30am to 7.30pm, which many of us naturally do anyway, is effective when it comes to weight loss. If you nd it particularly easy not to snack in the evenings and prefer to eat breakfast later in the mornings, perhaps extend it to 14 or 16 hours. When you take several hours’ rest from eating, your liver releases enzymes that break down cholesterol into acid. These acids dissolve brown fat, which convert calories into heat – in other words, your liver literally burns off fat overnight!

FIND OUT MORE SIMPLE TWEAKS TO MAKE HUGE POSITIVE HEALTH BENEFITS IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF TOP SANTE!