Perhaps you’ve decided to start eating healthy, lose some weight or embark on an exercise regime. Whatever your aim, the New Year is a great time for a fresh start. The problem is that dragging yourself to the gym or adjusting your diet can be a difficult change for many of us to make, especially during the dark and dreary days of January.

Faced with such an uphill struggle, it’s no wonder that the majority of Canadians fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions. But improving your health doesn’t have to be a hassle. That’s why we’ve come up with four quick and easy tips to help you achieve your 2020 vision of a healthier, happier lifestyle. 

1. You are what you eat

One of the easiest ways to boost your body in 2020 is to fuel it right. Whether you’re an aspiring athlete or someone who’s more familiar with the couch than they are cardio equipment, changing your diet can have an incredible impact on your overall health. So what does healthy look like? Everyone’s opinion is different, but one thing that experts all agree on is that vegetables and fruit are key components of a healthy balanced diet. 

High in fiber and rich in the kind of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function, it’s recommended that you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day in order to help stave off illnesses like heart disease. From apples to zucchini you’ve got plenty of variety to chose from, but if you’re looking to mix things up a bit why not try in dragon fruit? 

A bonafide superfood, dragon fruit is full of essential fatty acids like omega-3, 6 and 9 that are vital to keeping your heart healthy. These exotic fruits are also packed with vitamin C, which keeps your immune system strong, as well as vitamin B, which not only boost your energy levels but keeps your brain healthy too.  

And if you’re after a little inspiration why not check out this quick and easy recipe for dragon fruit sorbet, a quick and easy dessert with just three ingredients.  

Drink more

Dry January is all the rage these days as an increasing number of people are deciding to ditch the booze in an effort to kickstart their health goals. But while cutting back on your alcohol intake is undoubtedly good news for your health, one fluid that you shouldn’t be cutting down on is water. 

Water helps your brain function, lubricates your joints, regulates your temperature and helps you to digest food alongside countless other benefits. That’s why it’s recommended by experts as the drink of choice for health-conscious Canadians. Staying hydrated is a small change that could make a big difference to your health in 2020 but if you find yourself getting bored of plain old H2O, why not dress up your drink with your favourite frozen fruit? Strawberries are our favourite, especially when mixed with a little bit of basil. But blackberries, blueberries and even cranberries can help to give your drink some extra zing as well. 

Start the morning off right

We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day but it’s also one of the hardest to prepare. Whether you slept through your alarm, your kids are dragging their heels or you’re racing to get out of the door and face the dark and drearier weather outside, it can feel almost impossible to find time to prepare a healthy breakfast. 

But getting a good start to the day doesn’t have to be hard. With the right ingredients and a little pre-planning you can brighten up any morning and help achieve your health goals along the way. If you’re looking for inspiration our recipes library is crammed full of delicious brekkie ideas like this mango immune booster smoothie, a family favourite that’s ideal for those busy weekday mornings.

Find a physical activity that you actually enjoy 

If you’re anything like us, at some point in your life you’ve probably invested in an expensive gym membership in an effort to kickstart your New Year’s health goals. Perhaps you started out strong, but it’s only human for even the best of intentioned among us to let our routine fall by the wayside. 

If you’re looking to break the trend and make your fitness goals go the distance in 2020, do yourself a favour by ditching the gym and picking some exercise you actually enjoy. It could be something as simple as biking to work or taking a walk during your lunch break. Perhaps there’s a sport that you want to pick up or an active hobby you’re looking to get involved in. Whatever it is, the secret to success is to pick a form of exercise that you’re actually going to enjoy – not something that feels like a chore. That way you’ll find it far easier to incorporate into your daily routine.