Can seaweed help you stick to your New Year health kick?

Many of us make the effort to be healthier at the start of a fresh year, but sticking to these changes can be tricky

The start of a new year is one of the most popular times to make a few healthy lifestyle changes. From exercising more to improving your diet, many people use January as a chance to refocus and re-engage with their health. And with the impact of COVID-19 carrying forward into 2021, this January our health feels all the more important.

However, sticking to these changes is often more difficult than making them in the first place, and quite a few of us might be worried about slipping back into old habits.

Sound familiar?

After a festive season of rich food and alcohol, you cement your resolve to be healthier from 1st January. You get rid of any leftover temptations, create a workout plan that suits you, and make a few healthy swaps in your weekly shopping list.

But then life gets in the way. The usual pressures of work and family life (as well as the less usual stresses of a global pandemic) take their toll on your motivation and you find yourself back to your old ways. If this does sound familiar to you, you’re not alone, but seaweed can provide vital support.

Replacing dietary staples

One of the main issues people come across when trying to improve their diet is replacing the staples they’ve come to rely on. If your usual meals involve things like pasta, chips or dairy, it will take effort to think outside the box if you’re looking to cut down on these particular food groups. And then there’s the issue of making up for the nutrients that some of these foods provide.

Dairy for example, is one of the main dietary sources of Iodine, a nutrient essential for normal functioning of the thyroid and metabolism. Some people may choose to reduce dairy as part of a healthier regime and may as a result end up getting less Iodine in their diet. You could offset that by increasing the intake of white fish - pretty much the only other source of dietary Iodine.

But what if you’re following a Vegan or plant based diet? Recent research has found that it’s more difficult to gain sufficient iodine from your diet when vegan or plant-based than for someone with a mixed diet.

This is where seaweed can really help. It is in fact the only good vegan source of Iodine and contains more iodine, gram for gram, than any other food group.

What about the benefits of seaweed for weight and blood sugar management?

Sticking to your healthy guns isn’t all about filling gaps in your diet, it’s about understanding the impact of the foods you choose to eat.

Research has explored the benefits of seaweed in the diet when it comes to blood sugar and weight management. One study found seaweed to have a similar impact to known weight loss medications like Orlistat, and in clinical trials, seaweed extracts caused less fat to be absorbed by the body.

Including seaweed in your diet can help support you in your efforts to be active and healthier in the new year. Just one capsule of Doctor Seaweed’s Weed & Wonderful™ supplements provides enough iodine to ensure you achieve your recommended daily intake.

And the newly released Doctor Seaweed’s Weed and Wonderful™ Immunity+ capsules provide all the benefits of iodine alongside key vitamins B12 and D3 to support optimum immune system function.

So if you’re looking to boost your diet with seaweed this January, explore the full range of Doctor Seaweed’s Weed & Wonderful™ products right here.