Every January, I feel the pressure start creeping in. New planner. New goals. New routines. New version of you. And every January, I also see how quickly that can turn into decision fatigue, guilt, and the familiar cycle of starting strong and burning out by week three.
On this week’s Diabetes Digital Podcast, Wendy and Jess kicked off 2026 with this line in mind: “New year, same you.” And honestly, I love that framing. Because if you’re living with diabetes, prediabetes, PCOS, or any kind of blood sugar ups and downs, January can feel like a spotlight. Suddenly everyone has opinions on what you “should” be doing. Meanwhile you’re still trying to get through your workday, feed yourself, sleep, and keep your head above water. Check out the full podcast episode on this topic here.
Are you living with diabetes or prediabetes and want support from a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist covered by insurance? Take our intake quiz to sign up for 1:1 nutrition counseling with our culturally humble, weight-inclusive Diabetes Dietitians. Our 12-week program helps you lower your A1c and improve your relationship with food. Most insurance patients pay $0 out of pocket! Start your journey to better health today.
Start with a small habit you can repeat on a messy day
In my experience as a dietitian, the habits that stick are the ones you can do even when your day is chaotic. Not your ideal morning routine on a calm Tuesday. The version you can repeat when you slept badly, your calendar is stacked, and lunch happens at 3:00 pm.
That’s why I loved this episode. Jess and Wendy shared five small habits each that they’re already doing, already enjoying, and planning to keep. No dramatic overhaul. No perfection. More like, “What’s working right now, and how do I keep it going?”
If you’re craving consistency this year, think of these as options to try on.
Move for two minutes, then get back to your life
Wendy’s first small habit was simple and so needed for anyone who sits at a desk. Every hour, get up for a couple minutes and move. Arm circles. Squats. Hip openers. Stretching. Anything that gets blood flowing and resets your brain.
This matters for your body, but also for your attention. So many of us work in a way that keeps us “on” all day. A tiny movement break can feel like a mini nervous system reset. If doing it every hour feels like a lot, start with every two or three hours. Pick a cue you already have, like the top of the hour, a meeting ending, or when you refill water.
If you want to make it even easier, keep a sticky note on your screen that says “2 minutes.” That’s it. Two minutes.
Build a morning ritual that helps your body wake up
Jess shared a habit she borrowed from a friend, and honestly it is so great because it’s so practical. A big cup of something warm in the morning, mainly because it helps her have a bowel movement. She’s drinking a 16-ounce tea, and it also helps her start the day with hydration.
Warm drinks can be grounding, and for a lot of people, warmth in the morning helps the gut wake up. Wendy added that having teas you actually look forward to makes a difference. She mentioned finding fun blends at the farmer’s market.
If you’re trying this, keep it low pressure. Your ritual can be tea, coffee, warm lemon water, or whatever makes sense for you. The point is having a small cue that tells your body, “We’re starting.”
Pick one seasonal food each week
Wendy’s second habit was one of my favorites for anyone who gets bored with meals or feels stuck in the same grocery routine. Pick one seasonal produce item each week and find a way to use it.
It’s a small way to add variety without reinventing your whole diet. It also helps you notice what’s available where you live. Winter can feel limited depending on your area, so it turns into a gentle challenge. You spot a squash you’ve never cooked, roast it, and suddenly you have a new go-to.
If you’re supporting blood sugar, variety helps in a few ways. Different plants mean different fibers, textures, and satisfaction. And satisfaction matters, because the meals you enjoy are the meals you repeat.
Reduce breakfast decision fatigue with one repeatable option
Jess talked about having a smoothie most days, and she shared this tip: prep the ingredients ahead of time so mornings don’t become a whole production.
You can portion your smoothie ingredients into containers or reusable bags so you can dump, add liquid, blend, and move on. This is especially helpful if you live with ADHD, a packed schedule, or that feeling of “I cannot make one more decision today.”
This habit is less about the smoothie itself and more about building one reliable anchor meal. Your anchor meal could be oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, leftovers, or a breakfast sandwich. The win is consistency without mental load.
Make your meds and supplements harder to forget
Wendy brought up something that hits home for a lot of people, including many of my clients. Staying consistent with medications and supplements can feel weirdly hard, even when you care and even when you know they help.
She shared that she lays them out in a visible spot, so by the end of the day she can see what’s left. I chimed in that I end up taking pills during meetings because I forget otherwise. If you take diabetes meds, thyroid meds, magnesium, vitamin D, or anything else, consider building a system that matches your real life. Alarms can help. Visibility can help. Pairing meds with a habit you already do can help, like brushing your teeth or making your morning tea.
If your medication has timing rules, bring that into your plan instead of fighting it. Structure is supportive when it’s realistic.
Walk after meals when you can
Jess shared that she’s been trying to time her walks around meals. Short walks after breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Five to seven minutes around the block when it makes sense.
This is one of the most accessible tools for blood sugar support, and it doesn’t require a gym, special equipment, or a perfect schedule. If you live with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, a post-meal walk can help smooth out your post-meal glucose. It also supports digestion and gives your body a chance to transition out of “go go go” mode.
If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time,” try linking it to something you already do. Walk while you take a call. Walk while you listen to a podcast. Walk while you wait for the dishwasher to finish. Small steps count.
Get outside for light exposure, even for ten minutes
Wendy talked about light exposure, especially during the winter when sunlight can feel scarce. She shared that she’ll sit on her balcony or step outside for ten minutes during peak sun hours to support mood and energy.
Light is one of those habits that sounds basic until you try it consistently. So many people feel sluggish and irritable in winter and assume something is wrong with them, when their body is responding to less light.
If you work from home or spend long hours indoors, this one is worth experimenting with. Ten minutes. Coat on. Walk or stand in the sun. Then come back inside. These small habits make a big difference.
Rotate easy meals so dinner doesn’t feel like a daily quiz
Jess shared that she met with a dietitian for accountability and support, and one reminder really helped her: rotating meals is allowed. You don’t need a new recipe every night.
Having six to ten go-to lunches and dinners can reduce stress, reduce grocery chaos, and make eating feel more steady. Jess mentioned staples like salmon with a veggie, plus an easy carb like frozen rice. She also shared the reality many of us live: frozen pizza on Fridays, paired with a bagged salad or an easy veggie.
Wendy added another practical option: rotisserie chicken. It’s quick, versatile, and can be used in bowls, salads, wraps, soups, or tacos.
If you want your week to feel easier, your meal plan doesn’t need to be impressive. It needs to be repeatable.
Try intentional breathing before your day starts
Wendy’s final habit was intentional breathing for at least five minutes before getting out of bed. A nervous system reset before the day begins.
This is the kind of habit that sounds small, but it can change how you move through your day. If you’re someone who wakes up and immediately grabs your phone, immediately checks messages, immediately feels behind, breathing gives you a buffer.
We also shared that Diabetes Digital is bringing back events and adding new ones this year, including a breathing class. If you’ve been wanting community support that feels culturally humble and weight inclusive, this is a great way to plug in.
Keep your phone out of the bedroom
Jess’s last habit was no phone in the bedroom before bed, plus reading on a Kindle as her wind-down routine. She mentioned red light blocking glasses and making reading her calm cue for sleep.
Wendy shared a funny and honestly genius strategy: she and her partner swap phones at bedtime and put them on opposite sides of the bed. That way, scrolling in the middle of the night requires effort.
Jess also mentioned the Brick device as a way to block apps so you can’t mindlessly open them. If your brain tends to bargain with every screen-time limit, external tools can help.
If you want better sleep, start here. Even two nights a week can make a difference. Put the phone outside the room, charge it elsewhere, and give your brain a chance to settle.
Small habits: where we fit in
If you’re reading this thinking, “I can do small habits, but I want support staying consistent,” that’s exactly where working with a dietitian helps. Through Diabetes Digital, we offer accessible virtual nutrition counseling for people with diabetes and prediabetes, with insurance and self-pay options.
Small habits are powerful. They’re even more powerful when you have someone helping you tailor them to your life, your culture, your schedule, and your actual barriers.
If you try one habit from this list, tell us which one. And if you don’t try any of them, that’s data too. Your life is giving you feedback. That’s a good place to start.
The episode on small habits for the new year
Transcript
Welcome back to another episode of the Diabetes Digital Podcast presented by Food Heaven.
I cannot believe it’s already 2026, Child, this is crazy.
I remember when it was 2020, even 2019, like because we have this podcast and it’s also documented.
0:21
And I remember I think I was saying on another episode, I was listening to my 2019 like the end of the year pod, like, oh, these are, you know, closing out the year, whatever.
And just what had happened, you know, that we could never predict like with the pandemic because I was like, yeah, this is going to be a year of, you know, I don’t even know what, but I’m like.
0:40
And it turned out it was like a year of chaos.
So hopefully 26 will be good.
Welcome to the Diabetes Digital Podcast.
I’m Wendy.
And I’m Jess, and we’re best friends, registered dietitians and diabetes educators.
0:57
Through our telehealth platform, diabetesdigital.co, we offer accessible and personalized virtual nutrition counseling for people with diabetes and pre.
Diabetes Visit diabetesdigital.co that’s Co to book your first appointment.
We accept insurance and offer affordable self pay options.
1:13
Now let’s get into today’s episode.
So I have some really exciting news to share.
If you are new here, I just have to give you a little bit of context.
So at Diabetes Digital, we are a team of dietitians and our mission is to help people improve their blood sugar and metabolic health through weight inclusive, culturally humble nutrition behavior coaching that focuses on helping people improve their relationship with food.
1:41
And we have seen 1500 patients since we started at the beginning of 2024 and we’ve done 11,000 visits, which I can’t even believe.
That’s insane.
We’ve heard a lot from our patients anecdotally and we’ve seen lab values anecdotally that they’re having these big changes.
2:00
But we wanted to look clinic wide in all of the data and see what it was telling us.
So we hired a data analyst and I, for one, almost fell out my seat when I saw the results of our work with patients.
So I’m going to go through them very quickly.
2:15
And then I’m going to tell you a very special offer that we have for people in January.
So if you have been thinking about working with a dietitian, if you’ve been putting it off and waiting for the perfect time to start, it is now.
So in terms of the outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes, we looked at A1C, which is the average marker of your blood sugar over a three month period of time.
2:39
And what we found was on average our patients A1C dropped by 1% in six months, which is amazing.
So for example, if somebody with diabetes started it with an A1C of 7.5%, on average it would land at 6.5%.
2:59
This is better than the industry standard.
It’s also in half the time.
Typically it can take up to a year to see these changes, but we’re seeing them in six months.
And we tested people at six months and also at a year and we found that by the year mark they still had the improvement.
3:17
So it wasn’t something that was short term and it it wasn’t habits that they couldn’t maintain.
The other things we looked at were cholesterol.
We looked at fasting glucose, we looked at triglycerides, we looked at LDL cholesterol and all of those saw drops.
3:32
So for example, fasting glucose dropped 32 points, total cholesterol dropped 20 points, LDL dropped 10 points.
It honestly like blew all of our mind.
Now, some other things that I really love to hear was that 96% of our patients said that they improve their relationship with food and they cited things like more balanced eating patterns, more flexible mindset around food, reduced food guilt.
3:58
I was just so happy to see it.
Also, 96% said that they feel like they’ve adopted positive wellness behaviors and 100% said that they felt confident maintaining their habits.
So with all of this in mind, if you start care this month and you have your visit with your dietitian, we’re going to pay for your A1C, your cholesterol, your LDL, your triglycerides, your fasting glucose, your HDL.
4:24
Now you’re going to have to get your labs at LabCorp because that’s a clinic that we are partnering with.
And one caveat is, unfortunately, this is not going to apply to people in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
You guys just have different state laws when it comes to labs.
So if you want to get the labs done, head over to diabetesdigital.co thats.co/quiz sign up.
4:46
Have your first visit and tell your Rd. that you want your free labs.
Again, that’s Diabetes digital.co slash quiz sign up, tell your Rd. you want the labs.
Now is the time.
Now let’s get to the episode.
Do you have any hopes and dreams for this new year?
Hopes and dreams.
5:04
I mean, I’m just looking to slow all the way down because 2025 was pretty chaotic.
Yeah, just like a lot of back-to-back commitment and travel.
So I say that every year, but I really am committed to doing things differently this year.
5:23
It’s funny, ’cause I spoke about it, my therapist, and it’s like the way that I talked to her about it, it seems like I am in an AA meeting.
I’m like, no, but like, I promise I’m gonna do better.
And she’s like, yeah, but you’re always in the same predicament.
5:38
I’m like, no, it’s going to be different.
And so I am saying that it is going to be different.
I’m calling it here and now and we’ll see what happens.
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah.
This was the first year where I felt the, even though I did a lot of travel, it felt like very manageable.
5:58
And every trip, with the exception of one, which I had to postpone, I felt excited about.
Like I was like, yes, you know, this fits.
So we’ll see.
I think 2026 this year is going to be even more focused travel less is more.
6:15
And now I work, we cut off a trip this morning because you’re supposed to go to Jamaica.
And that’s been chopped, that’s been axed.
And it’s funny how I’m learning these things from Gabe, Wendy’s husband, telling my husband, like, I’m learning everything from like the guy now.
6:32
I’m like, no, we’re so yeah, no, Gabe said.
I was like.
Wait, what?
Gabe tells him everything.
Making me look bad.
I’m like, what do you mean?
I’m like wait a minute now I it wasn’t confirmed, but I guess now it is confirmed because it just seems like a lot.
6:47
But I’m sorry, I I thought we were just still talking about it, but I guess.
No.
So is we have no, no, no, we have dates.
I already had an alert on the flights.
I was going to buy the flights last weekend because I asked you guys are these dates for sure.
It’s fine.
7:03
I know how you doing.
Yeah, Yosef goes.
Oh, Gabe says we’re not going to Jamaica.
And I said what he said they’re coming to because we’re also renting my friend’s house in Tucson, which if no, if you guys have been to Tucson or you know, it’s amazing, if you haven’t, you have to go.
7:25
I love Tucson and she lives in a really cool neighborhood.
So we are going to be staying at her house like for February for Wendy’s birthday, we’re going to go to Columbia.
Which you did.
You respond if Yosef was invited.
I did, yeah.
7:40
It’s it’s all partners are invited and yeah, some of them are coming.
So yeah, I thought like by default, I thought you knew because like Gabe is going to be there, so.
No, I never.
Assumed.
OK, OK.
Well, the more you know.
7:58
You also assumed he was invited.
I was like, I don’t know, let me ask.
He’s like, I was invited.
Yes, partners, I’m invited.
I’m very excited about that.
Yeah, so we we do have a trip and we have a couple trips in the works.
But yeah, it just seemed like Jamaica was going to be too much too close to like the other dates.
8:19
But let’s definitely do it for his 40th.
Yes, Jamaica, yeah, Yeah, he would love that.
Maybe even like a island hub?
I think it I, well, I think we’re gonna do for your birthday on island hop ’cause it’s like your birthday’s only four days so or I don’t know about island hop, but like South.
8:37
America like another?
Yeah, like another.
Yeah, like something.
New would be nice.
That’s what I was saying.
I was just looking at a map.
This morning like.
We gotta do Peru.
But anyway, so yes, New Year, same you.
That is our motto.
We have a lot of cool changes coming for the podcast this year.
8:56
And I will say, we have read some of y’all’s reviews and the feedback we’re getting is to be more broad and like have episodes that are a little bit more like solo episodes where we’re really talking about like the updates that you guys are missing that you’re missing the updates, you’re missing the personalization of the pod.
9:22
You’re missing us.
Basically, you’re missing.
Us.
You’re missing us.
That’s what we’re hearing.
Yeah, that’s what we’re hearing.
They’re like, can you guys like, yes, talk about diabetes, but like also like talk about other things.
So we heard you, we saw the reviews and here we are.
So we’re going to start doing episodes about our focus, obviously, which is diabetes, pre diabetes, PCOS, metabolic health.
9:46
That’ll be a focus, but that’s not gonna be every episode.
We are gonna make them more broad because even if someone is listening who does have any of those conditions, like all of the other broad stuff still applies to you too.
So in today’s episode we’re gonna talk about some of our favorite small habits for 2026.
10:05
And these are gonna be things that again, along the the theme of New Year, same you, we’re not adding new things.
We’re just sharing small habits that we are currently doing that we enjoy that we’re going to continue because sometimes it’s better to focus on like what is working than trying to overhaul and add a bunch of new things.
10:22
And so we encourage you to focus on what is working and what are maybe 5 small habits that you can continue doing.
Maybe you hear one that we’re doing, you want to add that and take it into the new year with you.
Any other thoughts on that, Wendy?
Yeah, I love that.
10:37
I I think we did this episode before and it did really well.
So hopefully you guys have some takeaways from here, just like practical things that you can incorporate into your day-to-day.
And just we’ll share 5, I’ll share 5.
I can go first, just if that’s OK.
10:54
So my first habit that I have been doing already, but I’m not consistent is incorporating just a couple of minutes every hour of movement, especially when you’re at your desk.
So I’m working from home all day and I do have a standing desk, but sometimes I forget to like get up and make it a standing desk because it alternates between a sitting and standing.
11:20
And So what that looks like would be like working at your desk.
And then like on the hour you would get up and you would do like arm circles, squats, hip openers, you would do stretching, any kind of movement that’s going to just take like a few minutes and we’ll get your blood flowing.
11:39
And also like, I think it kind of resets your brain a little bit so that you’re not like just so on all of the time.
So I’m going to try to be more consistent with that habit where I actually do it every hour because sometimes I’ll do it like every three hours.
11:55
I’ll I’ll forget.
So yeah, that’s my first one.
I love that.
Yeah.
Movement is so important throughout the day.
It’s easy to just sit all day and not even notice that you are in it.
Yeah, your body will hurt like that.
So I might steal some of that.
12:11
My first habit and I got this from our girl Marley, ’cause she sent me a 10 minute voice note of her morning and evening routine, ’cause she’s really excited about it.
And I’m like, I love this routine.
And this is so basic, you guys.
It’s.
12:27
Trust me.
But what I won’t go through her whole routine, but one thing she does add is like having a morning cup of something hot.
And for her that’s coffee.
For her, I think it’s just a ritual and obviously like the coffee of it all.
I’m trying to get into coffee, but I’m still not fully there yet.
12:43
So I’ve been having like a big 16 ounce glass of tea in the morning.
And for me, it helps with just having a bowel movement.
I mean, I’ll just say it.
That’s why I do it because it’s like it just gets things moving.
It also starts the day off with hydration.
I normally drink like a big thing of water in the morning, but I don’t know, there’s just something about the hot water that just feels good, especially in it’s winter now.
13:07
So that is been a current habit that I will hopefully get carry forward into the rest of the year.
I love that that is something that I consistently do just because it helps to ground me like with the hot water and like it helps to get some interesting teas Like I got this, it’s like a rose, like a rose matcha tea that I got at the farmers market.
13:32
So it helps to have something interesting that you actually look forward to tasting.
And I agree, it does help move the bowels in the morning.
Yes and I will say really quick for teas TI don’t know how to pronounce it, but TCO tessino Tessa, whatever T EE CINOI think it is the best.
13:52
They’re so amazing, especially they have like I my friend Naushma was the first one who put me on I was like is this tea or is this crack?
It’s like a, it’s like they have hazelnut and then if you.
Mix it with you put me on to that one.
So good, they’re really good.
14:08
So many flavors, like try they’re for whatever reason, they’re very strong, but there’s no no caffeine and no added anything.
I don’t know how it tastes so strong, but anyways, just yeah, quality teas make all the difference.
Like love a Lipton here and there.
14:24
Not really, but but like branch out guys.
That’s why whenever I go to a restaurant and it’s like they only have Lipton, I automatically am like, this is not going to be a good experience for me.
I’m like OK.
Yeah, not going to work out.
So my second is seasonal food choices.
14:44
So picking one seasonal food every week and trying to do that consistently just so that you can try different produce throughout the year.
It’s a fun way to try out different recipes.
It’s a great way to support the local economy.
15:01
Usually seasonal food tastes better during the winter.
It is a challenge in a lot of places in the country because we don’t have as much variety.
But I do think it like, you know, like, for example, it was some variety of squash that was available that I usually don’t make.
15:17
But I saw that the farmers market and I was like, oh, let me, let me try it.
I ended up roasting and I really loved it.
I was like, Oh my God, I would have never tried it if I hadn’t gone to the farmers market.
So it is a good opportunity to just try something new, especially when you know produce is limited.
15:33
In the summer, it’s great because you can, you can try all types of recipes.
There’s so much variety and then the spring, but in the winter it’s a nice challenge.
Love that.
I think I’ll steal that one too.
My next one is and this is also part of my friend Marley’s morning routine.
15:48
And she said she stole it from me and I was like oh because basically she stayed with us for weeks on and off and she said she stayed with all of our friends including Wendy.
She will get mad at me for saying something so I’m not going to.
16:05
Say it.
What does she say?
Oh no, I know.
It’s not about my hosting abilities, no.
It wasn’t anything negative about you, it was just positive about us.
What was it?
She said that she felt our house was like she stayed with all of our friends.
16:23
She said our house was the most fun, like food wise, like most exciting, like the most love for food.
Yeah, she did.
She’s like, there was the most joy around food.
Just saying why?
16:40
Is going to kill me.
I’m so sorry Marley but anyways, because here’s why because like we you know it’s California.
We go to the farmers we we go to the farmers market we go here we go there it’s like oh what are we making We like did a whole spread of like different ingredients salads like, you know the smoothies.
16:57
So anyways, Marley said she had saw us do the smoothies every day and she was like, I love that idea of having just like one solid staple and not like she’s like, oh, I have decision fatigue around breakfast.
17:15
I should just do one thing.
And she’s like, I know I love my oats, which she does.
Like when we went to Italy, she was like, I want my what did she say?
Like her oats and her almond milk, all these like specific ingredients.
So she has that every day.
So anyways, I have my smoothie pretty much every day.
17:31
Also, one thing that I found really helpful is to prep the ingredients like either the night before or for the week.
You can put them in like Tupperware.
So let’s say if you have a smoothie with like fruit and protein powder and what else would you put like even peanut butter, anything like you put like that smoothies ingredients in a Tupperware or in like a plastic bag or reusable plastic bag.
17:55
And then in the morning I just dump it all in and then add like my liquid and blend and it’s good to go.
So just prepping will save you so much time in that way.
It’s like not a decision.
You just are kind of have all your ingredients.
Not that one.
18:12
All right.
My next small habit is being consistent with medications and supplements.
This is something that happens to me a lot where I’m like, oops, I forgot to take my thyroid medication, Oops, I forgot my magnesium.
18:30
So I have been trying to just kind of lay them all all out for the day.
And it’s really tricky when like you have to like for some things, it’s like, oh, you got to take it before meals and it’s like, OK, well, I already started eating and I’m like, what now?
So just having a little more structure around that.
I know especially for people that have diabetes and they’re on medication or like other conditions and you’re taking medication like that can be a challenge.
18:53
So like, whether it’s setting alarms or just for me, I lay it all out like I, I have a little white cap on my desk and I just put all my little pills in there and I know OK, by the end of the day, I have to make sure that like these are all gone.
Yep.
19:08
I literally have mine right here.
Yeah, I love that.
Yeah.
I feel like I’m always in meetings, like taking my pills because I forget and I’m like, oh, yeah, I’m just sitting here in a meeting.
It makes a difference because sometimes, like, if you’re not, I used to not be consistent also.
So like, putting them in your face can be really helpful.
19:24
Yeah.
OK, so my next thing is walking after meals around the block when I can.
So like after breakfast, like just a 5 minute walk, like 5-7 minutes after lunch, after dinner.
19:40
Because if you listen to the podcast, you know, I was going into like the ovarian insufficiency, which leads to like the perimenopause symptoms, which leads to blood sugar changes anyways, like I have had pre diabetes kind of like on and off.
19:57
And so walking as we know that we talk about all the time can be really helpful for regulating your blood sugar as well as doing strength training.
So I find that it’s just easy.
It’s tacking it on to something else.
Like, you know, they say with habits, I forget what the term is, but if you do it along with something you’re already doing, like eating, I’m always going to be eating.
20:18
Yeah, then that can be helpful.
So that’s something I have been, I’ve been doing The Walking around the block like you know, I’ve been talking about that for like the last year or so three to four times a day consistently.
But now I’m like, let me just time in a little bit better with my meals.
That’s a great one.
20:35
I love that and it’ll also help to bring your post meal numbers down if you have exactly diabetes.
Pre diabetes.
Amazing.
OK so my 4th 1 is light exposure.
I’m deficient and vitamin D on and off.
20:53
So this is especially important if you’re living in a place that doesn’t have a lot of sunlight during those colder months.
Get out, go for a walk.
I have a balcony, so sometimes I’ll just sit on my balcony to get some light exposure and it really does help to boost the mood and just feel alive a little bit like, you know, our friend Marley.
21:17
I feel like we should have just invited Marley on this podcast, Amsterdam.
That’s the reason why I can’t live in Amsterdam, because they don’t have a lot of sunlight.
And the poor thing, she has like a, a light lamp on her desk that she showed us and she’d be struggling.
21:36
And I get it because if I didn’t have a lot of sun exposure, I would be going through it.
I try like even in the winter peak sun hours, I’ll try even if it’s like for 10 minutes just to get out, put on a coat, get out, go go on a walk or just like stand in the sun.
21:56
But yeah, it makes all the difference for a lot of people.
Sure does love the light exposure.
OK my next thing is rotating easy meals.
I actually met with a dietitian, she was great because of like all the stuff that I have going on with like the autoimmune and you know, the pre diabetes and everything.
22:15
And sometimes it’s just helpful to have like someone looking at what you’re doing that accountability.
So she reminded me like you don’t have to like make new things all the time ’cause also for like an ADHD or it’s a lot.
And by the way, shout out to Jessica, our dietitian who has ADHD as well and a lot of her clients have ADHD and she is trained in that and very helpful.
22:36
But that’s a side note.
ANYWAYS, so has an ADHD or sometimes like the meals and the ideas it gets overwhelming.
So she’s like just go back to like the rotating have like 6 to 10 things, you know, for your lunch and dinner.
22:52
So for example, on Mondays we have like salmon, which has been the case for like years, but just like really solidifying that like salmon with like a different veggie.
I love Wendy’s idea of like a seasonal veggie and then getting it pre cut if you can for me.
And then like a frozen carb, like frozen rice or squash or something that can be roasted.
23:13
The rice obviously is not roasted, cooked in the microwave.
So that’s been really good.
Or like pizza, we used to do, and I’ve mentioned this pod for like 5 years.
We would like make a pizza, not from scratch, but like we’d buy the crust at Trader Joe’s and like make the pizza.
Now we do frozen pizza.
23:29
So frozen pizza on Fridays, a bag salad or some kind of easy veggie.
That’s so helpful to stay consistent because then it’s like you can just go into the grocery store.
I also have like that I put on the fridge a sticky menu thingy so I could just like right in the sharpie, OK, like this day this, and then I’ll bring that off into the grocery store And then it it’s like a in and out type thing because it’s like things I already know.
23:52
Yeah, Trader Joe’s has some really good frozen pizza.
I feel like we’ve tasted all of them.
They have like a really good Buffalo chicken pizza, which I didn’t think was going to be good, but it’s actually one of the best ones.
Just had the Margarita pizza last night.
24:07
They have this pesto one.
Like, they’re all really, really good.
Yeah, you also need to get the pesto one from there, yeah.
Yeah, they’re good.
And then also you can get a rotisserie chicken like a lot of these supermarkets will have, like the cooked rotisserie chicken.
And that’s nice because you could just like, chop it up and incorporate it in a bunch of different ways, and it always tastes really good.
24:27
So that could be another option too.
Absolutely.
Which leads me to my last small habits for 2026 and that is intentional breathing.
It’s something that I do on and off, but usually before like getting up from bed, I will just like lay and for at least 5 minutes do some intentional breathing.
24:48
So like just recenter my nervous system and like ground myself for the day.
And funny enough, we are going to be having a breathing class in a few weeks.
If you go to diabetesdigital.co/events, you’ll be able to see all the details and sign up.
25:10
It’s with our friend Jeddah who is a Reiki practitioner.
She leads different breathing workshop.
She does yoga and like movement.
She’s just incredible.
She does all types of healing practices and we thought it would be a great way to kick off the new year.
25:30
So if you’re interested in this breeding group, go to the website diabetesdigital.co/events and you can sign up there.
It’s totally free.
You do not have to pay.
Yeah, that’s my last small habit.
What’s your address?
I was going to just comment to you on the events.
25:47
So as we’re talking about like this year and everything going on, we did a lot of events last year, so many good ones and a lot of them you guys were very excited about.
So this year we’re doing at least 10 different events.
So definitely make sure to sign up for our mailing list so you’ll know.
26:05
But we did like a cooking class last year.
We’re going to do that again this year.
We did a yoga class that was really popular.
Now we’re doing the breathing.
We did a body image group.
We thought that that group was going to have maybe like 10 people.
26:20
I think we had like 25 people, 30 sign up.
So we had to break it into even smaller groups.
So there’s like so many really cool groups happening.
I’m going to do a perimenopause class like building muscle perimenopause and perimenopause.
So definitely make sure to check us out and these are free with your insurance.
26:39
So they’re yeah, if you have benefits, you just, you know, sign up and then we’ll yeah, we’ll use your insurance.
OK.
My final small habit, and this is one I’m sure I’ve been talking about this for a while and I’m sure a lot of people do, is the no phone in the bedroom before bed.
26:58
Like that it it’s very rare.
Sometimes here and there, like maybe once every two weeks I might have the phone for whatever reason, but no phone in the room.
And then the Kindle before bed is like my favorite com favorite combo of all time.
27:13
There’s nothing better than getting into the bed reading a book.
It’s the best way to fall asleep.
Yeah, hard.
It’s a hard way to read, but a great way to fall asleep.
So then I, I like wake up and read in the morning.
So then I’m like actually fresh in bed too.
27:29
And I have this like Kindle device.
It’s it’s like my favorite thing ever.
It’s kind of, it shows my age, but it’s basically like if you don’t feel like holding up the book, which I don’t because it like hurts my back.
It’s like a device where you can put the book in there and then it like, you can like, kind of like a phone stand, but for a Kindle that’s like heavy on the floor.
27:55
So it doesn’t like tip over.
But so then I can like read like this or read sideways and I don’t have to touch it.
And I could just like, tap.
So it’s really nice.
But that is such a good tool for sleep for me.
And I also still wear the red light blocking glasses, you know, even with the Kindle.
28:13
So I’m not getting the blue light, which will keep me up.
So yeah, that’s my last small habit.
That’s so.
Good.
Yeah.
Any thoughts on any small habits that you might carry, like anything new that you might carry forward into next year?
28:29
Yeah, I think all of these, the ones that I’ve been struggling with, but also the ones that are new to me, I love these because they’re all very small and doable.
I don’t want to get overwhelmed and commit to everything.
Yeah.
But I think the ones that are speaking to me the most are going to be the no phone in the bedroom because that’s something actually something that we’ve been doing is we will give each other our phones when we’re going to bed.
28:59
And so we swap them and then we put them under the bed of each of our sides so that in the middle of the night we’re not reaching for our phone like you, we would have to get up and go around the other side.
So that works ’cause we, we, we haven’t.
But yeah, we have to work on being more consistent with that.
29:16
But we do it enough.
So I think that’s something that we’re going to be more committed to.
That is so cool yeah and also if you guys are looking to be on the phone less, definitely check out the Brick app.
Yeah, it’s like a device.
It’s like game changing because I think many people’s complaint is I need my ABS emergencies, you know, like I need the phone, which I get you also was like emergency, emergency.
29:39
I’m like, OK, there’s no emergency, but OK, it’s like the one time there’s an emergency in 20 years, we’re going to be on the phone for 20 hours a day.
OK, So for me, I love the brick because you can block specific apps and you literally have to tap it for it to open.
29:57
Like it’s not these ones that you can like bypass that that are just come on your phone.
It’s like an external device you put on your fridge.
You have to tap it.
And so I love love that.
But yeah, in terms of your habits, I think the easiest one for me to incorporate would be picking one seasonal vegetable each week.
30:14
I love that especially yeah, when we go to the farmers market, there’s so many good ones or the Co-op.
So I’m gonna try to incorporate and like look up or maybe have like some kind of list of seasonal foods so that I can do it.
Awesome.
30:29
I love that.
Yeah.
And with that, so New York with.
That being said, I’m.
Like I watch pop the balloon.
I don’t know she’s from New York, but she definitely is from the East Coast.
Arlette, she’s always like and with that being said versus I like how I feel like we would say is having said that you’re yeah, you guys say with that being said.
30:56
We do.
Yeah.
With that being said, we’re gonna wrap it up.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope these small habits were helpful.
Just make sure that when you think about whatever small habits you’re going to incorporate, keep in mind that they want to be realistic.
31:15
You want to be consistent around them.
You don’t want to be like stressed out, like, Oh my God, how am I going to get this done?
It should be something that doesn’t require too much effort and overhaul because it’s, it’s all about like incorporating things consistently over time that make a big difference.
31:32
So just keep that in mind when you’re thinking about what small habits you’re going to adopt for 2026.
We hope that you pick just one of these to try and let us know.
You can share the via Instagram.
You can DM us or just comment on the podcast post and let us know what small habit you’re trying out.
31:50
And yeah, we will catch you in a few weeks.
Thank you so much for tuning in and happy New Year.
Hi, Happy New Year and we’ll actually catch you next week because the podcast is.
Weekly.
Yeah.
Bye bye.
32:09
Thanks for joining us for today’s episode.
If you’re interested in nutrition counseling with one of our expert dietitians to help improve your pre diabetes or diabetes, visit us at diabetesdigital.co.
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