how to set a healthy habit

At kencko, we take life hacks with a pinch of salt. In the nutrition and health space where we operate, there are already far too many promises to “transform your healthy morning routine with this one simple trick!” 

These promises feel reductive at best, and dangerously misleading at worst. Things are rarely so simple, and we challenge you to show us one easy “hack” that has been scientifically proven to radically improve every aspect of every adherent’s life.

But here’s one we couldn’t dismiss so easily: the power of  “anchor habits” on your healthy daily routine. Put simply, the theory goes that the easiest way to build new and better habits is to anchor them to existing ones. If there’s already something you do every day, use that as the cue to add another – it makes it much more likely that you’ll remember to do the new task or behavior, and that through repetition it will become habitual, i.e. effortless. 

There’s nothing magical about it. You still have to stick to your old habits. You still have to put in the repetitions to cement new ones. And there’s no vague promise of fabulous fortune or unfathomable fame if you succeed. But that’s our kind of goal – easy to measure, achievable, and sustainable over months and years. 

When you pick up your car keys, pick up your kencko smoothie too. Or when you grab the almond milk for your morning coffee, fill your kencko bottle at the same time – and before you know it, you’re halfway to your daily fruit and vegetable goals.

Want to have a smoothie kind of day?

Anchoring your new habits into your daily routine is just the beginning. Although we sometimes get pushback from critics who suggest that kencko is steering people away from fresh fruits and veggies, the truth is quite the opposite. 

A while ago, we started regularly asking our members to identify the main benefit they got from a regular kencko habit. The results have really surprised us: the most common answer, from over 60% of respondents, is that since starting to use kencko they find themselves eating more fresh fruits and vegetables overall, in addition to their kencko smoothies. For many kencko members, it seems like introducing kencko into their routines has had something of a domino effect, helping them to make more nourishing food choices throughout the day – some true smoothie benefits.

Looking through all the feedback we get from members, we routinely see comments like “kencko serves as a reminder to eat more fresh veggies and fruits overall, and since starting I've developed a habit of eating fresh fruit every day,” or “I like the taste and it helps me make healthier choices during the day.” 

We call it, “having a smoothie kind of day.” Start the day with a positive decision to nourish your body with 2.5 servings of fruits and veggies, and you’re setting yourself up for a day where the healthy choices just feel easier.

The closer you come to accomplishing a goal, the easier it can be to stay motivated to actually get there. If your goal is to get 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day, drinking a kencko smoothie gets you halfway there. 

Checking off 2.5 boxes is a lot less daunting than 5, right? If you’ve already had your morning kencko, have an apple as a snack, then add some sauteed veggies to dinner and voila, that’s your five-a-day. You don’t even need to cram servings by sitting at your table, wordlessly chowing down on an entire bag of baby spinach.

We’re not saying that habit change is always easy, or that adding kencko to your routine will suddenly motivate you to, say, train for a multi-stage bike race. But from what our members tell us, it can be a super low-effort way to glow-up the rest of your daily routine.

We get asked "are smoothies good for you?" all the time. Our answer is a resounding yes!

The benefits of a daily smoothie

Are fruit smoothies healthy? Yep! And the benefits of smoothies go beyond the mental, habit-building boost. Here are just a handful of the ways adding a daily smoothie to your daily routine can up your overall health:

• Add more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your diet, as fruit and vegetables are chock full of nutrients like vitamins A, C and E, potassium, fiber, and folic acid.

• Feel more energized — natural sugar from fruit can provide stable energy, minus the crash that can accompany refined sugars.

• Support your immune system: vitamin C helps keep your immune system perform at the top of its game, and many kencko smoothies contain 100% of your body's daily needs.

• Stay regular: a high fiber smoothie of fruits and vegetables can help to support a healthy gut.

• Stay hydrated: fruits and vegetables are mostly comprised of water, so naturally smoothies are a great way to rehydrate – whether it's after a workout or a night out.

• Glow up your skin: antioxidants from fruits and vegetables contain nutrients shown to protect your skin from damage caused by things like pollution and UV rays.

• Avoid blood sugar spikes: fiber in fruits and vegetables can help regulate the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, which in turn can prevent blood sugar spikes.

• Kiss cravings goodbye: a nutritious smoothie with breakfast can help stave off hunger and keep you from becoming ravenous before your next meal.