I know many of you make your New Year resolutions to be
healthier, or to lose that extra weight gained during the goodie filled holiday
season, or maybe you just want to create more balance in your life. Most of us try to continue our new year’s
resolutions all the way through the year, but let’s face it, come mid-February
or March, most of us have gone back to our old unhealthy habits. No matter what
your new year’s resolutions are; there are some very simple ways to start off
your 2013 on the right foot and keep it that way.
It actually takes 21 days to develop a habit. And we are habit-forming creatures; this is
how we create routines in our daily lives.
Anyone can do something for 21 days if they really want to change. So try it and stick with it! That habit could
be working out, or eating more vegetables, or a daily affirmation or
meditation. Be patient, it may take a week or two to start seeing the results
you want – 21 days is all it takes. Keep
a calendar on the fridge or something that you look at every day and cross off
the days as they pass.
Everyone should have on his or her list of goals for 2013 to
become an overall healthier person. This
starts with providing your body with the proper fuel to perform at its optimal
levels. The fuel our bodies crave is from
vegetables and fruits. Most people do
not eat enough fruits and veggies to meet the nutritional needs the body
requires. A simple start is to add
fruits and veggies into your diet is to first start to keep a food diary. Many people are “unconscious eaters” and
don’t realize the amount of junk and toxic food they put into our bodies. We are what we eat, and if we constantly eat
junk food or empty calorie foods, our body gets toxic and will cause ailments,
aches, pains, digestion issues, and disease.
So write down EVERYTHING you eat, (even gum and sugar filled mints) and
keep track of how you feel – maybe you get a headache, or feel tired – it is
amazing the correlations you can create when you see them on paper. Your body will give you warning signs that it
does not like certain foods. After a few
days of keeping your food diary, make a point to eat a fresh fruit and/or
vegetable with every meal, even your snacks.
This will provide more nutrients your body needs, and if you eat your
vegetable or fruit first, you will not eat as much junk after because your body
will be more satisfied. A nutritious
diet consists mostly of vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and seeds. These foods are nutrient packed foods that
your body will love.
Daily exercise is another important aspect of living a
healthy well-balanced life. You have all
heard this before – the key is to find the right exercise that works well for
you and fits into your schedule.
Exercise helps to get toxins out of your body and keeps everything
moving properly. It helps decrease
stress, increases circulation, improves mental clarity, and increases
energy. So find a 30-90 minute window in
your schedule to start moving. Sometimes
the hardest part is putting on those shoes and getting out that door – again,
it takes 21 days to develop that habit.
Thinking positive thoughts is also something that sometimes
gets over looked often. The power of
what your head can do to create peace or chaos in the body is very influential
of how we live our daily life. If we
walk around grumpy all day, we are stressed, we make bad choices, and it
creates stress and strain on our entire body.
If we choose to be happy, to pick our battles, and think positive
thoughts our body will create more energy and work more efficiently. Get a little calendar book with daily
positive affirmations to read every morning, or look in the mirror every day
and tell yourself something positive.
“Every thought we think is creating our future.” (-Louise L. Hay)
And lastly, something I can’t leave out since it is my
passion, get regular chiropractic adjustments.
Our nervous system controls everything our body does. It controls how we think, how we absorb our
nutrients we put into our body, how we move, and how we function. Our spine houses and protects our nervous
system with 24 moveable vertebrae. If
one or several of these vertebrae are out of place causing a misalignment, also
called a subluxation, it will cause pressure on the nervous system, decreasing
function. A chiropractor will find these
misalignments and take pressure off the nervous system and allow the body to
work at optimal levels, increasing overall health and energy.
So let’s start off 2013 right! A habit takes 21 days to
develop, so create the positive and healthy habits and get rid of the old
ones. Eat well; keep a food diary and
add a fresh fruit and/or vegetable with every single meal. Move well; find an exercise routine that
works well for you. Think well; start
off your day with a positive affirmation.
And finally, get regular chiropractic adjustments so your nervous system
is working properly and your body can work at its highest, healthiest levels.
Let’s make 2013 your happiest, healthiest year yet!
