‘Tis the season for New Year’s Resolutions! We just can’t help ourselves from wanting to start the year with the intention of being better at something.
80% of New Year’s resolutions have something to do with improving health. Let’s face it, we can all be healthier and eat better, exercise more, manage our stress more effectively… Better health is definitely a work in progress and something that requires continuous attention. Unfortunately, most people will fail in their resolution to be healthier in the New Year. The reason for this high rate of failure is that people often set unrealistic expectations for themselves and when they don’t meet their goals as they think they should, they get discouraged and give up.
The first thing that is important to realize is that your health didn’t get to where it is overnight and it’s not going to improve in just a few weeks. Getting healthier is a process of taking steps towards better health that are realistic and incremental. As I said, it’s a work in progress and requires continuous attention. It’s not something that you can just let slide once you get to the pinnacle of good health. If that’s your approach, it’s a slippery slope!
Once you realize that it’s going to take time, the next important step is to address some of the fundamental issues that prevent us from getting healthier more quickly and easily. Here’s the top 5 road blocks to better health:
1. Systemic Toxicity – We live in a toxic world and all have toxins in our bodies that prevent us from getting healthier or at least slow down the process. The holidays certainly don’t help, as many people tend to overindulge. I recommend that you do some kind of systemic cleanse 2-4 times a year. There’s lots of different types of cleanses and it’s important to do one that is going to be effective and safe, so, before you go out and waste your time, get some advice from a qualified professional on how to do a cleanse safely and effectively.
2. Poor Diet – At the risk of sounding cliché, you are definitely what you eat. It’s all about biochemistry and how the nutrients you consume affect your overall health. Of course, we all have very specific nutritional needs and certain foods that work well for us and others that don’t. Everyone has certain foods that cause immune system reactions in their body that can lead to digestive issues, inflammation, blood sugar imbalances, depression, anxiety and a myriad of other health issues.
3. Lifestyle – This includes exercise, work life balance, self-care, relationships, job satisfaction, spirituality and all of the other factors that we choose in our life that affect us on a daily basis.
4. Stress – We all have it and it can be detrimental to our overall health if it’s not managed properly. It’s really a matter of how we handle it. Supporting your body during times of stress is imperative. There are lots of ways to help your body through stressful times including nutrients, botanical medicine, acupuncture, breathing, meditation, changing your lifestyle to eliminate the stress,and even shifting your perspective on the event that is causing you stress.
5. Sleep – Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep consistently to be able to function optimally. Not consistently getting a good night’s sleep is going to wear you down and make you susceptible to all kinds of health issues and dysfunctions. A good night’s sleep is one of the most important aspects of getting and staying healthy.
Often when these fundamentals are addressed, the body realigns and you will have more energy. The path to better health becomes much easier. The hard part is figuring out where to start. Getting a good plan in place will help you to meet your health goals and continue on a track to better health now, through the year and beyond.
Have a happy, healthy New Year!!