Top tips for wellness in the new year.

The new year is a good time to reflect on your past and think about what you would like more of in your future. I think of health as an overarching measure of the quality of life, and as such, thinking about the the aspects of life that have and have not brought joy and fulfillment can help clarify what steps will improve our health the most.

I suggest expanding the tradition of new years resolutions into a yearly goal-setting session. Goals often focus on work and career. However, we feel better about goals and benefit more when we include social/family goals and personal growth/health goals. Having someone with experience help you with your goal setting process is helpful. As a naturopathic doctor, improving the health of my patients can include addressing any or all of these categories.

These are some of the goals that I encourage my patients to make and keep, because in my experience, people experience the biggest improvement in health from these steps:

1. Listen to your body and feelings more. Not paying attention to these inner sources of wisdom is, in my experience, one of the most common roots of disease. Pay attention to the stress in your life, and find ways to minimize it. This could include changing your life or just incorporating stress-reduction techniques or acupuncture into your life. Spend more time in the present with joyful activities like art, movement, music, etc.
2. Eat better! This means a lot of different things to a lot of people. Here is what it means to me:
   • Watch your blood sugar. Eat regular meals. Combine carbohydrates with protein, fat, or fiber, and get protein in the morning. Be careful with sugary foods.
   • Reduce toxicity in your diet: Boycott or reduce factory farmed animal products, especially farmed salmon and conventional butter. My website has links to help you find least-toxic seafood and produce.
   • Increase the vitality of your food. Local, organic, fresh, unprocessed foods have more available nutrients and less degradation. Shop around the outside of the grocery store and avoid the packaged goods in the middle.
3. Move your body! The body moves best in the early afternoon. For people who have trouble with maintaining  but people who schedule exercise first thing in the morning are more likely to keep their regimen consistently.There are several categories of exercise, and I like people to participate in a variety: Cardiovascular or interval training, strength training, flexibility training, including pilates and yoga, and integrated activities like dance classes, sports, or martial arts that integrate movement with skill and a little adrenaline. One of these activities, like jogging, biking, or yoga can be used as an outdoor or meditative activity. At minimum I hope that my patients do 1-3 activities per week. 
4. Get help! Work with someone who can help you clarify your specific needs, tailor your regimen safely and effectively to meet those needs, and put the whole picture into perspective. Find a holistic practitioner can guide you through the maze of decisions about diet, exercise, lifestyle, medications, herbs and supplements, emotional issues, and other health-related questions.