Now that you've survived another round of holidays it's time to take a look back on your year. Health-wise of course.
If you didn't accomplish your goals, ask yourself why not? Was your goal realistic or perhaps life got in the way.
Instead of setting resolutions, I challenge you to achieve 5 small goals.
As any good naturopathic physician will tell you diet and lifestyle are extremely important to health. They set the foundation for you to experience life daily. Which brings me to goals #1 and #2.
Goal 1 -Diet -Change 1 thing this year. Have 1 extra serving of vegetables, eat a good breakfast, read ingredient labels or just start cooking more meals for yourself. What helps many of my patients is to track their diet for a week either with an online one (such as fitday.com) or paper and then we evaluate it together.
Goal 2 -Lifestyle - Stop a bad habit, or start a good one. Whether its to stop smoking, cut out junk food or get more physically active the important thing is to start. Don't get discouraged. The more times you try to quit something, the better chances of your success. It takes 21 days for your brain to form new habits so stick with it. If you want to become more physically active, start small like walking 30 minutes daily. Or, check out goal #3.
Goal 3 -Try something new - Maybe you'd like to pick up a new sport. You don't need to spend money to have someone teach you something. Online videos have great how-to demonstrations. Perhaps you want to try a new food. Ask adventurous friends to recommend restaurants, or activities if you can't think of anything. Too simple? Perhaps this is the year you confront a fear and do something that scares you. Conquer that fear of flying and make it part of goal #4.
Goal 4 -Do something for yourself once a month- Too often we are thinking of others, that we forget that we need to take care of ourselves too. If you've ever seen the in-flight video of putting on your oxygen mask first in an emergency its the same idea. Go for a massage, take a vacation, sleep in, just do something to relax your body and mind where its all about YOU.
Goal 5 -Get an annual physical - Small changes add up to big changes which can be good when all the small changes are positive. However some of these little changes make a negative impact on your health. Most people don't monitor the changes in your body. Have those moles changed since last year? Is your weight increasing or decreasing? Has there been something new in your family history such as cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes to name a few? Does your supplement and medication regime need to be updated? Which screening exams do you need, and at what age? All of these can be addressed with your naturopathic physician.
These are things I try to do every year. It takes the stress off setting a lofty, sometimes unrealistic resolution. So go enjoy the rest of 2012 and have a healthy, safe New Years.
Content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for proper medical evaluation and treatment.
If you didn't accomplish your goals, ask yourself why not? Was your goal realistic or perhaps life got in the way.
Instead of setting resolutions, I challenge you to achieve 5 small goals.
As any good naturopathic physician will tell you diet and lifestyle are extremely important to health. They set the foundation for you to experience life daily. Which brings me to goals #1 and #2.
Goal 1 -Diet -Change 1 thing this year. Have 1 extra serving of vegetables, eat a good breakfast, read ingredient labels or just start cooking more meals for yourself. What helps many of my patients is to track their diet for a week either with an online one (such as fitday.com) or paper and then we evaluate it together.
Goal 2 -Lifestyle - Stop a bad habit, or start a good one. Whether its to stop smoking, cut out junk food or get more physically active the important thing is to start. Don't get discouraged. The more times you try to quit something, the better chances of your success. It takes 21 days for your brain to form new habits so stick with it. If you want to become more physically active, start small like walking 30 minutes daily. Or, check out goal #3.
Goal 3 -Try something new - Maybe you'd like to pick up a new sport. You don't need to spend money to have someone teach you something. Online videos have great how-to demonstrations. Perhaps you want to try a new food. Ask adventurous friends to recommend restaurants, or activities if you can't think of anything. Too simple? Perhaps this is the year you confront a fear and do something that scares you. Conquer that fear of flying and make it part of goal #4.
Goal 4 -Do something for yourself once a month- Too often we are thinking of others, that we forget that we need to take care of ourselves too. If you've ever seen the in-flight video of putting on your oxygen mask first in an emergency its the same idea. Go for a massage, take a vacation, sleep in, just do something to relax your body and mind where its all about YOU.
Goal 5 -Get an annual physical - Small changes add up to big changes which can be good when all the small changes are positive. However some of these little changes make a negative impact on your health. Most people don't monitor the changes in your body. Have those moles changed since last year? Is your weight increasing or decreasing? Has there been something new in your family history such as cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes to name a few? Does your supplement and medication regime need to be updated? Which screening exams do you need, and at what age? All of these can be addressed with your naturopathic physician.
These are things I try to do every year. It takes the stress off setting a lofty, sometimes unrealistic resolution. So go enjoy the rest of 2012 and have a healthy, safe New Years.
Content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for proper medical evaluation and treatment.
