I know many of you make your New Year’s resolution 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 resolution(s) 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 2012-year 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 2012 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 vegetables and fruits. Most people do not eat enough fruits and veggies to meet the nutritional needs the body requires. A simple start 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 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 often gets overlooked. 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 2012 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 2012 your happiest, healthiest year yet!
Dr. Angie Monthei
Complete Wellness Chiropractic
3408 Woodland Avenue, Suite 501
West Des Moines, IA 50266
515-440-3066
