12 Tips For a Healthy New Year – kathylongwellness.com

I hope this newsletter finds you and your family healthy and excited about the upcoming Holidays.

I thought I would take a page from the 12 Days of Christmas song and give you 12 tips for a healthy new year. There are no guarantees in life but implementing these tips will certainly have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing. Cheers to an amazing Holiday Season and a great 2016!!

Tip #1

Food is your BEST medicine so start reading your labels and let go of those foods that might taste great (because of all those additives) and chose more whole foods, closer to their source. My rule is if I can’t pronounce or identify something on the label, I don’t really want to ingest it.

Tip #2

Caffeine in moderation and never on an empty stomach. Often a cup of coffee will last someone a few hours before they become hungry and finally eat breakfast, this is not a good idea for many reasons. If you are a coffee drinker, pair it with some food, your blood sugar and adrenals will thank you!

Tip #3

Try tea! For those who need that caffeine boost in the morning, try green tea. There are so many kinds and they all contain health benefits including providing anti-cancer agents that protect you from oxidative stress. Other teas like Nettles, Licorice and Milk Thistle have wonder healthful properties, so after that first cup of coffee, try tea for the rest of the day.

Tip #4

Snacks are your friend. 2 snacks per day will help to keep your blood sugar in check and your metabolism from slowing down. Make them healthful snacks that contain some protein and good fat like a Lara Bar, an apple with ¼ c. nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews. An apple with some cheddar cheese, or a hard boiled egg.

Tip #5

Exercise consistently. It is not so much the amount that is so important as the consistency that makes the biggest impact. Move your body, move your qi, help your brain and destress your nervous system. Programs like Miracle Mile, which help you walk in your home for those who live where there are harsh winters, or try Yoga with Adriene on youtube or Kettleworx – these are all good and easy to follow programs that will help keep you consistent.

Tip #6

Stay hydrated. Research shows that a persons water intake is individual and based on your weight. The formula is 50% of your weight in ounces. If someone weighs 140 lbs, they need 70 oz, of water. And I do mean clean, pure water. Not water in your coffee, or iced tea. It may be a big change for some so start slow and know what your target goal is.

Tip #7

Healthy fats are so important. Every cell in your body has a layer of fat around it that acts like a soldier, allowing things into and out of the cell, so that fat needs to be healthy – NO Trans fats. Good sources are nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut oil, clean non-farmed fish. Everyone needs to be taking a high quality Essential fatty acid supplement daily. It is so important for your heart, joints, hormones, brain and much more.

Tip #8

Get good sleep. Your body needs sleep to restore and reset for the next day. If you aren’t sleeping well look into solutions. Use good sleep hygiene: turn off electronics 1 hr. before bed, don’t use the bedroom as an office or TV room – it is for sleep and intimacy only, take a warm bath with lavender oil before bed time, spray a lavender mist on your pillow, do restoration pose before getting into bed (see #10), work with a practitioner to determine if you need Melatonin, GABA, or some other supplement.

Tip #9

Eat organic as much as possible. We use tons of pounds of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, fungicides and weed killers yearly on our crops. Many of these have never been tested for their health impact.

Tip #10

Quiet the mind daily. 10 minutes of meditation or the restoration pose can do wonders to calm stress and anxiety, improve energy and sleep. The restoration pose is simply lying on the floor with your legs up on a chair, bent at the knees. Close your eyes, take a deep breath in – counting to 4, pause counting to 4 and then exhale completely to the count of 4. This simple deep breathing exercise helps to restore your nervous system back to parasympathetic (relaxation). Done on a regular basis this can have profound effects on your adrenals, blood sugar, stress levels and more.

Tip #11

Practice the art of gratitude. There is so much on a daily basis to be grateful for and if we look, there is plenty to feel bad about too. But focusing on the positive, appreciating family, friends, freedoms – these are the things that matter. Keep a journal, make a daily pronouncement at dinner, type it into your computer – whatever format suits you best but do it daily.

Tip #12

Do a supervised thorough Detox yearly. It is essential that you help get rid of chemicals and toxins we accumulate through the year. They are in cleaning products, personal care products, food, clothing even in construction materials like carpet, pain, cupboards. This is such an important subject and one I will be devoting an entire post to. But know that this is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Feel free to contact me for information about the one I have used with my family and patients for years, with great results.