6 Steps to Fall Back Into Health
I know it's not technically fall… but for many of us, the start of the new school year tells us otherwise. It's time to say goodbye to the carefree days of summer and jump back in to our more typical routine. With that being said, it's a perfect time to start incorporating healthy habits into our schedules and amp up our health game!
Here are 6 things to help you fall back into health:
#1. Hit the reset button.
You don't have to do a cleanse (although we love using them as a kickstart) but by simply eliminating added sugars, refined carbohydrates, dairy, poor quality meats, soy and corn this is one of the best ways to ease your body into craving healthy foods. In addition, these eliminations will help to reset your blood sugar, kick up your immune system as well as jump start your metabolism.
#2. Stress less... (or at least manage it better).
We can't make your stress go away, but you can adopt habits that will help you handle stress with less reactivity and more resiliency. These new habits will be the key to stopping the physical manifestations stress has on your body, creating negative symptoms. Start at your own pace. Something is better than nothing. Try five minutes of guided meditation from a sea of options on InsightTimer or YouTube App. Take a walk on the beach, journal, try a yoga class, meet with friends and talk it out, attend a soundbath and of course, our favorite...acupuncture for relaxation and overall health.
#3. Create a workout schedule to follow religiously.
Pencil it in...no wait, put it on your schedule in Sharpie so you can't erase it. Make the time! You don't have to spend hours at the gym every day, but you do need to exercise that heart muscle. Getting your heart rate up and SWEATING is key! Don't be afraid to use weights, it's not just about the treadmill. Instead of going for an hour walk, try doing 30 min of run/walk intervals. Downloading the 7-Minute Workout App, everybody has 7 minutes in the day. No excuses! Moving your body should be non-negotiable.
#4. Go to bed!
I know, once we get older often times our sleep gets more elusive. It takes longer to fall asleep, we don't sleep as long and we don't feel like we sleep as deep. Don't take sleep for granted. In addition to diet and exercise it's also an imperative piece to rebooting health.
Go to bed, seriously, stop staying up so late. Adults should be in bed and falling asleep by 10pm. The newest research shows that adults do better with 8-9 hours rather than the 6-7 hours previously recommended. We are all guided by a 24 hour internal body clock, known as the circadian rhythm. This biological clock is entrained by external environmental occurrences, such as the light-dark cycle of night and day. Put simply, our circadian rhythm regulates our daily activities, such as sleep, waking, eating and body temperature regulation. Since it took years to weaken your circadian rhythm, it may take a long while to repair it. By avoiding things at nighttime such as consuming caffeine, sugar and alcohol, keeping all the lights on, using electronics and eating late, we can avoid further weakening of our biological clock.
#5. Get a baseline
Current labs will let you know your exact starting point in black and white. When making healthy changes, it's important to understand the present condition of your health. Comparing labs of your before and after will be a significant tool in knowing how far you have come. You are not a prisoner of your lab results. Numbers can change and for the better, we see it all the time! Think of your labs as an adult report card. If you put in the effort and take the time you too can have straight A's in your new health habits.
Labs should consist of at least a complete blood count (CBC) and comprehensive metabolic profile (CMP). We can also do more functional labs to give more information on inflammatory markers, thyroid health, cardiovascular and diabetes risk as well as testing for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Please ask your acupuncture physician what would be best for you.
#6 Repeat steps 1-5.... Nurture your new healthy habits!
Take it one day at a time! Soon, and before you know it, you will have a new normal to your day and new formed healthy habits. Stay the course and feel how wonderful it is to take back control of your health!