Entering into the new year is always a new and exciting time for change and growth. Many are looking forward to new arenas in life and how they can better themselves. Some even enter into a new year’s resolution, which is a great way to set goals for yourself if you’re looking to improve your health. If that’s you, here are some reminders on how you can continue to maintain good health in the new year or maybe even up the ante in making those positive changes.

It’s important to remember that maintaining good health depends on your lifestyle, how you behave and think, as well as how you treat yourself and your body. What you put into your body or what you eat has a major influence on your body’s ability to stay healthy. Also, how you think about yourself, whether you take an optimistic or pessimistic point of view in life also has a major affect on your body. Healthy activity such as regular exercise and adequate sleep are just a couple of other lifestyle factors that affect your body’s ability to maintain good health.

 

Feeding Your Body Right

 

Gut environment is one of the most important aspects in staying healthy. Poor gut health leads to poor overall health and leaves your body vulnerable to bacterial attacks. Eating raw foods like fruits and vegetables supports healthy gut flora. Foods with live bacterial cultures such as yogurt, kefir, and kombucha beverages also help support a healthy gut. Fiber foods promote a healthy gut lining and provide food for gut flora possibly decreasing your chances of inflammation and disease. Also consider your intake of antioxidants which can help your body fight free radicals to promote heart health and fight cancer. Vitamins A, C, and E, found in fruits and vegetables, support good health.

 

Managing Stress

 

Brain health and gut health are interconnected. How you think and feel about life and yourself have an affect on your stress levels which consequently have an affect on your gut. We all know stress is a part of life and our bodies have a natural way of dealing and responding to stress. However, it’s important to be aware of when stress becomes overbearing. Stressful thoughts and anxiety can actually disable your body’s ability to conduct self-healing. Studies on stress and anxiety have shown that staying optimistic in life may help decrease depression, lower distress, help your ability to cope with stressful situations and increase your body’s resistance to the common cold. Read the funny comics, revel in nature, and pray.

 

Staying Active

 

Excercise is known to help support a healthy immune system. Aerobic exercise, especially, helps circulation of white blood cells which help your body’s ability to fight harmful microbes as well as normalize glucose, insulin and leptin levels. Blood circulation gives your body a better chance at fighting illness before it starts. When you exercise you help your body lower stress hormones and fight the winter blues.

 

Getting Adequate Sleep

 

Your immune system cells are most active during the sleep cycle. Certain disease-fighting substances are released or created while you are asleep. Not getting adequate or good quality sleep may compromise immune function and may cause you to be more susceptible to infection. Adults should be getting 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep each night. If you’re having trouble acquiring good sleep you may want to try to stick to a sleep schedule if possible, mind what you eat and drink before bed, and find ways of winding down at night like reading a book and listening to soothing music. Get comfortable and try to avoid screen time or other media, which may interfere with sleep.

 

Start the new year by gaining a sense of accomplishment. Look back at all your accomplishments from the previous year. If you are able to make the time, start a new project, plan on reorganizing a room in your home or clean out the garage. Read books on your booklist that you haven’t gotten to yet and get your mind on new ideas. That may just be the ticket to starting a new year fresh and living life to it’s fullest and healthiest.

 

Join us on the journey! Let’s get healthy together.