New Year, New You
Well, it’s that time of year once again, New Year’s resolution time, and if you’re like most folks you’ll have at least one or two new habits on your list that you’ll start... ok, at least attempt to start this January1st.
The New Year’s resolution is time-honored practice, at least 4-thousand years old; the Ancient Babylonians were the first to people in recorded history to make them. These days, around 40% of Americans swear they are going to change their lives and daily rituals for the better. Making New Year’s resolutions are as much a part of New Year’s festivities as Bowl Games, The Mummers Day Parade and watching the geodesic crystalline ball descend in the middle of Times Square.
Many of us would admit that we’re not totally happy with the state of our health or with the way we live our lives on a day to day basis. We also know that there are lots of things we can do to improve our sense of well-being as well our physical health and appearance and there’s no better time than New Year’s Day to begin.
Below is a list of some practices you may consider incorporating into a daily or somewhat regular ritual to improve your overall health, well-being, and, of course, your skin!
Meditate. You’ll lower wrinkle promoting cortisol and encourage the production of healthy skin tissue and collagen fibers with this ancient anti-aging strategy. Bonus you’ll pump out brain waves of relaxation , soothe anxiety and improve sleep with a daily not necessarily religious practice. All you need to do to get the benefits of mediation, is sit in a comfortable position and focus on a bodily rhythm like your pulse, heart beat or breath. Don’t worry about your thoughts or try to stop them. Just let them come and go and maybe get interested in their arising and subsiding. Within a minute or two you’ll find yourself in such a peaceful and relaxed “meditative state” you might find it hard to stop. And when you do return to your daily activities you’ll find that you’re doing them with more attention, contentment, and peace of mind
Eat slowly, taste more, eat less! By slowing down at mealtimes and savoring each morsel, you’ll find yourself with increased enjoyment of what you’re eating and you’ll be content with less food. Eating with attention gives us more gustatory pleasure; foods and flavors seem brighter and more satisfying. When we eat slowly signals are sent to the brain and digestive facilities, improving nutrient absorption. And nothing beats calorie restriction for slowing down aging, reversing inflammation and improving overall health.
And speaking of eating, go ketogenic as much as possible. Calorie restriction will help, so will minimizing intake of carbs. Use vegetable juices daily, they’re loaded with hard to find phytonutrients, and they’re really filling, especially if you save the fiber by juicing with a Vitamix. And skip breakfast whenever possible. Taking 14-60 hours between meals is a great way help reduce food intake, generate ketones for brain and heart health, support immunity, and improve energy levels.
Move the lymph. The little recognized compartment of the circulatory system moves fatty nutrients and toxins the way the rest of the circulatory system moves blood. However unlike blood, lymphatic fluids don’t have a heart to pump them throughout body. Instead the fluids flow via the action of musculature and as we contract and release our muscles during exercise. When lymph isn’t moving through the body smoothly it can disrupt detoxification and delivery of nutrients resulting in skin problems, heart issues, decreased immunity and diseases like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, female reproductive system issues. Jumping up and down on a rebounder is a great way to improve lymphatic circulation, hanging upside down in an inversion device can also be effective. And my favorite way to push lymph around the body is to activate the lung muscles with slow deep rhythmic breathing
Breathe. And while we’re taking about breathing, make this the year to appreciate this critical life enhancing function. The average person inhales and exhales over 8 million time times a year but for most of us we do it automatically and mindlessly. Nonetheless given the incredible importance of respiration and its association with the vitality of the body and the dynamism of the cell it just makes sense to fuel up on air with awareness and discipline for at least a few minutes each day. You’ll find yourself with more energy, reduced pain, increased clarity, and stronger immunity. You can get apps for your smart phone to make the process easier, or just spend 5 minutes a day doing 10 to 20 second inhalations and exhalations. I like box breathing: inhale 10 seconds hold 10 seconds exhale 10 seconds, wait 10 seconds and repeat, for 5 to 10 cycles.
Start a supplement program. There are up to 90 essential nutrients including vitamins , minerals, fatty acids and amino acids that we can’t live without and have to be obtained from what we ingest. Because of poor soils, farming practices, storage processing and cooking most foods are lacking in these critical nutrients and unless you support the diet with them it’s almost impossible to get what you need. The thing about deficiencies is while symptoms are inevitable sometime there subtle and it’s hard to pinpoint just which shortage is causing what problem. Best bet is to eat as much nutritionally dense as you can, soups and veggie juice, eggs, organ meats are all great. And then get on program that features all the essentials and use it to supplement your foods. Our Fulvic Cellular Repair Complex contains all the essential minerals we need to make up for our nutrient-poor diets. Plus our Collagen Recovery Complex gives you the essential Vitamins and amino acids we need to produce and repair collagen and connective tissues.
Practice gratitude. Not only is it honest as we always have a lot to be grateful for, even if we don’t always appreciate our caring family and friends, loving pets, food on the table, roofs on our heads and our physical bodies no matter how fragile they may be. Even more importantly being thankful for our lives activates the body Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). This is “rest and digest” aspect of our neurology that helps puts at ease and improves all the markers of good health. And, as far as the skin goes activating the PNS with gratitude can help prevent dark spots encourage a robust skin barrier, improve wound healing and stimulate healthy collagen production
