We all want to be our best selves- we try to do the right thing for our bodies, but there are so many choices! How do you know where to start? Here are five healthy habits everyone can benefit from developing.
1- Drink more water
Water continues to be the most important factor to becoming healthy. The average American is suggested to consume a meager 64 ounces of clean water every day, and most people drink less than 40 ounces. Remember, the rule is- drink HALF your body weight in ounces of water per day.
2- Keep Moving
Studies show that a combination of chiropractic and basic exercise can be more effective for pain than drugs and traditional methods. What does that look like? Try taking a walk around the neighborhood after dinner. Or try bringing a pair of walking shoes to work and going on a short hike on your lunch break.
Stand up from your desk every 60 minutes or less, and walk to the water cooler to refill your water bottle. Hey, if you keep drinking water, you’ll need to walk more frequently to the restroom, which gets you up out of your chair- double win!
3- Supplement Wisely
It’s difficult to get through the day without being bombarded by advice and ads for different vitamins and supplements. If you add in MLM invitations from well-meaning family and friends, it’s enough to swear off vitamins altogether! Or, at least it can be overwhelming knowing which ones to choose. If you pick too many it adds up quick!
Consider purchasing a “whole food based” multivitamin from a quality health food store or website. Steer clear of the store brands and products sold in “mainstream stores.” If you can buy a toaster, a kitchen table and drain cleaner from a store, changes are they aren’t the best place to be buying your supplements.
Check out future articles about how to pick the best vitamins and minerals. For now stick with the main four: Multivitamin, Omega-3, Vitamin D3 and a quality probiotic.
4- Clear your mind
Mindfulness can be one of the most potent healing tools in your arsenal. Stress has become one of the strongest causes of many preventable diseases. Today’s culture encourages a work ethic that is borderline self-abusive. It’s wonderful to want to be all things to all people, but in reality, sometimes you really just need to sit down and take a rest.
Consider treating yourself to “self-care” days where you get a massage, see your chiropractor and perhaps just enjoy the afternoon with a book and a cup of tea. It’s difficult to care for others if you’re not caring for yourself.
5- Restore your brain-body connection
Chiropractic helps identify disconnects in your brain-body system, similar to a blown fuse disconnecting the flow of electricity in your home. When stress, overuse of our muscles and joints and poor diets go on too long, the body begins to break down. Vital connections are lost and the body begins to become less efficient. Over time this decreased efficiency can lead to illness, disease and negative body symptoms. By visiting your chiropractor for routine checkups, these areas of disconnect can be found and fixed before your body “blows a fuse.”
Cultivating brain-body connection helps you move more efficiently, feel more energized and heal faster from illness and disease. It truly is a “win-win!”
Thank you for reading! If you’d like to schedule a session at my clinic in Boulder, Colorado you can do so here.