David Letterman has a top ten. ESPN has the top ten plays of the day. There are Ten Commandments. There are all sorts of top ten lists you can find now that Google® is here to stay. Ten seems like a good number. So here from all of us at 8 Weeks to Wellness® are 10 tips for starting the New Year right:
1) Make this the year you set goals to improve your health. Your goals should be specific, written down, and read aloud each day; I will eat 3 servings of fruits and vegetables daily; I will go to the gym at least 3 times each week; I will do deep breathing exercises 10 minutes each day; I will create an "I’m thankful for…" list each day. It’s hard to get where you want to go without direction and written down goals provides the map.
2) Want to boost your energy everyday? Exercise. Commit to 30 minutes 5 days per week – walk more, climb the stairs, do pushups, hire a personal trainer – something, ANYTHING, to raise your heart rate every day.
3) Drink, eat, do everything "in moderation". With this simple concept, you’ll jump start your goal of optimum health. Go ahead and have that cookie, but just don’t eat the whole box. You really can be satisfied with just one.
4) If you’re on a diet and "fall off the wagon," get right back on the same day. Remember you’re only one meal away from being perfect!
5) Stop your ‘stinkin thinkin.’ One of the best things about being a human being is that we get to choose our thoughts. Our thoughts don’t choose us. The quality of your life is directly proportional to the quality of your thinking.
6) Do ten minutes each day of deep breathing while quieting your mind. You have to work your peace of mind muscles, as you would any other muscle in your body.
7) Take vitamin D and Omega 3’s daily. We recommend a baseline of 1000 IU’s of Vitamin D and 1000 mg of Omega 3 fish oils daily.
8) Get adjusted. You live your life through your nervous system. Chiropractic care is essential in keeping your ‘nerve’ system healthy. This is why it is the foundation of our 8 Weeks to Wellness® program.
9) Use meal replacement shakes for your in between meals. We need to eat every 3 to 4 hours while awake. Small meals, healthy snacks and meal replacement shakes are optimal for getting these 5 to 6 nutrition pit stops each day. In the 8WW program, we use a shake called Ultrameal® which has the ideal amount of calories and nutrients per serving.
10) Live each day as if it is a gift, because it is. Stay present. Listen more. Serve more. Love more. Worrying about the past and being fretful over the future are draining and non- productive. By staying in the present moment, your life will be more peaceful.
Dr. Denise Chranowski, along with her twin brother, Dr. Dane Donohue, and Dr. Jerry Agasar, are the owners of Wellness Solution Centers. Located in Newtown, this Wellness Center has all the tools and resources to dramatically improve your health, including chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, personal training, and nutritional counseling. www. wscenters. com