How to Make 2017 the Year of Health

This time of the year is as good as any to do a internal audit and discover what areas you have to improve upon in 2017.

The first thing and most easy thing to check on is how was your water intake? As I mentioned, water is not only vital for skin health but also your body needs water to eliminate wastes. Just drinking enough water can greatly improve your health. Although, the experts do not seem to agree on how much, it is generally recommended to shoot for consuming three liters a day. Aim higher if you are active or weigh more.

Next, assess your food. How did you do on that? For me, I consider a successful day of food intake is when I prepared all the food I ate or ate “whole” foods. Foods like apples and salads are what I consider whole foods- foods that are not processed and free of chemicals. We know that adding artificial chemicals and preservatives can take away from the nutrition of that food. I find often when people easily catch colds they have not been eating and/or sleeping well. Your nutrition is vital to insure your body is functioning properly. If you went through the fast food line, bought preserved or processed foods often in 2016, replacing these meals with whole foods should be one of your biggest priorities of 2017. Every healthy and balanced meal you consume is an accomplishment!

Exercise. If you are like me, the consistency of your workouts might vary throughout the year. What lead to consistency in your workout regime? Sometimes, finding a workout you really enjoy might encourage consistency. I really enjoy wakeboarding, for you maybe swimming, tennis or walking theme parks. Whatever, it is be sure to do it 3x a week at a minimum, many experts have said even 20 minutes a day of exercise will help your overall health. One of the biggest threats to your health is a sedentary lifestyle- so get moving!

The last part may take some time to fully assess but it is worth it because it is very important to your overall health. How fulfilled do you feel? It is very common here in the United States not get contentment from our jobs. Also, the way we have spread out from our support systems may be affecting our overall fulfillment. We are living in different cities from family and long time friends, this may leave gaps in our fulfillment. Additionally, many seem to think due to the technological age, our relationships we do have are less meaningful. This might be because we are so distracted by technology, some say we don’t build as strong interpersonal relationships now. I’m not sure if you are experiencing a disruption to your fulfillment, but if you are, I have some tips. Make time to visit friends or family that are not in close proximity. Plan a trip with someone special. Experiencing new things together is one of the best ways to bond with someone. Lastly, put that phone away when spending quality time together. When you give someone 100% of your attention, you make them a priority and they notice that. It also improves the quality of your time together.

For fulfillment, you could also try becoming a part of something bigger than yourself. I’m involved with a community that speaks out for the environment, I rescue wildlife and help rehabilitate them, and I also help to feed the local homeless in Orlando. All these things provide a deep fulfillment, even pride in oneself and an overall feeling like you are making a difference in the world. Volunteer work has helped me grow so much as a person.

I hope you found these tips useful. I would love to help facilitate your goals and aspirations for the new year in any way possible! Here’s to a happy and healthy 2017!