7 Tips for a Healthy New Year

Health resolutions are one of those annual rituals most of us try to conjure up in an effort to make a fresh start for the New Year. Unfortunately for many of us the healthy ideas we strongly support are often forgotten and abandoned by mid- February. Our effort to eat better, move more, journal our thoughts, spend less money, and take more time for ourselves or family are lost in the day to day shuffle of life's behaviors. Why does this happen? Generally, the behaviors we are trying to change are either far more complex than we anticipated, or our commitment level just isn't there.

How can you make an unbreakable New Year's resolution? Try focusing on smaller behavioral changes and making an active effort to commit to them one at a time before layering in more expectations for behavioral transformation. Take a crack at using one of the 7 health tips below to start off your New Year with more than the usual bang of fireworks and champagne corks- rather construct your own big bang for a healthy New Year.

1. Organize more- take the time to clear out your closets, dressers, kitchen cupboards and all those piles of paper on your desk. The areas you spend the most time in should be your first priority, while bigger projects like the garage or storage closet can wait for a rainy day. Clutter creates distraction and stymies inspiration. Clear it out and clean it up to discover a new sense of creativity and energy.
2. Make a list- before you head out for the day's events take 5 minutes to write down your top 5 goals for the day and stick to it. Make sure to include your gym/workout time and important appointments or events. Prioritize things that need to get done and leave the 'want to' items at the bottom or even completely off the list. Be flexible and realize there may be days where items need to be placed on the next day's list if they don't get done.
3. Enjoy 'me' time- take 5 minutes every day to support some alone time. Look for a quiet room, burn a candle for relaxation, breathe deeply, and fill your mind with positive affirmations, thoughts, prayers or quotes that inspire you. This 5 minute break is sometimes all you need to break free of a stressful event or bring out a source of creativity for your work or other endeavors.
4. Move daily- spend at least 30 minutes of every day doing a moderate activity like walking between 2.5-3.0 mph. Make 3 of those days a more vigorous workout and watch your waistline shrink, stress levels decrease, and sense of well being improve along with all the other wonderful benefits of cardiovascular exercise.
5. Throw out the junk- look in your kitchen cabinets and read those food labels. Discard anything with hydrogenated oils, or foods that are purely white sugar and white flour. Replace these non-nutritious, empty calorie foods with whole grain, high fiber foods that are naturally stocked full of vitamins, minerals and naturally occurring compounds our bodies are designed to use to support our daily activities. Consider taking a high quality multi-vitamin as a safeguard on a daily basis.
6. Pump some iron- at least 2 times per week (3 if you're ambitious). Hit all your major muscle groups with strength conditioning exercises to maximize their capacity for supporting our structure of bones, and decrease the incidence of muscle atrophy that is associated with the aging process. Bonus - those stronger muscles contribute to a leaner looking frame and contribute to a fuller life with less aches, pains and associated ailments that stem from poorly conditioned musculoskeletal systems
7. Love more- spend more time in love, with your work, family, friends and activities and less time complaining, worrying, gossiping or criticizing others for things that are out of your control, or just plain none of your business. Take the time to appreciate all that you have and express it through words and actions. Give someone a hug or compliment your spouse on how good they look. When the temptation arrives to be less than loving, try removing yourself from the situation and taking a little 'me time' break to reconnect in a more positive manner.

Take a bite out of one or two of these healthy tips to get started with your New Year's endeavors or engage in all seven and you'll discover the happiest New Year yet!

With the increased attention over the past two decades of alzheimer's, dementia, and reduced brain function causing diseases, anxiety levels have increased for many. The World Health Organization estimates there are 18 million people currently suffering from various forms of dementia and that number is expected to double over the next 17 years. These staggering numbers and an aging population have brought a great deal of interest in finding solutions to Memory Function / Dysfunction.

Dr. Andrew Weil is a leading expert in the fields of Natural Health and Natural Medicine. Of the subjects he has interviewed he finds that the majority are dealing primarily with a fear of reduced brain & memory function. 'In my experience this fear is more of a problem than memory loss itself.'1 The fear and anxiety of an aging population does not mean it is all in our heads. There is still a large number of the population who will be stricken with brain function disease and intelligent attempts at prevention may be the best option for all.

There are many aspects to a healthy lifestyle such as following a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress reducing activities. Additionally, wearing your seat belt, practicing safe sex, regular mental activity, getting plenty of rest, etc. will assist in your longevity and protect your brain function. There are some specific steps we can take that will not only better our brain function, but will also improve our over all vascular system.. anti-oxidant mix and ginkgo supplementation.