Tag Archives: healthy resolutions

Healthy Naturopathic Resolutions For 2015

Healthy Me,

Happy New Year Everyone!

Wishing everyone a Healthy 2015! I am sure everyone has some resolutions set out for them this year, here are the five that topped my chart for healthy naturopathic resolutions for 2015:

1/ Sleep well – It is very important for the body to get sufficient rest and recharge in order to have the energy to fulfill those resolutions. So try to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep if not more and keep a consistent schedule through out the week and weekend.

2/ Eat well – You are what you eat and think – so once the body is well rested, you do need to nourish it with healthy and nutritious foods so that the organs can function well, and work efficiently to digest, eliminate and assimilate that proper nutrients for the body from the quality foods you feed your body. Limit your intake of foods that will take more energy to break down, and create more toxins for your body to eliminate making you feel sluggish and tired after eating. Eat foods that nourish and vitalize your body and give you energy. Please make sure you chew your food well, eat slowly and avoid drinking water with your meals as it will dilute your digestive enzymes.

3/ Think positively –  Let this year be the cleansing year, where you let bygones be bygones and start fresh – thinking positively. Your heart will feel lighter and thank you for it! You will also feel less tension in your body and be happier! My previous blog talked about managing emotions in a healthy and positive way so if  you would like to work on this aspect, check this blog article.

4/ Stress less – If stressing more was helpful for your life in any way shape or form, then by all means stress more… The truth however is as follows – the more your stress about things that are beyond your control and worry excessively, it affects a hormone called cortisol, which in turn also affects another hormone called homocysteine, which can increase your risk of heart issues. If you want to learn more about these hormones, click here.

5/ Adopt a pet – If you own a pet, you know the benefits of having one. The unconditional love and companionship is just one of the many benefits I can think of. For dog lovers, the great benefit of adopting one is that you do not have to set special time aside for moderate exercise each day – you get that just by walking your pet each day! Here is a link to a great website for pet adoption: http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/adopt-a-pet.

All the best to everyone this upcoming year! Remember to make your health your top priority! Our naturopathic clinic in Toronto offers great naturopathic services for your health and wellbeing, so give us a call if we can be of service to you.

Healthy Resolutions For 2013

Healthy Me

Each year we start of with great healthy intentions for the year ahead of us, but most of us barely keep 1 out of the 10 or so resolutions we hope to keep this year.  I think some of  the reasons for the lack of success with our so called goals or resolutions is time, energy and especially, practicality of the resolutions. So here are some simple resolutions for this year:

1. Laugh more.

2. Find joy in simple things in life.

3. Worry less.

4. Be thankful / grateful  each day for what we have.

5. Be kind to others.

6. Eat local produce.

7. Not stress about little things in life.

8.Spend more time with loved ones.

9. Give more attention to pets.

10. Live in the NOW!

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor.

Healthy Resolutions For 2012 – The Naturopathic Way

Healthy Me, , , ,

Happy New Year to everyone. The last year has been a difficult one for almost everyone in various aspects so lets hope this year is one that will bring lots of positivity and cheer to everyone. Here is how you can do your part to make this world and yours a better place naturally.

1. QUIT SMOKING.

Really it is time to kick of this dirty habit as its heavy on your lungs and your pockets. Try to quit smoking naturally using acupuncture, hypnosis and natural supplements. It works really well, but only if you are ready to quit!  You have probably wanted to do it for a variety of reasons: including health, family and friends, and the amount of toxins you accumulate in your lungs, and now is the time, so go ahead and take that step towards a new healthier and cleaner you ! Your naturopathic doctor can advise you on natural supplements and diets that will help your body with dealing with cravings, agitation and anxiety as a results of quitting and weight gain that can happen with quitting smoking.

2. GIVE UP DRINKING EXCESSIVELY

Having an occasional glass of wine here and there is fine, red wine is great for the heart, but anything in excess is not good. So you figured you drink excessively only over the weekends so its fine! No, as a matter of fact, that kind of drinking is more abusive and harmful towards your liver and harder to process than having a glass of red wine every second or third day, not to mention killing the few brain cells remaining. Its affecting your relationships in a harmful manner, and turning you into a person that people do not want to know anymore, so kick of this habit naturally or with the help of your naturopathic doctor. There are amazing natural supplements that will help you deal with the cravings and urges.

3. CUT OUT TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR LIFE THAT WEIGH YOU DOWN

We have all been through this. Its hard to break bonds with toxic people and abusive relationships as its just so much more easier to be miserable and unhappy as opposed to facing the unknown, right? No!  Unless you wish to live your life scared and unhappy, and always being put down, the alternative is easier and less painful, and frees you of toxicity in your life! If you are hanging on to the past and the relationships that failed and the disappointments, you are weighing yourself down the unnecessary emotions and stagnating energy that comes from it, so free yourself like the birds. If you find its hard to let go, try some free flow writing and write whatever comes in your mind, happy or sad, and when you stop, burn whatever you wrote about or tear it up and let the emotions attached to what you wrote go. If you practice this regularly, your mind and heart will feel lighter.

4. SLEEP MORE AND EAT HEALTHIER 

This is the easiest healthy resolution out of all of the above and you will feel so much better in terms of energy and mood once you apply it. If you are one of these people who gets about 4 – 6 hours of sleep a night and get away with eating whatever they want, and feel you do not need more sleep or improve their diet, well, think again. Even though you may feel invincible, your body is having to work overtime to help you feel that way and sooner or later, it gets fatigued, and then you will start to see all kinds of symptoms you did not have before such as weight gain in the waist, fatigue, waking up feeling not refreshed among others. If you are one of those people who suffers from insomnia or other sleeping issues, talk to your naturopathic doctor to see how you may be able to improve your sleep naturally.

You are what you eat, so remember, if you are putting in food into your body that is not healthy and nutritious, your body will lack vital vitamins and minerals that it needs to function optimally, as a lack of these key nutrients will cause various imbalances in the body, which in turn will cause various symptoms in the body.

5. STRESS LESS AND BREATHE MORE!

Stress. This word in it self is stressful! Do not get me wrong, there is healthy and positive stress too, but the majority of us seem to put undue amounts of stress on our bodies. Stress on the body can be caused not only by mental and emotional factors, but also by our environment, psychological, dietary and physiological factors. Learn to manage your stress better  naturally with moderate exercise, yoga and meditation, massage and acupuncture, and with the help of certain vitamins and minerals.  If you are under constant stress and there is no possible to change it, try to find strategies that will help you to manage your stress better and remember to breathe.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

 

 

Healthy Resolutions For 2011

Healthy Me,

I would like to wish a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!

I hope your year is filled with health and healing, along with lots of happiness. For this year, I thought I would write a short list of naturopathic health resolutions that are easy to keep up with and forget after the first few weeks.

1. Get more free time for yourself

Yes, this is now in the resolution category because people these days have forgotten one important being – themselves, and the only way to get back to you is by getting more free time for you so that you can get back to things you once enjoyed doing by yourself, be it reading or writing, or taking a walk by yourself for 20 minutes to reconnect to your inner self away from the mental clutter around you.

2. Cultivate your mind

In the past few years Yoga, meditation and spirituality have all taken a new plight of their own, and unfortunately with all sorts of new age stuff coming up- which I find is more a hodgepodge of stuff as opposed to what the real stuff is. Cultivate your mind by taking an off beaten path or out of sort book and read it, learn more about anything and everything you ever wondered about, travel more if you can and do not be afraid to try something different – like talking to a stranger in the pizza shop you always see. You never know what you will learn or who will come across.

3. Organize

Sounds so simple but so hard to do for some people. For quite a few people who are always scrambling to do things, here is the simple resolution for you. Organize your time and you will learn how to organize your life. If you find it hard to do mentally, take about 15 minutes of your weekend and plan your week ahead of you. See how much of a difference it makes when you plan and prepare your week ahead. If you find that you are having extra time once you plan your week ahead, start planning your meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. Once you write it down, chances are you will stick to it and eat healthier and will feel better, naturally.

Have a great year – keep it healthy, and if you need any naturopathic advice, I am just around the corner.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Healthy Resolutions For 2010

Healthy Me

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009 was a tough year for most of us in various aspects, the harsh winter, H1N1 virus, job losses, a tough economy, and hard decisions – should I or should I not vaccinate my child or my family?

Having survived it, lets make 2010 a memorable and a healthy one, and lets start it off with some healthy resolutions that are simple and easy to keep.

1. Plan the week ahead – Try to plan out your week in advance, especially if you have problems staying motivated and stick the plan.

2. Plan your meals ahead of time. This will give you a heads up while going grocery shopping as you will ideally only purchase food items for your planned meals and avoid picking up junk food and unnecessary items.

3. Schedule some time for yourself daily, even if its 15 – 20 minutes at the end of the workday. Use this time wisely for relaxation or do something you enjoy doing.

4. Spend some quality time with your friends, family and especially your pets – they provide unconditional love and support whenever we need hence the least we can do is to spend quality time with them.

5. Laugh often – It is good for your heart and your health.

6. Sleep more. Try to get an additional hour of sleep. If you get 6 hours of sleep each night, try to get an additional hour each night. You will feel more energized and better recharged the next day. If you feel more tired after adding an additional hour of sleep, this indicates that the body is overly exhausted, and may need more than just sleep to recharge.

7. Try to vacation more often, even if it is a vacation at home.

8. Try to let go of the past and move forward. Create a list of positive affirmations and positive attributes you possess. Try to focus on the positives. You can stay stuck to a past or grudges that do not do much besides bring you down and creating unhappiness or you can decide to be free and HAPPY!

Well folks, there we have them. Please try to follow these resolutions. Have a safe, happy and healthy 2010!

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.