New Year’s Tips to Stay Healthy, Happy & Vibrant
January 7, 2010 by Becki Baumgartner
Filed under Aging & Longevity, Alternative Health, Holistic Living
The end of a hectic holiday season is a typical time for an emotional let down, fatigue or the onset of illness. The highest incidence of flu outbreaks occurs during January and February.
This is an important time of the year to take care of your body. This could include resolutions to form new habits. It only takes 30 days to form a new good routine. With a one-month effort, and you can revolutionize your health.
Here are some simple suggestions or resolutions to start your New Year right.
1. Chew your food. Digestion is the cornerstone of health according to Maharishi Ayurveda. If your digestion is weak, you cannot absorb the necessary nutrients to keep your body healthy. Moreover, poorly digested food results in an accumulation of toxins which impede the body’s normal function.
Did you know that the majority of digestion occurs in your mouth? Saliva is a key ingredient for good digestion. Chewing is critical for breaking down food so that the stomach can continue the digestive process. There is an old Chinese proverb that says “Chew your drinks and drink your foods.” Your food should be so thoroughly chewed that it actually becomes a liquid before being swallowed.
In addition, take a half a minute of silence before your meal to start eating in a calm way. Then sit a few minutes after your meal to get your digestion off to a good start. In between, chew your liquids and drink your solids. In other words, give your digestion a break.
2. Get rest. Choose one night a week to skip TV. Engage in relaxing activities like taking a warm bath or listening to music, and get to bed early, no later than 10:00 PM. Drink a glass of warm milk with ghee and cardamom at 9:00 to relax your mind and prepare for an early sleep. Create a sleep-conducive atmosphere with the essential oils of Sweet Orange, Marjoram, Lavender or Jasmine.
3. Wake up to the rising sun. Waking up early is critical to preventing depression because sleeping during the late morning, after 6:00 AM, causes the channels of communication to be clogged with impurities, leading to dullness of mind, depressed moods and slow communication between heart and mind.
4. Make it fun! Find the exercise that is appealing to you, the foods that are healthy, but tasty too. Join forces with a friend to cook a new recipe in the new year. Take a trip to your local health food store and select fresh, new-to-you ingredients to make a vitamin-filled but delicious meal. Reward yourself with great food shared with great friends.5. Improve your elimination system by starting your day with cooked apples and figs. Figs have more fiber than any other food, and cooked apples are both nutritious and easy on the digestion in the morning, when digestion tends to be weaker. Adding more organic greens to your diet—flavored with detoxifying spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander and fennel—also helps the body eliminate toxins.
6. Exercise People exercise for different reasons. Some want to lose weight, some to build muscle, and still others see it as part of a healthy routine. Whatever your goal, you can achieve it the Ayurvedic way, without burning yourself out. Being a holistic system of healing, Ayurveda likes exercises that involve both body and mind. That is why ancient healers like walking. It does not tax the body, it relaxes the mind, and it improves overall balance.
Yoga, which comes from the root word “yoke” or unite, is of course a favorite of Ayurvedic experts. It gives you an all-body workout at a steady pace. It is also calms the body and mind. A short session of yoga will always leave you feeling relaxed, happy, and energized. If you decide to begin yoga, make sure you learn with a trained professional.
7. Start your day with a massage. Massage pushes out toxins, limbers the body for exercise, and increases circulation and blood flow to the brain. Oil massage wipes away fatigue, clears away mental stress and energizes without caffeine. You’ll pamper yourself and improve your health too. You can do a self-massage at home, called abhyanga, or you can treat yourself to a professional massage to start the year off rejuvenated and relaxed.
8. Drink purified water several times a day to help your body flush out toxins and keep your skin moisturized. The amount of water you should drink depends on your weight. One formula is to divide your body weight by 2. This number will give you the number of ounces of water you should drink. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, the formula indicates you should drink 75 ounces of water a day which is approximately 10 cups. If you drink enough fresh pure spring water, you will eat less, feel better, be more regular and smell better too!
9. Beware of energy-draining foods. Just as there are foods to boost energy, other foods drain it. Any fast foods, canned, frozen, packaged, leftover, or old foods — or foods
laced with preservatives, chemicals, and additives, are difficult to digest and contain little nutritional content. Don’t resort to caffeine, chocolate, or high-sugar snacks when you feel that “end of the day” lull. It may surprise you, but the real energy-boosters are fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and whole grains. They are so alive with nature’s intelligence and fatigue-causing toxins cannot accumulate in the body when you eat them. To prevent toxic buildup, eat organic, whole foods that are free of preservatives and harmful chemicals
laced with preservatives, chemicals, and additives, are difficult to digest and contain little nutritional content. Don’t resort to caffeine, chocolate, or high-sugar snacks when you feel that “end of the day” lull. It may surprise you, but the real energy-boosters are fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and whole grains. They are so alive with nature’s intelligence and fatigue-causing toxins cannot accumulate in the body when you eat them. To prevent toxic buildup, eat organic, whole foods that are free of preservatives and harmful chemicals10. Ways to Boost Natural Immunity. Remember rest, good diet, proper digestion, moderate exercise, and a positive mental attitude are the pillars of a strong immune system. Make sure you wash your hands regularly, stay home and rest when symptoms first appear, and cover your mouth when coughing.
We sincerely hope these tips will be helpful in making this year your very best.
Source: Maharishi Ayurveda. (Personal Communication, January 7, 2009). www.mapi.com
. “These Tips are from an experienced Maharishi Ayurveda experts or a Vaidya trained in India in the traditional and holistic knowledge of complete health system dating back thousands of years.”
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Disclaimer: The statements in this article are for educational purposes only and have not been evaluated by or sanctioned by the FDA. Only your doctor can properly diagnose and treat any disease or disorder. The remedies discussed herein are not meant to treat or cure any type of disease. The user understands that the above information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician or a pharmacist.