Happy New Year!
Are you coming out of your holiday haze?
Please drop by my new office this Saturday, January 11 from 9AM to noon for a Mindful Morning! We’ll help you recuperate from the holidays.
Offerings include complimentary:
– Mini-acupuncture sessions to help restore your digestion and sleep to their natural rhythms
– Personalized mini-Pilates class with Mari Petherbridge, designed to unwind and strengthen your body
– Beauty Counter face masks and clean beauty consultations with Sally Sauvignon
Not able to make it this Saturday? Start your Holidaze recovery now!
1) Have you eaten a vegetable yet? No, seriously…
It’s easy to get sucked into an excess cheese, sugar, and simple carbohydrate spiral.
In Chinese medicine, we say these foods cause dampness. Dampness bogs down your digestion, making you feel bloated, lethargic, and can cause your elimination to become irregular. Sound familiar?
Vegetables can be your path to digestive recovery. Eating fiber helps regulate blood sugar by slowing sugar absorption into the bloodstream. This, in turn, helps stabilize your energy levels.
Fiber also helps solidify loose stools and soften stools that are more difficult to pass. Looking for inspiration outside of salad? Check out the following recipe and suggestions for winter cooking.
2) Find a form of exercise you like and start training gradually
I’m a firm believer that cozy winter days are a treasure to be enjoyed. That said, humans are kinetic beings and we are designed to move.
The gentle jiggling of your intestines as you walk and move throughout your day helps stimulates them to process your food. I’ve noticed that when my patients who struggle with constipation begin to exercise more regularly, their elimination becomes much more regular.
Exercise also helps regulate your blood sugar, improve your mood, and can help you sleep better if you’ve gone slightly nocturnal over the holidays.
Pick a form of exercise you enjoy. Then you’re more likely to stay with it.
Set goals that are reasonable for your fitness level so you can stick with them and stay injury-free. If you need help getting started, contact a trainer, like Mari or one of her associates, to help you get started with a healthy routine.
3) Get involved with your community
One of the things I love about hosting Mindful Mornings is watching participants chat and share their experiences in a safe space.
Coming together in community is healing in and of itself.
Whether you find community through a church, a women’s or men’s group, volunteering, or out in nature, a place where you can be in all your perfect imperfection is an important component of your well-being.
Wishing you a healthy start to 2020!
