- 13
- Sep
- 2018
5 Ways to Celebrate Self-Improvement Month
To celebrate Self-Improvement Month, take steps to be your best you! Whether you’re taking large strides or baby steps, what matters most is that you grow in a positive direction. Here are five tips to help you become the best YOU that you can be.
1. Manage Your Stress
Stress not only adversely affects your emotions and mental outlook, it also does harm to your body in many ways. Don’t let your stress run you – you can run it. You can take control over your stress with a few simple techniques. Take time to check in with yourself, take a few deep breaths and realize that whatever is stressing you is not who or what you are. It is only one of life’s challenges. Each one contains a lesson somewhere in it for you to learn. It can be difficult to learn the lesson, but it will help you improve yourself and grow. Begin to see stress as an opportunity for progress.
2. Be Your Own Best Friend
Too often we can be our own worst critics. You always do the best you can, whether you realize it or not. The proof of that is that if you could do better, you would. Give yourself a break, and be your own best supporter. Be the kind of friend to yourself that you are to others.
3. Balance Your Energy
Regular acupuncture treatments are the best way to maintain your vital “Qi” energy in balance. When your Qi is balanced, you optimize your health – physically, mentally and emotionally. That’s why so many of my patients report feeling an overall sense of well being after receiving a Five Element acupuncture treatment. What makes Five Element acupuncture so special is how it can balance your emotions and give you an “attitude adjustment,” while also healing your body. This unique style of acupuncture treats the root cause of your energy imbalances, restoring balance and function to you as a whole. Even when you already feel good, a Five Element balancing treatment can help you feel at your best.
4. Nourish Your Body
You are what you eat. This simple, time-tested expression has a great deal of truth in it.
Junk foods, while fast and easy, can do more harm than good. Fried foods mostly use “bad” oils that cause inflammation in your body. The normal American diet relies heavily on sugar and simple carbohydrates. It causes weight gain and can leads to metabolic health issues, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and more.
Grilling or baking organic whole foods at home is a healthy way of life. If you cook with oils, use olive oil for moderate heating and coconut oil for high heating. They are both high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 essential fatty acids. Whole grains such as quinoa and brown rice are good in moderation, but avoid starchy refined grains that inflate blood sugar.
5. Start an Exercise Routine
Maintaining a regular exercise routine is a great way to enrich your life and get healthier. There are many options, including yoga, Tai Qi, cardio or dance classes, cycling, running, swimming and various sports. Find your own path. If you do what you enjoy, chances are you’ll stick with it. Any exercise that improves cardio-vascular fitness is ideal. The main thing is to commit to some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times per week.
Balance your energy today! Schedule your next Five Element acupuncture appointment. Just call us at (904) 296-9545. Need help with your diet? Call and schedule with our new Registered Dietician, Carla, at (908) 285-8880.