Well, we sure hope it brings a little respite from all the pandemic, economic and political drama that has been 2020 and 2021. We thought this meme was hilarious, but certainly hope it’s not right!
Most of all we hope 2022 brings a heightened sense of awareness to how vitally important the essential pillars of health are as we continue to work through COVID. You guys know what they are, but just as a refresher…
- DIET – It’s the end of the year. Get it in gear! No better opportunity than the time-honored New Years’ Resolution event to kick off a commitment to eating better. See if you can eat more foods that don’t have a “list” of ingredients, like chicken, bananas, apples, greens, potatoes, rice, and oats. If YOU have to make it from its original form from one ingredient, rest assured it will be healthier than someone or some “factory” making it with all the chemicals, additives, and preservatives they have to use to keep it fresh long enough to GET it to you!
- SLEEP – We haven’t touched on this as hard as we should, and we know – menopause, age, etc…many of you don’t sleep well. There are A LOT of things you can do to enhance sleep, and if you haven’t tried them all, again, New Years’ Resolution time!
- Limit screen time, including TV, the hour before bed. We know, that’s what you do – watch TV before bed. Us too. HOWEVER, it’s worth trying to shut it down an hour before you hit the hay. Get things set up for the next day – coffee mug under the coffee pot, dishes done and put away, dog walked, home straightened up….or read! But chill away from the screen within an hour of bedtime.
- Include a super clean carbohydrate with your dinner, like sweet potatoes. The carbohydrates help your body boost serotonin and tryptophan, helping induce sleep.
- Hot shower right before bed. It helps the cooling process speed up which initiates your slumber.
- Hot tea with your hot shower…more enhancing the nighttime slowing down and cooling down processes if we start warm, as well as the fact that hot tea at night helps induce sleep. Choose an herbal tea with no/low caffeine. Valerian and Chamomile are great options here.
- Cold room. Like – kinda-really cold! 69 degrees is the magic number per most of the experts!
- Pitch black room – even that darn little cable light and your alarm clock light – put tape over them. Pitch black is pitch black.
- Limit fluids the last two hours before bed so you don’t wake up to pee three times during the night.
- Common nighttime supplements are melatonin, magnesium glycinate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine and/or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). All are generally inexpensive and have some scientific backing. Check with your doctor and always do the environmental stuff first before trying supplements – but they’re worth a try if you’re not sleeping.
- EXERCISE – We hope you are already on top of this! The days you don’t commit to a formal exercise program (3-4 days a week we hope!) you should be moving. Working out doesn’t give you a pass to lay on the couch for a full day. Our DNA is meant to MOVE! Accommodate that with walks, events, parks trails, and being out and social with friends. Move every day!
- STRESS RELIEF / SOCIALIZATION / JUST HAVE FUN – Yes, it seems so “obvious”, but in this time of quarantining and restricted travel, we’re affected more than we know by missing friends and family. Figure it out – make it happen. Be with people…it’s always better.