I typically dedicate my weekly Healthy Living blog to teach about a specific disease or disorder. Doing so, I can help educate how Eastern Medicine interprets the manifestation of that specific disease and how it can be clinically treated with Eastern acupuncture and custom herbal prescriptions. However, my last couple of blogs have been more based on supercharging your 2021 by making small changes for both improving mental and physical health. I am often asked what my favorite tasks for the New Year would be and if I had to narrow it down, I do have two favorite tasks which I encourage everyone to take part in. Doing so, can contribute to both improved mental and physical health and reboot our minds and body for the beginning of a new year ahead.
The first of my favorite tasks which I have shared with my daughter and friends over the years. I appreciate seeing my daughter utilize this task to help organize her thoughts and goals for the year ahead and keep passions and dreams in check. This incorporates a simple vision board, also called a dream board. This can be used to help gain insight and inner depth into what you individually as a person hope to experience or aspire for. All is needed is an old piece of cardboard or poster board, glue, old magazines, photos, marker, poems, etc. This is a great way to see the power of intentions which can be brought about by simply using visual clippings, thoughts, words of proclamations, plans, ideals, and display together on a board. This is incredibly helpful to those of us that are more visually inclined but I have seen some do it successfully with only a journal and pen. The only criteria is to use only pictures and words that truly evoke a positive response and an inner desire for something to either accomplish or visit or aspire. This process should be used to manifest positive mental thoughts, goals, ideals, hopes, and dreams. The vision board is essentially used as a platform to reveal your intimate individual professional, emotional, physical, and spiritual goals. This will help to further guide your future ahead. I recommend this during anytime of your life when you may need some redirection or suffer with stagnation in your current situation. It is especially helpful prior to the new year ahead and it is also very fun to compare old vision boards with your new one. It is a great way to see all that you can accomplish and also what still needs prioritized in your life. I find it helpful to also reveal self-growth and how aspirations and goals change as with time. Even though our vision board reflects our current vision and goals, it is amazing how it can transpire your very being and show what has been hidden that may hold much excitement and promise to explore.
My second favorite task to supercharge your 2021 is more for physical health. This is the revamping of one’s food pantry. Take a good look and see what improvements can be done. If your pantry is full of processed food items such as sugar, white flour, and empty calories then it is time for what is called a clean start. I recommend reading Terry Walter’s Clean Start which is an amazing way of transforming not only your pantry but ensuring good recipes with clean wholesome foods. This is done by eating clean, whole foods which truly nourish us. She also wrote the best seller Clean Food as well. The benefits of eating clean not only reduces risk of many diseases but helps control our weight and optimizes our energy and stamina throughout the day. We then will have better mental focus and overall improved absorption of vital nutrients in our gut.
The staples for revamping your pantry is simply no processed foods such as sugars or empty calories. Rather, replace processed foods with real whole foods. For white flour, simply substitute almond, coconut, protein, or tapioca flours instead. Other choices can be chickpeas, teff, or corn flour. For sugar substitutes, choose natural fruits and sweeteners. These may include: molasses, brown rice syrup, apples, or dates. For oils, choose good fats such as EVOO, sesame, and unrefined coconut oil. My personal favorites are grapeseed oil and avocado which are also wonderful whole food choices. Your pantry should incorporate whole grains (if tolerated). These may include wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley, amaranth, millet, teff, and cornmeal. Other pantry staples should include legumes, vegetables, fruits, spices, nuts, seeds, and butters. Some of my favorite spices to use regularly are sea kelp and kale spice, cinnamon, a variety of turmerics, vanilla, lemon zest spice, and many more.
This one simple step of revamping your pantry ensures good quality food to be on hand. Other suggestions for ensuring healthy meals throughout the week and year would be to plan meals ahead, purchase an Insta pot or Bella pressure cooker for super quick healthy meals, and more importantly to get excited about nourishing your body!
Let these two simple 2021 super charger tasks help jumpstart your year ahead! Please call today to optimize your health for tomorrow! 772-626-6419
