Ten Health Affirmations/
Resolutions for The New Year

By Elson Haas, MD

Happy New Year! The beginning of the year is always a great time to focus on our health and look at (visualize) what we see for these coming months. Change is challenging and almost all of us know what we can do to live more healthfully and to have greater results in our health and vitality, as well as our work, relationships and finances.

The following 10 Resolutions are what I have put together for 2012. What are yours? Many of mine are encompassing whole areas of my life, and some are quite specific. We want actions that we can actually accomplish, and of course, we want to do the best we can to achieve our best to Stay Healthy.

1. I make caring for my health a priority in my life. My other top priorities are caring for others in my world and doing a quality job in my work.
2. I find and do the right exercise program for my body to stay (or get) fit and trim, and stick with it to promote flexibility, strength, and endurance for life.
3. I eat a balanced diet of wholesome foods for my weight and body type (to maintain or achieve an optimum level).
4. I am aware of my food and substance weaknesses and abuses such as sugar, caffeine, or alcohol, and I take steps to avoid them or use them sparingly. From January into the warmer Springtime is an ideal detoxification period, depending on your climate and body warmth.
5. Since I personally have struggled with my own weight (because I just love food), here are my five specialized resolutions for keeping my body trim:
   
    • I drink plenty of good, clean water, at least two quarts daily.
    • I focus my diet around vegetables, which are nutritious and low in calories.
    • I chew my food well. By eating more slowly, I feel more satisfied and nourished with less food and experience better digestion.
    • I eat minimally or not at all after nightfall and ideally eat my main nutritious meals at breakfast, at midday, or by 6pm.
    • I exercise regularly to burn calories, improve circulation, and stay positive and fit.
   
   
6. I allow myself enough sleep to rest my body nightly, thus recharging my batteries and supporting my immune strength to protect me from illness.
7. I take appropriate nutritional/herbal supplements for my body's ideal function and health.
8. I maintain an attitude of health in caring for and loving my body such that I will follow healthy habits year around. My body is my only lifelong possession and I treat it in a loving way.
9. I pay attention to my emotions and stresses, and continue to develop non-aggressive ways to express my feelings and let go of stress.
10. I ask others, especially loved ones and co-workers, what they need from me and I do what I can to support them. Likewise, I let them know what I need as appropriate to each life situation. In other words, I care for others and allow them to care for me.
    

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