It’s the start of a new year – for many, an excellent time to make a new beginning and take the opportunity to implement positive changes in their lifestyle. Current events have made it clear that there are situations and circumstances in our lives that we cannot control. Therefore, it’s vital that we “focus” on things that we have a measure of control over and can positively influence. There is no better place to start than with our health.
A new year’s ‘fresh start’ can be a fantastic motivator for healthy choices and our team at the Budwig Center are here to help. However, the first step is to have the proper perspective of so-called “new year’s resolutions.”
Before you continue reading, for those of you who are yearning to improve your overall health and address lingering issues once and for all, you might be interested in our Health & Wellness Program.
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Also, we provide coaching as well as a health and wellness membership for those requiring ongoing support. If you need help in this area, please get in touch with us to discuss how we can work together towards these goals.
How to Stick to Your “Resolution”
Although the top ten resolutions vary a little from country to country, culture to culture, the theme is always the same: self-improvement. People want to be better, fitter versions of themselves, and they want to do more things that matter to them. Many people plan to get started on their new regime on January 1st or sometime within the month. However, they may not realize that they have already started their “resolution.” The first step to forming healthy habits is: to make a decision. So if you have already “decided” that you want to make changes in the new year, you are already heading in the right direction. Your “resolution” has already begun.
It’s also important to keep in mind that a new years resolution does not mean that you won’t have a relapse. In fact, it’s a good idea to plan for potential setbacks and put measures into place “now” so you know ahead of time what you will do to get yourself back on track.
Common New Year’s Resolutions – The Budwig Way
The above viewpoints can help you stay focused and overcome potential pitfalls. This mindset will help you ensure your “resolution” lasts the entire year and beyond. This perspective is essential because the most common New Year’s Resolutions represent the things that mean the most to us. If something is truly important to us, we must do all we can to stick to our goals.
We spend a great deal of time talking with our patients at the Budwig Center. We have found that when people face a severe health issue – especially that loaded and emotive word ‘cancer’ – the usual reaction is to reassess the important things in life and try to make positive changes. However, it’s important not to allow emotion to be the driving force behind our resolutions. As time goes on, our feelings and motivations can change.
We need to use both our hearts and our minds if we are going to stick to our new plans. We need a long-term and well-thought-out strategy. It could be something simple as making “attainable goals” or perhaps something more drastic like completely changing our environments. For example, some who have resolved to eat better replaced ALL the junk food in their fridges with healthy alternatives. When the craving for that unhealthy donut hit, the only option available was some healthy alternative, like a homemade Orange oat & sultana cookie, for example. Soon their love of junk food waned, and their “craving” for healthy options increased.
New Year, New Diet
Better eating is consistently high on most people’s list of resolutions. This means that people already recognize nutrition as an essential component of good health, which is one of the crucial teachings of the Budwig Method. The basics of nutrition are well understood. As mentioned in the earlier example, anyone can start to make healthy substitutions – a piece of fruit instead of a sugary treat, a handful of nuts instead of chips, and so on. The Budwig Diet follows the best evidence and advice for nutrition in health and is part of our cancer-fighting method.
Learn more in our article, Your Guide To The Budwig Diet and Food Plan
A pragmatic approach to dietary changes is helpful – if you don’t feel like you can change everything at once, try one healthy swap a day. Achievable, measurable goals you can stick to are better than the best intentions that get waylaid.
Get More Exercise
Tailoring an approach to your own lifestyle means you can stick to your resolutions. Again, a practical approach to change can be helpful. For example, suddenly beginning an intensive gym regime might work for some people, but it definitely won’t work for others. Many of the people who come to the Budwig Center already have some reduced functional ability due to disease. So we encourage people to work at their own pace and do what suits them. Start slow; just getting outside, moving around, and breathing in the fresh air can work wonders.
Learn more in our article, Simple Tips to Add Years to Your Life
The Budwig Center is happily situated on the Costa Del Sol, Spain’s beautiful South coast, and a little sun and sea air do the body and mind so much good. We recommend symmetrical movements, like walking, swimming, cycling, and jogging. If you are starting your exercise regime from 0, try to begin with a 30-minute walk every day. Pace yourself. Break up the walk into three 10 minute walking sessions with a brief rest period in between.
Lose Weight
Known as the Obesity Epidemic, people of the Western world are getting bigger. Eating better and getting more exercise is the answer. Nourishing foods, rich in vitamins, minerals, and a healthy balance of macronutrients, can go a long way towards making people well and provide a good grounding for fighting disease.
A healthy diet can provide all the nutrients needed for a good life, but taking supplements alongside that good food can optimize the body for wellness. Carefully choosing vitamin and mineral supplements is crucial and can help the body stay healthy, fight disease, and recover effectively. The Budwig Center uses specific assessment techniques to determine the best supplements for each person.
Spend More Time with Family and Friends
It can take a symbolic new start, such as a new year or decade, to really assess what truly means the most to us in life. For many, quality of life means sharing time with friends and family. Socializing is well known to improve health in every way. Feeling that you’re a part of people’s lives, having a role in your community, and getting the mental and physical benefits of just getting out and enjoying company all contribute to longer, healthier lives. Hence, at Budwig Center, we help our patients address emotional stresses to adjust their perspectives and improve relationships.
New Year, New You
Resolutions are made with the best intentions, but sometimes they fall by the wayside. So having achievable goals that can be measured can really help. Ultimately, if something makes you feel better, you’re more likely to stick to it. The new year is an ideal time, a symbolic fresh start, to make positive changes in your life – improve your health, outlook, and the lives of the people around you.
