By Dr. Lucy Gade

Eleven Ways To LOVE Yourself

Is good health a priority for you? Most would say YES!

Afterall, if you don’t have your health, you have nothing, right?  Then why is it that despite knowing this, we often don’t behave as though this is the case?? Between work, kids, housework, carpooling, paying bills, and a host of other tasks, paying attention to our health often gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

Though we often know the “healthy habits” required for good health, our day to day activities often exclude them. Recognizing this, we attempt to make changes (e.g., New Year’s resolutions), that fizzle out due to lack of follow through.

So, I challenge you to take inventory of your priorities, reassess your New Year’s resolution(s) and use this “month of love,” to show YOURSELF some love. And, this is how:

1) Focus on yourself: Selfcare is NOT selfish!

For many people, especially women, taking care of themselves is often at the bottom of the to-do list. They may think about it, but actually doing it is another matter. However, like in an airplane emergency, you must put your oxygen mask on FIRST. Consider this, does crossing off every item on your to-do list matter if you are sick, exhausted and depressed? How good are you to those who depend on you when you are rundown?

Those who are able to make their health a main focus of their lives do so by prioritizing their health. This does not mean being selfish or not caring about anyone else. What it does mean is unapologetically making self-care an important part of your life, well worth your time, effort, and money. The result? You’ll not only be healthier but you’ll be better able to love and care for the people in your life.

Tip: Make a list of what “selfcare” means to you and be as specific as possible.

For example:

• Exercise x times per week
• Bedtime by 10pm
• Weekly bath on Saturday afternoons
• Monthly massage at the end of each month

2) Now that you have your list, make taking care of yourself part of your daily schedule

The main reason why self-care falls to the bottom of the list is that it is not given its own scheduled “protected” time. It becomes something “to do” after all else is done. Because the never ending to-do-list is so long, it is buried at the bottom, never tended to and put off for another day, over and over and over again.

TIP: Organize your schedule to fit in workouts, meal planning, meditation, and sleep.

Finding time to exercise, eat healthy and get more sleep doesn’t just happen. It becomes a part of your life because you create time for it. Once these activities are “plugged into” your weekly schedule, plot your other tasks around them. Make this time you have created for self-care “non-negotiable.” It needs to have a priority just like other items. You’ll soon find that a little forward planning goes a long way to help ensure you have the time you need to get and stay healthy, along with all your other commitments.

3) Don’t Make Changes, Create New Habits!

It’s easy to eat healthy, get a gym membership or take the stairs instead of the elevator one day. It’s making those changes stick, turning them into long term habits, that’s hard. If you really want to make your health a priority, you need to choose things you like doing, over and over again. Do you hate running? Find a form of exercise you do like. Does kale make you gag? Choose healthy foods you like to eat and make them part of your normal diet, not one-offs. Do you enjoy walking your dog? Walk him/her longer. The key is finding things you actually enjoy and look forward to doing every day, and then sticking to them.

4) Change your environment and the people in it (if necessary)

People are a product of their environment — the people, foods, and order or chaos that surround them. If your pantry is full of chips, cookies and crackers, you’re unlikely to snack on carrot sticks. If your family is unwilling to adopt healthier habits, you are limited in your success.

Remember: every time you buy something at the grocery store, you are making an investment in your health. Likewise, every time you work out, you’re making an investment in your fitness. If you make poor investments (unhealthy foods, not exercising), you’re not setting yourself up for success. So take a hard look at your overall environment and if it’s not helping you get healthy, change it.

6) Realize that you only have one body and take care of it!

In life, you only get one body. Who else is going to take care of it if you don’t? You only have one set of organs and joints, one brain, one cardiovascular system. If you choose not to prioritize your health, no one else is going to prioritize it for you. When you realize that you are in control of the changes you want to see, it is empowering. Be kind to yourself, and start where you need to start, but understand that this is not your practice life, it’s the only one there is.

7) Read food labels

Start making it a habit to check the labels of all the foods you buy. Pay attention to how much fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, protein, trans fats, MSG, artificial coloring/flavoring and preservatives they contain. Also, notice the serving size so you don’t consume more calories than you realize. Always look at the ingredients. Are there more than three or four? Is one of the main ingredients, sugar? Or, are there other artificial sweeteners? Are there ingredients that you have never heard of or have difficulty pronouncing? These are all signs that a better alternative is out there. In general, stay away from packaged foods that are high in sugars with many ingredients, chemicals, fillers and artificial flavors. You are what you eat! And being healthy means eating healthy and foods with these kinds of ingredients are not what we want.

8) Prepare and Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks

Take time to put some thought into your weekly menu. Among the major factors to living a healthy lifestyle is to adopt a healthy eating plan. Make sure to get a good balance of protein, healthy fats, and healthy carbs from vegetables and fruits every day. Lessen or eliminate processed foods, fast food, and soda. Take away unnecessary carbohydrates, saturated fat, starches, sugars and empty calories.

Commit to consuming more fresh, whole foods. This would effectively boost health and induce fat loss. Also ensure your body is fully hydrated. Water will sustain your metabolism in weight loss and help your body absorb essential nutrients. You’ll be surprised how making simple adjustments to your diet can make a big difference in how you feel and you may even lose some weight!

9) Get Moving!

Moving regularly should also be a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. This doesn’t mean everybody needs to go out and join a gym; it just means people need to exercise more – whether it’s strolling, hiking, or swimming. Moving your body helps you burn calories, lubricate the joints,and challenges your balance. It strengthens your body and helps improve your mind. This is key to GOOD HEALTH.

10) Think positive and reduce stress

Focus on appreciation and commit to a positive mindset. Stress and a negative attitude lead to cortisol production, which causes weight gain or weight loss resistance, hormone imbalance, depression, insulin resistance, sleep disturbance, and cravings. Having a more positive attitude also leads to a healthier robust immune system, something we all can benefit from.

Finally, your body responds to what your mind tells it, so it is necessary to regularly feed the message that you are healthy and happy. As your mind and your body becomes more fit, you believe it to be true. Things will start falling into place in other aspects of your life (work, relationships, finances, etc.).

11) Seek professional support to ensure your success

Creating a healthy lifestyle is not an overnight process. It needs planning, effort, and dedication to accomplish. When you decide to change your lifestyle, you have to be 100% committed to your plan, no matter how frustrating and how challenging it can be.

Having the support of a provider who understands the importance of steps one through eleven, and partners with you in achieving your goals is most important. Many people take more time selecting a hair stylist than a medical provider. Often choosing from a list of names of providers participating in their insurance plan is how it is done. Most concerning however, is not how providers are selected, but that individuals will stay with the same provider despite differing goals. This not only pertains to your health, but also poor experiences in the doctor’s office, and feeling rushed and not listened to…

Choosing the right provider is the most important step in loving yourself and prioritizing health.

At Redefining Health Medical, we practice functional medicine: a patient-centered approach to health that focuses not on symptoms of disease but identifying the root cause of conditions and addressing the imbalances identified to reverse them. Partnering with a functional health doctor means being an active participant in your treatment plan. Through this partnership, your goals are addressed utilizing lifestyle tools, specialized testing and supportive supplements to address the causes of illness and to establish a plan for optimizing health. We take the time to address all the factors affecting health (sleep, nutrition, stress management, activity and environmental factors). Most importantly, we help you implement the steps above without confusion and overwhelm. With the proper support from a trustworthy functional MD and their team of health coaches, your health becomes the priority.

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For more information about my wellness programs and my practice, check out my website drsadaty.com. Hey Look!  You are already here…

Ready for the legal disclaimer? Information offered here is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. As with any health recommendations, please contact your doctor to be sure any changes you wish to consider are safe for you!