Let’s make healthy the “new normal” in 2022

Have you made your new year resolutions yet? I am not much for resolutions as they seldom ever get fulfilled across the year. The three top resolutions of according to a 2020 survey were to exercise more, save money and eat healthier, in that order and of a 2019 survey 7% managed to keep ALL of their resolutions while 8% kept none of them. We love making new year promises to ourselves but we all know the proverbial saying, and when it comes to ourselves it seems promises were made to be broken.

The last 2 years has sent a very important message to everyone across this planet and that is if we do not work towards good health we could find it difficult to protect ourselves, and recover from any disease or sickness that may occur. Lifestyle diseases complicate our bodies ability to recover, especially and most recently events like Long COVID, major surgery and other situations that require healing and a public health strategy is needed to create change toward vibrant health. I am afraid if this isn’t done soon, the outlook for the future does not very promising.

The pandemic has introduced us to the “new normal” and whether you agree with what’s being offered to you or not, there is a definite need for change. What I have come to understand is there is no such thing as normal and only what we choose to normalize. That got me thinking as to why can’t we normalize health and our personal wellness? Instead of making resolutions why not normalize eating more vegetables, reducing the extra calories, on purpose movement (if the word “exercise” irritates you), and if we did that month after month, what would 2022 look like? How would you feel and what would our bodies look like?

If you like the idea, there are 5 areas that must be addressed and established to achieve optimal health and if we can put these things in place, we may be able to get to where we want or need to be. The human body has the incredible ability to heal itself, that is the way we have been built. Even though, there are elements of our daily lives that must be in place in order to get the healing process going and our systems doing the work nature intended.

Proper nutrition – what we eat definitely impacts our health and the proof presents itself in our overburdened health systems and the number of prescriptions filled, every year, by the millions affected by poor health. I believe we have been tricked into thinking all calories are the same but this isn’t so. The quality of the calories is more important than the quantity. Cheap and overprocessed foods have highjacked our supply chain, as well as, the illusion that convenience is best. Look out for the overconsumption of simple carbohydrates and highly processed protein substitutes. Even if you plan to go vegan in 2022, remember to choose real food over fabricated foods, your body will thank you for it.

Sleep – let us agree sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health. In an ideal world, we should all be asleep by 10.00 pm. This is the time most health disciplines agree we begin the healing process as in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where every organ has a designated recovery time. Those who have 7-8 hours of sleep every night tend to make better food choices, eat fewer calories, have good concentration and clarity of thought, while those who have poor sleep patterns tend to gain weight and have more of the hormone Ghrelin and increased appetite. Those with poor sleep habits are 3 times more likely to have a lower functioning immune system and an increased chance of developing colds and flu. You can learn here how to improve your sleep habits.

Exercise and Movement – we were never designed to sit indefinitely. We need to move every single day as this is a healing mechanism of the body. Exercise reduces the risk of lifestyle diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. It improves our mental health, lowers the risk of certain types of cancers, hip fractures, and early death. It’s important to start slowly and increase your intensity and time until you get stronger and fitter. Exercise has been shown to slow the aging process and improve collagen production.

Work on your gut health – the health of our gut is indelibly linked to our mental health. Evidence shows 70% of our immune system lives in our gut and we need a healthy microbiome to enhance the body’s ability to protect us and that can be achieved from a diet rich in fibre, fermented foods, pre and probiotic use and you guess it, good quality sleep. The gut is very sensitive to what happens in our emotions. Feelings of anger, fear and anxiety can influence how well we digest our foods. Stress and autoimmune disorders are being investigated as research show 50% of the triggers are unknown. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn’s Disease appear to get worse when there are bouts of stress.

Do not neglect your spirit man – we often forget to cultivate this part of us. We ignore and subdue the part of ourselves to the point it affects our happiness and well-being. Using meditation and prayer as a relaxation tool helps to keep the mind and heart centred and stress-free from the anxieties of life. Meditation can lower blood pressure, build your immune system, help with hormonal imbalances, help to calm your digestive system and much more. Don’t knock it until you try it!

As we are hours away from another new year, I pray these reminders inspire us to start afresh and make health our “new normal”. If we don’t spend time investing and building up our health we will regret the outcomes. The pharmaceutical industry isn’t going to solve all our problems and we will have to take some personal responsibility. Health is not an illusion and it is very achievable if we intentionally put some effort into it.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2022

From: Marcia Howard and Nutreatment Nutrition