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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Tracy Soltesz, LAc, MAc
Traditional Wisdom for a Healthy New Year
Kunlun Mountain Acupuncture, Inc.

Traditional Wisdom for a Healthy New Year

More than 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but according to a University of Scranton study, only 8% actually keep them. Nearly 80% of resolutions fail by February. The wisdom of Chinese Medicine helps us understand why – and it’s all about balance. Making this “the best year ever” leads people to make extreme resolutions that set us up for failure. Your joints would thank you if you lost 20 pounds, but it took years to put on that extra weight. It’s not going to instantly evaporate regardless of our best intentions.

To achieve success in the new year, listen to the wisdom of Chinese Medicine with these do’s and don’ts.

Don’t: Take on too many changes at once.

Do: Choose one major lifestyle change, and craft a plan to achieve it.

You can probably think of a lot of changes that will benefit your health. Taking on too many at once can cause a feeling of being overwhelmed. Keep your resolutions going beyond January by choosing one big change and planning out monthly steps to achieve it. Set a reminder each month to add in the next step, but stick with each step until you have mastered it which might mean delaying the next step.

Don’t: Make drastic changes in your diet or exercise routine.

Do: Craft a supportive routine that eases you into challenging changes.

We tend to overindulge during the holidays, and then feel so sluggish that we think drastic changes like starting a detoxifying fast or joining every cardio class at the gym are the only ways to change. Proper diet and exercise are necessary parts of a healthy life, but the depths of winter is not the time to take on extremes. As temperatures drop in winter, our bodies go through physical changes to adapt. Our metabolism slows, our blood thickens, and this prepares us for winter’s lack of light and warmth.

This is the time to give yourself the vitamins and nutrients you need, not to starve yourself of nourishment. Wait until springtime for extreme dietary changes such as fasts and detox cleanses. Use January to remove inflammatory foods like sugar while adding in nutrient dense, wholesome foods like roasted vegetables. Honor the stillness of winter by adding gentle, restorative exercises like a daily walk outside or a yoga class, and ease your way back into more active cardio classes over time.

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