Monthly Archives: August 2015

With a few quick Google searches online anyone can access a multitude of health resources from all around the world. On one hand, this can be seen as a good thing – patients can do their own research, become informed about their own bodies and use this information to guide their health own practices. On the other hand, the sheer volume of information available can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when you come across contradictory viewpoints. So, what are you supposed to do? Who do you listen to? Yourself of course! You are an expert on your own body and it’s talking to you. All you have to do is LISTEN!
Your body is constantly giving you feedback on a daily basis. Listening to your body requires simple self-observation. For example, start by taking note of how you feel when you wake up in the morning. Do you feel refreshed and ready to start your day? Or tired and unrested despite sleeping a full 8 hours? Ask yourself if there was a new food that your ate during the day, if you had an argument with a spouse, if you are overthinking about a deadline at work or even if you woke up during the night to urinate. Did you notice any other issues occurring at the same time such as a headache, abdominal bloating or pain? Identifying patterns is the first step in getting to know your body. Anytime something is “off” (physically, mentally or emotionally) there is usually a connection to another aspect of your overall health that is affected as well.
When it comes to your health, the small things you do on a daily basis have the biggest impact on your overall health. Much like treating yourself to a piece of birthday cake at a party will not make you ill, eating an occasional salad for lunch will not make you healthy. Health is a lifestyle and being healthy is a conscious choice. Even someone diagnosed with a chronic disease can live a healthy lifestyle. Health is not an exclusive, unattainable “members only” club. You deserve to be healthy and in order to achieve optimal health you must be willing to make positive, permanent changes in all facets of your life. Once you start feeling great you’ll wonder how you ever made it through the day before.
Healthy lifestyle behaviors are common sense, but not common practice. Proper diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep and stress management are all factors that are 100% within our control. Why do we have such a hard time applying these behavior modifications to our everyday lives?
Being “busy” is one of the most common reasons people are resistant to making healthy changes in their lives. Preparing a nutrient-dense, healthy, fresh meal may take an hour, while the drive-through only takes a few minutes. Going for a walk in the evening would be a great way to get your cardiovascular system pumping, but that would take time away from binge-watching your favourite TV show on Netflix. In an era of instant messaging, fast-food and high-speed internet it’s no wonder we expect immediate results after beginning a new health regime. For this reason, making small, attainable weekly goals will help you develop healthy habits that you will be able to maintain long-term. For example, if you drink coffee or tea try not adding sugar for one week. Once you’ve accomplished that move onto another goal such as switching to whole grain bread, taking a 20 minute walk on your lunch break or meditating 5 minutes every day. These small changes may seem insignificant on their own, but combined together have a very powerful effect. And believe it or not, the healthier you are the more productive and efficient you will be which will make you less busy. It’s a win-win!
The power to achieve ideal optimal health starts with you. So it begs the question – what do you choose?
Bio
Amanda Barone is an Acupuncturist and Kinesiologist and has been helping the Vaughan community achieve greater levels of health since 2010. Amanda educates her patients on the importance of making their health a priority and believes a strong practitioner-patient relationship is the key to getting outstanding, long-lasting treatment results. She believes in the body’s self-healing capacity and uses acupuncture and exercise therapy in order to facilitate the process. For more information visit her website: www.besthealthacupuncture.com