Tips for a Healthy New Year

Did you survive the holiday season without too much guilt?  Without adding too many extra pounds?  Did you have one too many servings you wish you could put back?  You are not alone. 

Now that the holiday season is behind us, it’s time to plan for a healthy 2016.  Starting off the year with healthy choices will help set your sails for a successful healthy new year. I would like to share with you some health tips to help make 2016 a year full of health and vitality.  By following these tips, you will help your body reach a higher level of health and healing.  

1. Eliminate “pop” from your diet.  Whether it is diet or not, pop causes extreme spikes in your blood sugar and severe blood sugar regulation problems. Think diet pop is a better choice?  Not so, diet pop is more dangerous than regular pop, in my opinion. 

Artificial sweeteners are toxic to the body. Aspartame has been known to cause many neurological problems.  Moreover, there is not a reason in the world why our children should be consuming pop of any kind. Diabetes continues to skyrocket in the U.S. and it is beginning to affect our youth. Drinking pop only adds to the problem. 

2. Avoid fried foods of any kind.  Fried foods generally contain trans fatty acids, which have a negative affect on the body. These fatty acids cause weight gain and clog the liver.  The offenders not only include deep fried foods, but also any foods containing oils heated to high temperatures, like donuts, cakes and cookies.  I know they taste good, but they are not good for your body.  

3. Avoid artificial sweeteners.  If you are diabetic and watch your sugar consumption, consider using stevia and other natural plant-based sweeteners.  Most foods that are “sugar free” will generally have artificial sweeteners in them. That is your clue. Chemical sweeteners cause disruption in your body’s chemistry and can cause weight gain and endocrine imbalance.   

4. Eat three meals a day.  I see far too many people who cut meals out of their day.  A major reason for our obesity epidemic is poor blood sugar management, in addition to poor dietary habits.  Eating three meals a day is extremely important in helping to manage your body’s blood sugar and chemistry. 

Now that doesn’t mean eating just anything!  We know dietary choices are important. Breakfast is what it says: break the fast. You eat dinner, then fast through the night for several hours until morning when you should be breaking the fast. Skipping breakfast means you go 12 hours or more without giving your body any type of fuel or nutrition.  

5. Eat protein with each meal, limit starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, pasta, rice and bread and fill your plate with colors.  Starting your day off with a cup of coffee and muffin is not what I call breakfast. Beige is not a color. Ask yourself if you are consuming food grown on a farm or prepared in a factory?   Start adding foods food from the earth with color to your plate.  If you want to feel more alive, you must eat more "alive" foods.  

6. Drink water. Are you consuming enough water?  On average, you should be consuming about half of your body weight in ounces of water. Most people do not even come close to this average. Water consumption is rarely discussed in our medical encounters. Arthritis pain, foggy thinking, stiffness in the morning, headaches, and muscle pain are just a few of the symptoms that one can experience as a result of poor water consumption.   

At the Power Of Life Holistic Health Center, we are dedicated to giving you the tools needed to make 2016 a healthy year. Please join us for our health seminar on Healthy Weight Management on January 19 at 7:15 p.m. at Panera Bread in Rocky River. Participants will learn that there are no secrets to weight loss, but by learning what causes weight gain, losing weight will become easier to achieve.  Please call 440-331-4744 to reserve your seat or email to tfwellnessdoc@gmail.com.

Wishing you a happy and healthy NEW YEAR!! 

Bryan Ruocco

Dr. Bryan Ruocco is a local chiropractor and wellness advocate. He owns and operates the Power of LIFE Wellness Center located in Rocky River. Dr. Ruocco graduated from the Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, GA. He graduated in the top of his class and received Magna Cum Laude Honors. 

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Volume 3, Issue 7, Posted 4:24 PM, 01.05.2016