Top 5 Ways to Get Healthy in 2008

Year after year, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions geared toward improving their health. The most common health related resolutions are to quit smoking and to lose weight- partly because the same people end up making those same resolutions year after year! We have the best of intentions when we make these resolutions, but often we end up falling short, feeling bad about it, and getting nowhere. This year, make a New Year’s resolution that you can actually achieve and feel great about. These 5 healthy resolutions are achievable and will make a big impact on your health this year.

Get More Sleep
According to the American Journal of Epidemiology, the average American gets only 6.1 hours of sleep each night. Insomnia has long been connected with reduced ability to concentrate, trouble learning, decreased attention to detail and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents. More importantly, recent studies have tied chronic lack of sleep to medical problems including obesity, resistance to weight loss, diabetes and high blood pressure. Whether it means changing your schedule, avoiding stimulants in the evening, or seeing your doctor to treat your insomnia, increasing the time spent sleeping will help you live healthier.

Quit Smoking
If you are a smoker, it’s likely that you are already aware of the health risks associated with smoking. Smoking drastically increases your risk of lung cancer and emphysema, hypertension and heart disease, as well as quickening the aging process in your skin. Whether you use nicotine gum, a nicotine patch, acupuncture, or go cold turkey, quitting smoking can drastically improve your health. Keep trying!

Decrease Stress
Our bodies were wired to deal with stress in acute and brief situations, called the “fight or flight response”. Today, many people are under states of chronic stress, with no real beginning or end. During stress, our bodies go through a complex chain of biological events. The body directs all of its energy towards preparing your body to fight or flee. Heart rate and blood flow to large muscles increase. Our blood sugar increases to make sure that there is enough energy around to do what we need to do. The body suppresses the activities that are not essential for immediate survival, inhibiting the immune, reproductive and digestive systems, and suppressing growth hormone, a hormone that manages healing and tissue repair.
These biological changes can leave more suceptible to long-term problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, not to mention the effects stress has on your sleep, relationships, and quality of life. This year, resolve to decrease your stress. Cut out one extra-curricular activity from your life, take one job off of your to-do list, or invest in a stress busting activity like exercise, yoga, or meditation. Even simple deep breathing can make a huge difference! Try each morning to take 3 deep breaths-breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 1, and breathe out for a count of 6. Cutting down on your stress may not only help you live longer, but also help you live better!


Eat your fruits and veggies
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, adults should consume 21 to 38 grams of fiber each day, but the average American only gets 15 grams of fiber in a day! Fiber is important for good health. It acts like a broom in your digestive tract, helping to clean out your gut, and is also important to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, blood sugar, weight, and hormonal balance. The largest source of fiber in our diets comes from plants- fruits and vegetables.
Another reason to load up on fruits and veggies is that they are loaded with nutrients. Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients provide our bodies with what we need to live a healthy life. Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies every day. Green, red, purple, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables provide us with the diverse array of nutrients that our bodies need to feel their best.

Exercise
Maybe you’ve heard your doctor tell you to get some exercise, or you have tried to do it to lose some weight, but couldn’t stick to it. Research has shown us that exercise is beneficial for your heart, muscles and bones, but also that it can have profound effects on your mood, energy level, immune system, and can even decrease your risk of colon cancer! This doesn’t mean you have to turn into a gym rat, but make an effort to increase how much physical activity you get in a day. Take the stairs or park farther away and walk. Play with your kids in the snow! March in place of do jumping jacks during commercials. Learn a new sport, martial art, or dance. And don’t give up- it takes 2 weeks for a behavior to come routine, so stick it out and reap the rewards!

With the new year on the horizon, it’s a great time to incorporate new, healthy habits into your life. Even if you can improve your habits only a tiny bit, like replacing one fast food meal per week with a healthier one, you can make a big impact over the course of the year. Good luck!

Acupuncture and You in the New Year

Still searching for that perfect New Years Resolution? This year, why not make a promise to achieve better health and wellness. The Northeast Center for Holistic Medicine is happy to announce the addition of acupuncture and Chinese medicine services to its clinic.

Beginning in January, Alyson Adams, licensed Acupuncturist and board certified Chinese Herbalist will be joining the clinic’s team. If you have unresolved health problems, consider acupuncture. Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest systems of medicine and has been practiced for nearly 3,000 years. This medicine has proved itself to be a useful modality to treat numerous conditions including chronic and acute pain, stress reduction, enhanced immunity and countless others. It’s now your turn to experience the benefits of one of the fastest growing health care methods in America.

Acupuncture and herbs work particularly well for many conditions that are aggravated by stress or low energy. You’re a great candidate for acupuncture if you suffer from difficult health concerns such as:

• Back pain and neck pain
• Migraines
• Menstrual problems
• Allergies and asthma
• Digestive problems
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Panic attacks
• Chronic fatigue

The goal of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is to restore balance and wellness in the body by treating the root cause of disease. The Chinese Medical model believes that there is a basic life energy, called “Qi” that flows through the body in certain channels or meridians. When Qi becomes blocked or disturbed due to certain stressors, body functions do not work properly. Acupuncture needles are inserted into certain points to help restore a normal balance and flow of energy in the body. This sets the stage for the body to repair itself and maintain its own health.

Alyson is very excited to be able to offer her services to the people of southern New Hampshire. She is a recent Masters graduate from Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) in Portland, Oregon. OCOM is one of the most highly regarded schools of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the country.

What can I expect from my acupuncture treatment?
Acupuncture uses hair thin, sterile, one-time use disposable needles to stimulate points on the body that balance the flow of Qi in the body. The procedure is virtually painless, and most patients report a deep sense of relaxation with their treatments. The number of treatments a person needs varies according to the severity and the type of their condition. Acupuncture has a cumulative effect, so each treatment will build upon the other.