To keep your energy up, improve your mood and rev up your metabolism, eat protein for breakfast, says Mark Hyman, M.D., author of Ultra-Metabolism. “Most people start off in a way that sets them up for disaster. When you eat only carbs, you don’t have the amino acids needed to feel focused, alert and happy. You don’t have the ability to modulate your blood sugar. Appetite increases and you find yourself seeking out more sugar and caffeine.”
Skip the cereal and instead serve up a plate of eggs, whole-grain toast with nut butter, scrambled tofu, or a protein shake. Your body will thank you for it.
tags: breakfast, protein
For naturopathic doctor Tori Hudson, daily exercise trumps all other habits. “There’s nothing else you can do with so many benefits,” from weight control to fending off high blood pressure, arthritis and certain types of cancer. If her recommendation of an hour each day sounds daunting, keep working at it. “It doesn’t have to be fancy, formal or done all at once,” she says. “Walking is perfect.”
tags: exercise
For better overall health, let go of the past, advises Brent Bauer director of the Complimentary and Integrative Medicine Program at May Clinic. “It’s amazing how many studies are bearing out the benefits of forgiveness.”
“When we cling to regrets and resentments, we remain stuck in the lower limbic brain, the very basest part. Every time you replay an offense, it’s as if you live it again,” he explains. “For better health, you want to be in the prefrontal cortex, where most of our higher functions take place and where we can choose to cultivate love and compassion.”
Practice forgiveness through ritual or meditation, or simply keep your attention focused on what’s happening right now. “Mindfulness is counterintuitive to resentment,” says Bauer.
tags: forgiveness
Friendship is key to staying well, says Alice Domar Ph.D., founder of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health. “People who have inadequate social support are as likely to die early as people who smoke or have high cholesterol.”
She recommends keeping two kinds of relationships going. “You need your foxhole friends, who will be there for you at 2 am and your party friends, you make you laugh,” she says. What you don’t need? Unhealthy relationships. These can prove as bad for you as total isolation. “If there are people in your life who suck you dry, break up with them,” says Domar. “There is nothing wrong with that.”
tags: friendship
“Our bodies are talking to us all the time, but unless we make an effort to listen we don’t hear them until they scream,” says Tracey Goudet, M.D., executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine and author of Consciously Female.Committing to a daily listening practice, ideally in the morning, can transform your health and might catch imbalances before they develop into illness.
Start by taking a breath and bringing your attention to the present, she says. Then ask, ‘How does my body feel? What does it need from me today? Do I have any discomfort or pain? How is my energy?’ This practice can shift the “me-versus-you attitude we often have toward our bodies, where we get mad when it’s tired and frustrated when it’s sick,” says Gaudet. “Open a dialogue and you have a chance to form a real partnership. It’s simple, it’s fast, it’s free – and it will redefine how you think about your health.”
tags: awareness
Whether you are trying to eat better, exercise more or connect with loved ones, be sure to prioritize enjoyment, says Joan Borysenko, author of Inner Peace for Busy Women. “When I’m forming a new health habit, it doesn’t work for me unless it brings me pleasure,” she says. “If it feels like duty, I just let it go after a while. So I try to find a way to have fun getting healthy. To get exercise, I go outside and romp around with my dogs.”
Remember, being creative is part of the fun.
tags: play
Shifting away from negative emotional patterns can directly benefit your health, says practicing cardiologist Mimi Guarneri, M.D., medical director at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine. Anger, for instance, floods the system with stress hormones that suppress the immune system, raise blood pressure, create arrhythmia, and even increase the risk of cancer.
Changing your ways isn’t simple. “The hardest journey to make is the 18 inches from your head to your heart,” notes Gaurneri. But it’s easier when you let gratitude be your guide. “Every night before bed, list 10 things that you have to be thankful for,” she says. “You’ll quickly realize that though your life is not perfect, you have a lot. And you’ll gain a real sense of wellness.”
tags: gratitude
Because it counters the stress cycle, “meditation is the most transformative thing you can do for your health,” says Woodson Merrell, M.D., chairman of the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. And there’s no need to overcomplicate things, either: “Just pick a single point of focus – like your breath, an image, or a mantra – and keep your mind trained on it as you sit erect,” advises Merrell. “A million thoughts will come; that’s okay. Just let them go and come back to your focal point.” Fifteen minutes first thing in the morning will transform your day, he promises, and over time, your entire life. “Don’t worry if some days you can only do a few minutes. The key is daily practice.”
tags: Meditation
