An “Annual Wellness Plan” can sound restrictive and daunting. An “Annual Happiness Plan,” on the other hand? That could be appealing.
How do you make that plan? Pay attention to your body. When your head aches or your back hurts or your feet are killing you, you’re not happy. A healthy body makes a happier you.
For a happier and healthier you, Frederick's Holistic Health Associates (HHA) encourages five focal areas: nutrition, movement, coordinated manual therapies and medical care, mindfulness and relationships, and some form of detox.
Detox
Detox can be a scary idea. We envision a colonoscopy prep and think “No, not that!” Ryan Diener, CEO of HHA, explains “detox” is a way of giving the organs in our bodies a rest from their labors.
For example, our livers stay busy cleaning our blood and optimizing nutrients in the blood to better serve us. Plastics, air and water pollutants and even pesticides in soil that infuse into our foods, are all ultimately sent to the liver for cleansing. Within only a few generations, our bodies have had to deal with over fifty additional toxic substances. Over time, toxins compound the work of our organs.
“It’s like climbing a mountain carrying a suitcase and backpack,” Diener said. “When you take a week to mindfully reduce the processed, glutenous and sugar-laden foods, you’ve given your liver and other organs a breather.” It’s nothing harsh for your system. It just gives them time to empty the junk out of the suitcase, reorganize that backpack and rest a bit. While that’s a lighthearted way to describe the process, perhaps, after detoxing, it’ll be like climbing that mountain with a fanny pack and a much happier body.
“A detox rest and reset will give you more energy, lower inflammatory markers and significantly improved organ functionality,” Diener says. “Do it at least once a year. It is helpful both physically and mentally.”
Nutrition & Supplements
Nutrition guidelines abound. Choose one that keeps your diet appropriately balanced with your body’s needs and your lifestyle. Create a personal wellness plan based on levels of Good, Better and Best. For example: Good may be extra pieces of fruit, Better is natural sweeteners like local honey or pure maple syrup and Best is no sweeteners at all.
Don’t set yourself up for disappointment and dejection by striving for perfection. Strive to follow a wellness plan 80% of the time and allow yourself to be flexible 20% of the time.
The thought of supplements can be unsettling. Which ones? When? How much is enough or too much? Our soil now has decreased values of nutrients. Therefore, the food we eat has less nutritional value and our body has insufficient nutrients to function to the best of its ability.
Food supplements (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, etc.) provide additional essential nutrients the average person needs. In keeping with the Good, Better, Best concept, the better and best supplements are those made with condensed, nutrient rich, naturally occurring resources.
Movement
Movement adds significant value to long-term wellness. It doesn’t need to be high-intensity or 2-hour long runs. It could be simple, slow movement. “Tai Chi connects the body, mind and spirit in relaxing, low impact exercises for all levels of health and mobility,” says Frank Neely, with HHA. “Tai Chi enhances overall performance and life balance.”
Your movement plan could start small with a focus on five minutes of movement this month. Add a bit daily and you may be moving twenty minutes in April and actively moving for forty-five by December.
Coordinated Manual Therapies and Medical Care
Manual therapies are additional practices that can help heal, restore and promote wellness. They enhance how your body operates. HHA engages a variety of therapies in the wellness plans they advocate.
Diener specializes in acupuncture, a key component of traditional Chinese medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture is increasingly being used to treat pain and relieve discomfort of a variety of diseases and conditions from chemotherapy-induced nausea to tennis elbow.
Massage therapy is no longer a mere luxury. It helps treat depression, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, headache, insomnia, postoperative care and soft tissue injuries. Kasey Cecchini, at HHA, agrees; it can improve circulation, energy and alertness, lower heart rate and blood pressure and improve immune functions.
Aryn Bostian adds, “Reiki is an excellent modality to help assist with stress reduction and relaxation. From pregnancy to trauma to sleep difficulties or general wellness, reiki offers patients a safe space to focus on their healing journey.”
“Reflexology is more than a foot massage,” says Norma Jean Hohman. “It can help with deep relaxation, pain management, anxiety, headache relief, plantar fasciitis, and provide an overall balance in energy.“
Michelle Clowe suggests an ancient form of Chinese energetic bodywork. Qigong Meridian Therapy (QMT) offers the benefits of acupuncture without the needles and massage without getting undressed. QMT fosters deep relaxation and healing, helps you release physical and emotional stress and pain and encourages wellness on every level.
Mindfulness and Relationships
The brain is obviously a major component of our happiness. It also plays a major role in our overall health. In addition to food stressors, our bodies are also stressed by thoughts.
Mindfulness is essential for good health. Your mindset is a choice The frequency of your positive thoughts will significantly impact your Annual Happiness and Health Plan. Not every day is great. That 80/20 approach can work for your attitude as it does for nutrition. Try a mental detox day, too.
Choose your best relationships and strengthen them. “Phenomenal brain chemicals are released when we are engaged in good personal relationships,” says Diener. “Building positive moments and days will have a massive impact on your annual health results.”
Good, Better, Best Plan
Good, Better, Best is broadly applicable in all five focal areas. Be honest and thoughtful about choices in all aspects of your personal wellness plan. Healthy is happy. Happy New You!