Now that we are well into the month of March, it’s important to take an inventory of your lifestyle. Often, in the beginning of the year, people make New Year’s resolutions to live a healthier lifestyle. Now that we are a few months into the New Year, how are you doing with your self care? When you desire to optimize your personal health, the best results arise from taking a variety of actions. Here are some actions that you can take to look and feel your best in 2017 and beyond:

Exercise

We are all aware of the many health benefits of regularly exercising, which include weight loss, better sleep, less stress and an overall sense of wellbeing. The problem that many people experience when making a resolution to exercise more is that they don’t create an exercise routine that they can stick to. Many people feel like they must go all out with the most intense exercise routine to achieve their desired results, but that’s simply not the case. If you don’t like going to the gym, then take a walk or a run outside instead. If you would rather take walks and do yoga than run marathons and attend fitness bootcamp sessions, then do what you are comfortable with. The most important part about exercise is sticking to a routine that you can commit to, so don’t overdo it. All those fitness bootcamp classes will be useless if you only try it for two weeks and then stop exercising altogether.

Eating Healthy

As with exercise, if you are trying to eat healthier, don’t overdo it. If you go from eating fast food three times a day to eating a vegan, gluten-free diet, you are probably not going to last very long. Try cutting out the most unhealthy parts of your diet and replacing them with more fruits and vegetables. Women going on diets often end up restricting their eating habits so much that they relapse and end up binging on their favorite junk foods. You don’t want to eat pizza every night, but eating a slice or two once a week will not kill you. By not depriving yourself, you are also less likely to binge.

look and feel better

Sleep

We all know by now that not getting the proper amount of sleep is bad for our health, yet so many of us are sleep-deprived anyway. With the rise of modern technology, many people find themselves gazing at their cell phone, TV, laptop, and tablet screens before bed. Staring at screens is proven to actually stimulate the brain, making it harder to fall asleep and harder to stay asleep. Instead, consider making yourself comfortable in your bed about an hour before you want to go to sleep. Turn the lights down low and read an actual book (not an ebook), or write in your journal. If you experience difficulty falling asleep because your mind is racing, writing in a journal can be a very helpful practice for turning off the noise in your mind.

Meditation

Regular meditation offers a variety of health benefits including better sleep quality, improved weight loss, lower levels of stress, and a better overall response to challenging situations throughout your day. Many people have difficulties in establishing a daily meditation practice because they set the bar too high. If you want to meditate consistently, then it will most likely not happen if you make a point to sit cross legged on a cushion for an hour a day in total silence. However, establishing a daily meditation practice can be easy if you simply listen to a guided meditation for ten minutes after you awaken in the morning. You can sit comfortably in a chair or even lay down while you are meditating. As you become more comfortable with your meditation practice, you can begin to meditate for a longer amount of time and choose to sit on that cushion if that’s what you truly desire.

Health and Wellness Coaching

At Tula Wellness, we take a holistic approach to health, and we offer integrative nutritional counseling and wellness coaching. If you have had difficulties in losing weight and keeping it off and living a healthier lifestyle, we can help you. Through our health and wellness coaching, you can learn to be more mindful of the needs of your body. We believe that all areas of your life are connected and we take a deep look at each area in your life. Losing weight involves more than simply counting calories and exercising; it involves self care as well. Together, we can help you establish your weight loss goals so that you can not only look great, but feel great as well. Not only do we discuss nutrition and exercise, but we also introduce you to breathing exercises, meditation practices, yoga stretches and more. We can help you to establish a diet and exercise routine that works for you. Our coaches even include recipes that are simple and easy for you to prepare. Our health and wellness coaches are with you every step of the way through your weight loss journey.

Would you like optimize your health so that you can look and feel your best? Our health and wellness coaches at Tula Wellness can help you make a lasting transformation to your body and mind. Contact our women’s wellness center in Tucson to learn more about our integrative nutrition program and our wellness coaching program.