There’s so much health and diet advice out there … which should you follow for a naturally healthy lifestyle?
Start by going straight to the source. Here’s the top advice a dietitian, a naturopathic doctor and a registered doctor of traditional Chinese medicine give people who are looking to take their health to the next level. (As a bonus, these experts also have tips on how to implement this advice in real life.)
Christy Brissette, dietitian, says …
Eat more fat! Incorporate healthy fats into your day for beautiful skin and hair and to help you lose weight and keep it off.
Over the last couple of years, everyone has been focused on getting enough protein. Take this one step further by adding the healthy fats that lower inflammation and keep you satisfied.
Have a healthy fat at each meal and snack. Go for whole foods first, like nuts, seeds and avocado, because they come packed with other nutrients, like disease-fighting phytochemicals, protein, fiber and vitamin E. For cooking and salad dressings, choose organic, unrefined, cold-pressed oils to get the most nutrients.
Gillian Flower, naturopathic doctor, says …
Have your blood tested for vitamin D. Many of my cancer patients are coming in with deficient vitamin D levels. This is certainly supported in many studies as showing a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased cancer risk in some cases, but other conditions, like depression, arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis (MS) and many others, seem to have some association with vitamin D.
Put your supplements in a place where you’ll remember to take them: in the kitchen right beside the fridge, beside your toothbrush or on the dresser. It’s important to take the same amount on a daily basis.
Have your vitamin D levels checked annually to help refine the dosing to make sure you’re taking the right amount. It’s also important to find the form that works best for you: pills might be your first thought, but drops are an option that is better absorbed for some people.
Melissa Carr, registered doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, says …
Create daily “no excuse” healthy habits. For example, as kids, we had to be told to brush our teeth. Now, most of us brush our teeth at least twice a day every day without thinking about it, without excuses.
Once somebody figures out what their new daily habit is going to be, they need to have a way to track their commitment. Use things that work for you, like sticky notes on your bathroom mirror or an app on your phone.
Writing it down on a to-do list and crossing it off also works; your brain gets a boost of serotonin when you cross something off a list, and that feeling of being rewarded will help you stick to your commitment.
Another way is to sequence it: “So, I’m going to brush my teeth, and then I’m going to do that thing every day.”
