The holidays are over, the Christmas tree is down and the ‘New Year’s resolution’ pressure is mounting. Homeopathic and functional medicine practitioner, Dr Megan Medina, shares some useful, sustainable health tips.
Instead of focussing on hardcore, short-term resolutions, why not look at your health a little differently this year? Megan suggests meaningful, sustainable changes that will positively impact your life throughout the whole year. She shares her favourite health tips to start the new year:
1. SELF LOVE
Be kind to yourself. Focus on what you love about yourself and how you can bring more joy into your life. I read a post the other day that said ‘a resented body will never heal’, and I thought it was very apt as we transition out of the holiday festivities and into the new year. Why not look at the new season as an opportunity to focus on loving our bodies, feeding them with nourishing wholesome food, moving them with joy and gratitude?
2. MOVEMENT
Find one exercise that makes you feel alive and engage in it wholeheartedly, every day. (For me, it’s the gentle, mindful movement of yoga, but it could be anything from a run to a walk, a swim or a bike ride).
3. NOURISHMENT
Know where your food is coming from and try your best to avoid overly-processed foods. Find ways to support your local farmer. We are blessed with beautiful, regenerative local farms and it makes sense to support them. Their produce is organic, free-range and supportive of our eco system. It’s also delicious and free from nasty pesticides, chemicals and GMOs!
4. FIND YOUR TRIBE
In the era of online meetings and social media bombardment, now is the time to connect with your community. Make this your year to engage in real relationships with real people – even if it is just coffee with a friend once a week. Real social connections strengthen the immune system and bring feelings of connection and joy.
5. MINDFULNESS
In a world where multi-tasking and productivity drive us, taking time each day to check in with yourself can do wonders for your nervous system and mental health. Do a little body scan – from head to toe – to assess areas of tension or discomfort. Spend a few minutes outside on your own, simply listening to your breath. You hold the power for a happier, healthier new year by simply being a little more present.
“In short, my goals for a positive, healthy start to the new year is to focus on meaningful relationships, enjoy your local community and farmers markets, get to know your neighbours and small, local businesses and find ways to appreciate your body through mindfulness, exercise and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine we are so blessed to experience here on the North Coast!”
Megan is a homeopathic and functional medicine practitioner who works to find the root cause of chronic conditions with the goal of restoring balance and helping her patients find holistic wellness in their lives. She uses genetic testing, guidance through nutrition and supplements, as well as counselling, mindfulness techniques, exercise, homeopathy and herbals. Megan has a Master’s degree in homeopathy, is a qualified yoga instructor, a hypnobirthing practitioner and childbirth educator and has a postgraduate degree in education.
