Top 10 Wellness New Years Resolutions for 2023
We all know that the new year is a great time for reflection, and in this blog we’re about to get a little deep and emotional (it’s fine just stick with me). Health and wellness is an important part of the human experience. I believe on some level we all feel a pull towards being the healthiest version of ourselves. Now, I don’t love the idea of making a resolution once a year only to give up on it in a few weeks, so when I say “resolution” we’re going to think about it as more than that. Think of it as a new habit or lifestyle choice and word it as such.
I’m with you on the fact that it’s nice to have a set start date, so the new year can be the perfect time to get serious about what changes you want to make to improve your overall wellness. I think the key to keeping resolutions is having a very clear “why”.
What it means to have a “why”:
What I mean by having a clear why is truly knowing and understanding what is driving you to make the resolution. Here’s a classic example - if you want to lose weight then chances are you’ve wanted that for a while but nothing has come of it. What’s important is to decide why you want to lose weight. Get emotional about it and decide the reason you want to make a change is worth it.
A great one I see all the time is making the resolution for someone else. For example, deciding to lose 50 pounds by eating more home cooked meals and going to the gym 2-3x/week is a tough resolution. But it’s made easier when a 65 year old man decides he’s not doing it for himself, he’s doing it for his 2 year old granddaughter who is starting to get more active. He decides he wants to run around, spend time with her, and be there for her as she grows older.
Take it from me, who lost both of my grandfathers too soon… there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish both of them would have taken their wellness more seriously. I am currently a holistic health doctor and it’s too often that I think about if I could have been a few years older, then maybe I could have helped them make some changes to live longer. To see me get my doctorate. To see me open my own practice. And maybe one day to see their great grandchildren.
My grandfathers don’t have that opportunity anymore and honestly, even if I could have told them everything I know now, the chances are it wouldn’t have changed anything. Because no matter how much your granddaughter or brother or mother wants you to better yourself, the decision has to come from you. And it’s never too early or too late to start.
Alright, back to our 2023 resolutions for wellness…
Okay, we’re done with that part but seriously, if you read this and decide to make even one of these lifestyle changes my mission will be accomplished. So here we go!
As someone who considers herself slightly *obsessed* with health and wellness, here are my top 10 recommendations for health and wellness resolutions for 2023!
10. Gratitude Journal
Keeping a journal where you write down 3 things a day, at any time of day, that you’re grateful for is one of the best proven exercises to increase happiness. Our brains are programmed to focus on the negatives, it’s a survival instinct that was once really helpful. Our jobs require us to focus on negatives a lot too, for example an accountant is trained to pick out things that are wrong or correct mistakes. Their brain is literally programmed day in and day out to look for errors. This translates into daily life and soon that accountant can only find the things that are wrong with his home, wife, appearance, etc.
Gratitude journaling is one way to start looking for the positives in your life, and writing them down solidifies it in your brain. Plus, if you keep a little journal or notes section on what you’re grateful for you can look back on it and fondly remember your days in review!
This is one of the easiest tasks to start doing daily and it is one of our favorite things to recommend to our patients as they go through care!
9. Eat out less
You can try all you want but it’s near impossible to find high quality, clean, and healthy meals out. Trust me, I’ve been to them all. When you get restaurant food you can’t control the quality of the ingredients or even the ingredients themselves. This food tends to be higher in inflammatory ingredients like canola oil (or other seed oils), low quality meat, conventional vegetables, etc.
Cooking for yourself is the best way to nourish your body. Taking the time to plan out meals and purchase quality ingredients is also a form of self care that humans have cherished for thousands of years. What’s even better is if you can shop at your local farms and farmers markets to keep your food sources local and support your communities as much as possible.
8. Keep an organized kitchen
This one may not seem like it would have a direct affect on your health, yet a clean kitchen makes preparing and cooking meals and snacks way easier. The easier and more organized you can make your spaces the better. If you wash and store fresh fruit and vegetables in the front row of your refrigerator then you’re less likely to reach for chips and toss the produce in a week.
Organizing your pantry with mason jars or storage containers can make cooking more enjoyable. It cuts down on prep time when everything is laid out nicely in front of you and has a spot it belongs in the pantry. This is another easy item that just may motivate you to keep up the good work.
7. Eat organic
Don’t even think about skipping over this one! Yeah, I know the FDA says that rinsing your produce under tap water will remove the pesticides but I’m here to tell you that’s not even close to being true. Glyphosate is one of the most highly used pesticides in the US (yet it’s banned in most other countries…) and our guidelines for it’s use haven’t been updated in over 30 years.
Research has been done on the damages of glyphosate on the human system and I can’t even begin to scratch the surface in this little blog. Glyphosate accumulates in our tissues and can cause detrimental health problems. It also can weaken your body's systems and leave you vulnerable to chrons, IBS, autoimmune disorders, neurological disorders, etc.
6. Get at least 15 min of sunlight a day
I promise this isn’t just for hippies! Sunlight is so important for eye health and overall wellbeing. People who get sunlight in their eyes daily, especially at sunrise, are more likely to sleep better at night and have improved moods. Sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health so anything you can do to improve its quality you should!
Sunlight is not talked about enough at all and is so important to human health. When you get your 15 min of sunlight make sure you’re actually outside, without sunglasses. Bonus points if you have your bare feet on the ground to absorb some negative ions from the earth (yes, I’m being serious and there’s research to back that up)!
5. Increase protein 100g/day
This is one that I have been working on in the last few months. If you’re a woman then chances are you aren’t getting enough protein. In just one month of increasing my protein I have been able to build far more muscle in the gym, my period was the least painful I’ve had in over a year, and I stay fuller for longer with decreased cravings.
An example of a 100g+ protein day would be:
4 oz grass fed beef (40g)
1 scoop grass fed whey protein powder (25g)
1 tbsp grass fed collagen (10g)
3 eggs (6g each)
bone broth (10g/cup)
raw milk (9g/cup)
nut butter (8g 2 tbsp)
beans (7g/1/2 cup)
Animal proteins are super important so if you’re vegan or vegetarian I would recommend making it your resolution to include animal protein in your diet. Please don’t come for me.
4. Water filter &/or shower filter
If you don’t have good well water then I highly recommend getting a quality water filter. If you didn’t know this, tap water is essentially recycled sewage. Yep. So everything that would be in waste and can’t be filtered out through the treatment plant you end up drinking. That includes pesticides, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, hormones, and plenty more.
Getting a good water filter like this one from water and wellness is a great way to reduce your toxin load. Bonus if you buy some trace minerals to add back to your water to help increase your mineral intake.
The same goes for the water you shower in! There are plenty of different water filters depending on what the water in your area is like or what you want to filter out. This one has come highly recommended.
3. Movement (honoring your body)
Yes, I know being more active and going to the gym is on everyone’s resolution list and there’s a reason for that!!! Moving your body is so, SO important and is one of the biggest indicators of metabolic health and increased lifespan.
There are a lot of factors about working out at the gym that make people fall off the wagon so easily. It can be intimidating, crowded, and hard to motivate yourself. You may not know how to use the machines or feel comfortable making a workout plan. You may think it’s going to take a long time to see results.
I’ve been there and have felt all of those things and I’ll share with you some of my secrets that have kept me going back. First of all, no one is looking at you as much as you’re looking at yourself. No one is judging your form or how much you’re putting up on the bench press. In my experience most of the people at the gym, yes even and especially the meat heads, have a mutual respect for one another because we’re all there for the same reason. So don’t let the fear of getting judged keep you from an amazing quality of life.
If you just don’t know what to do when you get into the gym there are a few options for you. Most gyms will give you a free training session where you can walk around and try out different machines with someone who works there. This is a great way to get comfortable at your gym. When I first started going I enlisted the help of my friend who’s a personal trainer. She specializes in helping women feel confident in the gym and uses an app to create personalized workout plans. The plans have the exercise, how much weight she think you should use, and a little video to show you how to do the exercise. This was a game changer for me when I first started out. I’ll link her information HERE in case this sounds like something you want to do!
Trust me on this one, you won’t regret it or stop going when you start to see results, feel better, and look great.
2. Invest in your nervous system
This one should probably be in the number one spot because your nervous system is the most important system in your body. There is no process that occurs without the nervous system’s go ahead. All of the lifestyle changes I previously mentioned are influenced by the nervous system and will not have the desired outcomes if the nervous system is not taken care of.
I wish I could write all of the stories here of people who decided to take the step to invest in their nervous systems and ended up having life changing goals be met afterwards. The difference in these people from when they started care to just a few months later is what keeps me motivated in my own care.
The best way to invest in your nervous system is by seeing your local chiropractor. Chiropractors are specially trained and highly qualified to assess the nervous system and adjust areas to allow the nervous system to innervate the body. The chiropractic adjustment also has a direct effect on the brain itself and is able to help brain function by reducing brain fog, improving cognition, decreasing pain and inflammation, and more.
You may think I’m biased as a chiropractor myself, but I promise this is a worthy investment.
1. Verbalize & write down your goals
Whichever goals you choose to pursue this year it’s so important to write them down and speak them aloud to someone. If you verbalize to someone or write down your lifestyle change it increases your chance to accomplish it by 95%. NINETY FIVE PERCENT!
By completing this one super simple task you will effectively ensure that you keep your resolution for the year. So pick one, two, or five of these and watch how things unfold for you in not only your health, but in your life.
Good luck, I fully believe in you.
Yours in Health and Wellness,
Dr. Colby
