There is an unwritten rule that January is a month of reset, a time to focus on healthy behaviors more closely to devise ways to upgrade your health. Most of us grew up with the knowledge of, and perhaps even the practice of “New Year’s Resolutions”. This practice can be traced back to the ancient Babylonians nearly 4,000 years ago.
If you are one to consider “New Year’s Resolutions”, here are 3 simple ways to upgrade your health in 2024!
Check your water!
Tap water may be one of the largest exposures to chemicals that we have each day. Many of us are aware of hydration and even set goals to drink more water. What if the water you are drinking contains large levels of chemicals of which we don’t know the long-term effects, and may even contain forever chemicals that wreak havoc on our hormones, organs, and cancer risks? Visit https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/ to learn more about your water. Installing a house water filter, or even installing one at the tap in your kitchen can help lower your exposure to chemicals and lift a burden from your body!
Look at your light cycle
The optic nerve in your eyes senses the morning light. Natural sunlight in our eyes each morning triggers our brain to release cortisol and other hormones to help us wake up. This process of morning light exposure also sets the nighttime rhythm of melatonin production. This morning light exposure, coupled with evening dark exposure produces melatonin. Melatonin makes you feel sleepy and ready for bed. If you aren’t exposed to the natural light cycles, this process can be interrupted, and sleep can evade you. Spend some time outside or by a bright window in the morning or drive to work without sunglasses on. Then, about 2 hours before bed, put on some blue blocker glasses and darken your environment. Try this for a few weeks and see if you notice improvements in your sleep!
Get your vitamin D checked!
Optimal vitamin D is important for immune health, bone health, blood sugar regulation, mood, skin health, thyroid health, energy levels, and the list goes on and on. Many people are deficient in Vitamin D and may not be aware of this. Have your levels checked and adjust supplementation and sun exposure as needed. You may be surprised at how much better you will feel by optimizing your levels. Your doctor may say that levels over 30 are sufficient, but optimal levels in functional medicine are 50-100 ng/dl.
