Three Holistic Health Tips to Joyfully Rock the New Year

I grew up in a small town in Texas where we consumed meat and dairy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We drank sweet tea like water. And every “supper,” I slathered on thick, golden layers of butter on fluffy white sliced bread…mmmm, are you salivating yet?

Now, true confession.

My mom is literally mortified when I talk about this subject because she feels like it’s an attack on her parenting.

But it’s not. I promise. I love you, Mom.

We just didn’t know any better.

None of us did. All of our friends, neighbors and their families all ate the same way, so it never even crossed our minds that it could be problematic.

Compounded with the added craziness of after school activities, we saved time by eating at whichever restaurant offered the brown bag special. We rotated through McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and, of course, Domino’s Pizza as our Friday night indulgence over a Blockbuster marathon.

Unless it was football season. Then we just ate from the concession stand.

But my personal, all-time favorite was…Chick fil A. Cue the celestial harps.

Fast forward 20 years. If you would’ve told me I’d now be living on a plant-based diet, I would have laughed you out of the room! At that time, I don’t think I ever saw a vegetable that didn’t come in a bag or can.

Baby, I’ve come a long way. And you can, too. Your way.

I’m not here to sell you on a plant-based diet.

My goal is to help you start the journey to true health―based on your own process of self discovery and learning, one step at a time.

1. Take It Slow

Zero to hero is neither necessary nor sustainable. In the very beginning, I started by simply removing artificial dyes from my son’s food. Then, I got rid of soft drinks.

Later, when my husband and I decided to give up coffee together, we thought we were going to die.

No joke.

Step-by-step, we created long term sustainable success. If we’d bitten off too much too quickly, we would have set ourselves up for failure and frustration.

2. Stop Judging Yourself―And Others!

There truly is no one size fits all approach to health and wellness.

Most health-conscious people go through their own personal evolution, which includes a phase of feeling highly self-righteous and looking down on any other method that isn’t their method.

If you meet someone like that along the journey, don’t let it drive you crazy. Certainly, don’t let it stop you. Just love them and leave the drama. Remember, I’m not in the business of changing people’s minds. I’m in the business of finding people who want change.

3. Sponge It Up!

Absorb information and stay open to different approaches within natural health. Ask lots of questions and lean into whatever feels right to you.

Now, I want to warn you. (Official disclaimer.)

Some of the things I’ve learned to be true in the last 10 years of my health journey have actually flown directly in the face of the absolute truths I was raised on. In other words, I had to literally deprogram my brain, unlearn a lifelong lifestyle, and reformat my hard drive to absorb new data.

It isn’t easy, and it certainly didn’t happen overnight.

But you will get there if you’re open to the process.

Still not sure where to start? Here are 6 questions to ask yourself when getting clear on the type of health you want to create:

1. When I think about my health, do I want to feel truly great and amazing? Or, am I just happy to stay out of the doctor’s office?
   
   
2. Am I treating a symptom, or am I digging deeper to address a root issue? And, if I am treating the symptom, could it be hiding a larger issue?
   
   
3. What does real health mean to me? (Here are some examples: If I’m eating healthy but chronically sleep-deprived, is that real health? If I’m physically healthy but often explode with anger, is that real health? If I’m fairly healthy physically, but I’m drowning in debt, is that real health? If I’m a millionaire, but I’m always fighting with my spouse and kids, is that real health?)
   
   
4. On a scale of 1-10, where is my physical health right now? And is there any reason I should settle for anything less than a 9
   
   
5. What does full-on joy look like to me? (Not short spikes of heightened excitement, but long-term sustainable joy, happiness, and true contentment.)
   
   
6. What does quality of life mean to me?