Top Five Tips for Optimal Health in 2013

It is likely many people around you are getting motivated to start fresh this year, resolving to reach new goals and make 2013 a wonderful, memorable year. We would like to help you make the most of this season with these five practical goals that will help you optimize your health in 2013.

1. Sleep more

Most of us ideally need 8-10 hours of sleep every night and yet, most only get 6-7 hours. Did you know before the 1950’s, American’s got an average of 11 hours of sleep per night? Sleep is critical for keeping our energy levels up to par. It is also vitally important for proper digestion, promoting immune health, reducing stress, keeping skin healthy, and so much more! The body is generally producing the greatest amount of growth hormone between the hours of 10pm and midnight. If we are sleeping during this time our bodies can make the most of the hormone that is critical for proper cellular growth and repair. Having trouble sleeping? We recommend coming in for a visit where we can discuss the myriad factors that can contribute to sleep challenges. Some of our favorite supplements for helping with sleep include:

Sleep Factors by Biogenesis
Liposomal Melatonin drops by Biogenesis
Melaton-3 by Thorne
PharmaGaba by Thorne

Click on the links above to purchase or for more information on these products.

2. Hydrate

Do you ever experience a slump in energy in the mid-afternoon? What if your go-to pick-me-up was a large glass of water? Much of our day-to-day fatigue can be attributed to dehydration. If you are experiencing fatigue on a regular basis, we recommend you increase your water intake. Make a goal of drinking eight 8 oz glasses of water each day. For every cup of coffee or soda you drink, plan to add in an extra glass of water. Electrolyte-enhanced waters such as “Smart Water” are often good options on days when you know you haven’t had enough to drink or you can add Biogenesis Electrolyte Plus C powder to your water for optimal hydration.

3. Exercise

We all know that exercise is good for us. Moving our bodies helps us lose weight and is good for our heart health. But did you also know exercise is important for immune health? When you exercise, you are not just giving your muscles a work-out, you are also helping lymph move throughout your body. Our lymph carries vital immune cells to every part of our body and the more we keep it moving, the more we can protect our body from infection and promote detoxification. Do you know how much you are moving in your day? Many of our patients find it easier to track their activity with activity-trackers such as the FitBit, BodyBugg, or Nike + FuelBand. We also recommend you schedule a visit to be evaluated by bioelectrical impedance analysis – cutting-edge technology that will be available at NaturoMedica later this month - which allows us to assess your body composition including body fat. As you exercise you can optimize your fat loss with regular body composition analysis.

4. Eat well and take your vitamins

One of the best things you can do for your health is to fuel your body properly. Every individual has particular nutrient needs - which you can discuss with your NaturoMedica doctor. For basic health, we recommend you eat a variety of foods. Try to include a rainbow of colors on your plate every day. Nutritional and vitamin supplements are determined on an individual level as well. However, some our favorites that most people should consider include:

Vitamin D: by Naturologie
Probiotic: Orthomolecular Orthobiotic
Fish oil: Pharmax Finest liquid Fish Oil

Click on the links above to purchase or for more information on these products.

5. Get tested

At NaturoMedica we offer a wide array of cutting-edge laboratory tests to help ensure you are living at your peak potential: food allergy testing, adrenal stress indexing, advanced cholesterol evaluation, intracellular nutrient assessment, and even genetic testing to determine your dietary traits, metabolism type, and effects of physical activity on your body. It is also important to have your baseline lab work assessed annually. This year be sure you check-in on the following:

• Vitamin D
• Cholesterol
• Blood sugar
• Thyroid function
• Iron levels
• Complete blood count (checks for anemia and immune system dysfunction)
• Blood chemistry (checks for the health of different organs like your liver and kidneys)

We wish you a very happy and healthy New Year and look forward to seeing you soon to help you begin the year with all the tools you need to make this your healthiest year yet!