While happy gatherings, satiated bellies and well-deserved vacations distinguish the holiday season, it is common for our bodies to experience additional stress too. The days ahead provide ample opportunity to reset, replenish and relax our way to post-holiday rejuvenation! We recommend beginning small to avoid contributing increasing amounts of stress on the body. Listed below are areas to emphasize during this rejuvenation period:
Stay Hydrated
Water is essential for optimal metabolism. It helps lubricate the digestive system, relieve constipation, flush excess sodium, and decrease overall stress levels.* There is a chemical reason for this. Our cortisol levels increase in the bloodstream when mildly dehydrated which can lead to symptoms like headaches, fatigue and constipation. One way to balance these chemicals is to consume more water to maximize lubrication and optimize cognitive function.
Honour Your Body
It can be difficult to maintain our new year’s momentum throughout the entire year. We recommend gradually increasing the level of intensity, prioritizing activities that authentically excite you, and eating intuitively. Intuitive eating is a framework that helps our nutritional preferences remain behaviour focused rather than restrictive. It emphasizes listening to our bodies and honoring what sources of fuel work best.
Breathe Deeply
Our breath constantly converts life-sustaining energy by taking in oxygen, invigorating red blood cells and expelling metabolic waste product.** Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, inducing a relaxed response. It functions in contrast to the sympathetic nervous system which stimulates our fight-or-flight response to certain activities. The beauty of deep or diaphragmatic breathing is that it is an incredibly accessible practice that can be implemented anywhere, any time.
Schedule Your Wellness Appointments
Be sure to invest time into your wellness! Spinal subluxations cause a separation from wholeness by irritating the body’s driving force – the central nervous system. A chiropractic adjustment removes specific sites of spinal malfunction so that our body can function to its innate and optimal capacities.
It is important to review what is important to you on a regular basis and do your best to maintain a lifestyle that supports these priorities.
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