GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR!

GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to all my readers!

This is the time of year when people make resolutions for life changes. A nutritionist’s office can be a busy place! I thought I would start out the year with some suggestions for effectively reaching your goals for optimal health.

In order to explore and establish resolutions for positive change, first and most importantly, you must examine where you are now with total honesty. This is a very challenging step but important in getting where it is you want to go. Believe me, if you cannot get beyond this first step, you will find it virtually impossible to go on to the next. This self-assessment ought to be an ongoing endeavor, and should not stop once you achieve your original goals. Once you accept that you are in continuous state of personal growth and change, you can actually begin to enjoy the experience of rebirth and rejuvenation that comes through adaptation. The exercise and food choices that work for you at one time of life may not be best for you in another. Personally I feel life would be rather boring if they did!

Once you have taken this step in self-assessment, you must go on to acknowledge your role in getting where you are today. The intention is not to focus on the negativity of the past too much but rather to take responsibility for your actions moving forward. To put it simply, you need to own your situation. Change cannot happen unless you make the commitment.

Now you are ready to set some reasonable goals. Once these are established, you can decide whether or not to seek the advice of a professional to learn how best to achieve them. A professional consultation can help you examine your goals more carefully to determine if they should be modified as well as to jumpstart you into a proper program. For many individuals follow-up sessions give them just the motivational boost they need to go the long haul.

Remember that food is for nourishment and not for nurturing. Enjoying your food is part of life, but I encourage you to give it the proper placement and focus. Your problems of the heart and mind cannot be solved through the mouth.

So let this be a year when you learn to eat right, drink right, exercise right, and think right!

Be well!