Some people start the new year by goal or intention setting, some find a word of the year to focus on, others avoid the whole thing altogether. Ending the first full month of 2023 you might be having second thoughts about those lofty new year’s goals, or wish you hadn’t buried your head in the sand.

Let’s not start the new year with a sense of overwhelm.

Here’s your permission slip to let go of what you thought things were going to be like and ease into the new year with baby steps that are achievable and attainable.

After struggling with the idea of adding to her plate every year, Dr. Litchy-Miller changed her mindset. Now she approaches each new year from an entirely different place. Instead of thinking about how to improve life by adding new routines or habits, she picks a few things to let go of – physical, social and emotional. All things are on the table: relationships, grief, or an old habit that no longer serves a purpose.

If this year, you are challenged to find a healthy way to ease into 2023, we have some tips that will leave you feeling empowered as you start the new year.

  • Lose the fad diets. Messaging tells us a new year is supposed to equal a new you. It makes you feel like you need to jump on the band wagon and try out the latest trends in order to keep up with the rest of the world. Especially when it comes to weight. That is not a sustainable and healthy way to address your body’s nutritional needs, though. We recommend a balanced approach to losing fat. Naturopathic medicine can help you improve the underlying factors that influence unhealthy fat, like: stress management, exercise, and sleep hygiene to name a few. In addition to suggesting a nutritional approach for your body that is geared towards you as an individual, you could also try our MIC (Methionine Inositol Choline) shots in the IV Clinic. They have been shown to help with metabolic function and fat loss in a healthy way that supplements your nutrition.
  • Let go of the gym membership you aren’t using. If going to the gym seems more like a task than a joy, it’s time to find something else to do. We’re not saying to stop moving your body. Exercise is shown to increase endorphins and is a great way to create health in both the mind and body. However, joyful movement is key. Find ways to exercise that increases your heart rate, creates muscle resistance, and that you can do several times a week. It doesn’t have to be the same activity each time. You might try: roller skating, dancing, skiing, rock climbing, or weight training. In addition to movement that feels invigorating, we offer a B12 shot that helps to detoxify your body and also supports increased energy.
  • Shake off the seasonal blues. Absent of the sun, our bodies need to find other ways of absorbing vitamin D. Vitamin D can regulate disease, help with mood, and support weight loss. In the winter months it can be hard to spend enough time outdoors to absorb vitamin D from the sun (our best source). One way to add vitamin D is nutritional – by eating cruciferous vegetables and mushrooms. The other way is through supplementation. Neighborhood Naturopathic offers vitamin D injections that help to fulfill your body’s vitamin D requirement faster than oral intake.

Think about letting go of things that drain your energy rather than having to fix or improve them. While there’s no need to replace what isn’t working, we can always help you find healthy alternatives. Lifestyle modifications are simple changes you can make that are within your control. Naturopathic medicine offers so many ways to get to the root of your symptoms and helps you eliminate the things that are hampering your health. Rather than starting the year off feeling behind about what you haven’t accomplished, why not let it go instead?

Neighborhood Naturopathic uses holistic and natural medicine, proven treatments and alternative therapies to help your body heal. If you live in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area and are curious about a naturopathic approach to your health or have questions about supplements, or IV Nutrient Therapy that might support your overall wellness, click here to schedule or call (612) 259-8529.

If you are interested in learning more ways that naturopathic medicine supports health and wellness in your life, sign up for our monthly newsletter where we give insider tips and tricks about living well.