When we think about getting back on track living a healthy lifestyle it can seem overwhelming. It’s hard to figure out just where to start and there are so many changes that we think we should be making. But sometimes the best place to start is with the small, simple changes. As we find success with these early steps we become more empowered to continue making positive changes. Here are five simple changes Functional Medicine expert Brian J. Rodgers in Bountiful recommends to begin your health journey through nutritional therapy.
Remove Toxic Relationships
Toxic relationships can cause stress in our life, which leads to increased levels of cortisol, which has a profound impact on our health. Toxic relationships can include friends, family, spouse, and even self. Consider seeing a therapist or taking steps to remove those relationships. You can do something about it:
Decide if there is hope, are both of you willing to change
Determine what the way out is – just walk away, limit interactions, legal closure
Examine what could be the possible end results which could include anger from the other person and your own freedom from stress
Eat More Vegetables
Improving our diet is as easy as adding more vegetables daily. Vegetables will improve your nutrition, aid in detoxification, and reduce inflammation in your body. Consult a nutritional therapist in Bountiful for specific guidelines and recommendations for vegetable intake. Some simple tips for improving your vegetable intake include:
Eat 5+ servings per day (2.5 cups)
Eat a variety of vegetables prepared in a variety of ways
Eat a rainbow of colors
Exercise – Start Where You’re At
We all know the importance of exercise but too often we think it has to be some large, grand workout program with high-tech equipment and done for long amounts of time each day. We get ourselves discouraged and don’t even start. The reality is, any increase in movement each day is going to benefit you. Consider hiring a nutritional therapist in Bountiful to help you with your exercising plan. Here are some things to keep in mind
Get evaluated by a physician before starting an exercise program
Find an exercise program you enjoy – walking, aerobics, yoga, strength training, etc.
Exercise as tolerated, start small and increase as you go
Take Nutritional Supplements
Our diets today don’t provide us with the amount of nutrients we need on a daily basis. When we are lacking nutrients, our bodies don’t function at an optimal level. While supplementation needs vary from person to person based on many health factors (visit a nutritional therapist for specific recommendations), there are some that most people can benefit from. These include:
Vitamin D3
Omega 3/6 oils
B-complex
Co-Q-10
Vitamin C
DIM
Maintain Hormone Balance
Many people over the age of 30 suffer from decreased hormone production and hormone imbalances. It’s important that you get in-depth testing of your adrenals, thyroid (including T4, free T3, reverse T3, total T3, and thyroid antibodies) and your sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, FSH/LH, SHBG, DHEA) by a physician or experienced nutritional therapist. In addition to get your levels checked, you can also improve hormone balance naturally with these steps:
Reduce Stress
Eat Clean
Regular Exercise
As with all diet, nutritional and lifestyle changes, you should consult a physician or nutritional therapist before you begin. At BodyRenu Health in Bountiful we offer functional medicine approaches to health. You can schedule a consultation with a therapist to discuss your particular health issues and work with our health team to establish and maintain a health plan that is individualized to you and your health goals.
BodyRenu Health takes a functional medicine approach to health and provides experienced nutritional therapists in Bountiful.
