1. Start the day with positive thoughts as soon as you open your eyes. Don’t put negative energy into your day before you even get out of bed. Always believe that you will persevere. For example say: Today, I will treat myself well.

Before you shower try:

2. Dry skin brushing: Using a natural bristle brush or loofah, make small light circles starting at your feet working towards heart. Continue from your fingertips to your heart area. Do this on bare skin, without water, and quickly. Dry skin brushing will take one minute once you make this a habit. The benefit of this practice is its ability to remove dead skin, allows for better gas exchange, increase venous return to the heart which helps varicose veins and most importantly, this increases lymph circulation which removes infections and boosts the immune system.

After washing in the shower try:

3. Contrast shower: End your shower with 1minute of water as hot as can handle followed by 30 seconds of as cold as you can handle. Repeat this 3 times. It’s the difference in temperature that has the therapeutic benefit. Contract showers increase circulation, help remove toxins, stimulates lymphatic circulation which improves your immune system and it wakes you up!

4. Good Food:

• Start your day with a glass of room temperature water with 1 tbsp of lemon juice in it upon rising. Lemon, a great source of Vitamin C, is a natural antimicrobial so it cleans and disinfects the inside of your body. Additionally, it stimulates the production of bile which is an important part of detoxification.

• Eat breakfast every morning. If time is sparse then bring it in the car if you have to. Try a smoothie, nuts and seeds, or organic protein bars. Try to keep healthy snacks in your brief case, the glove box, or desk drawer so when things get hectic you can still eat well.
• There is no perfect diet and you need to discover what works best for you.  Remember, you are what you eat. Everything you put in your mouth is broken down to make up the cells of you body. Food can be your best medicine or your greatest poison: you decide. Diet is also about cultural expectations, financial constraints, emotional well-being, and social activities. It is a gradual and life-time experimentation. Consider seeking help from your Naturopathic Doctor to find the eating plan that works best for you.

5. Move

Try to get up every hour throughout the day even if only for 30 seconds to prevent blood and lymph from stagnating. Try walking, stretching, jogging on the spot, yoga, or Tai Chi. While you’re at it try deep breathing through the nose. Make one of those movement breaks intense enough to bring on a good sweat for at least 15 minutes. This doesn’t need to be “exercise”. Chasing toddlers, moving furniture, cleaning windows…it all counts.

While reading or watching TV, try:

6. Castor Oil packs: Obtain a 9 by 9 inch piece of flannel, soak the flannel in castor oil and apply it over the liver area which is the upper right quadrant of abdomen. Place a plastic bag over top the flannel and a hot water bottle on top of that. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. This procedure promotes detoxification which increases energy, balances hormones and improves digestion.

7. Health Journal: Every day briefly write down entries under the following headings:

• Diet: Be aware of the food and drinks you choose each day by keeping a diet diary. You can’t make changes until know what you’re choosing now.
• Symptoms: Headache, fatigue, constipation etc.
• Emotions: Irritable, content, weepy etc.
• Dreams: Writing down your dreams improves your memory and gives you insight into your subconscious. You may want to write them down first thing in the morning when they are still fresh in your mind.
• Weather: You may find your symptoms improve or get worse when it rains or that you feel better in the sun. This is significant information and can give insight into your condition.
• This habit teaches you to become more aware of yourself and helps you identify patterns and changes in your well being. Realize the more information you have about your health the more accurate a diagnosis you will get so bring this health journal to your doctor’s appointments. Keep one for your children until they are old enough to do so themselves.

8. Prepare your bedroom for sleep. Good sleep is as important to your health as what you eat.

• Discard of clutter around your bed—hide it if necessary.
• Use bed only for sleeping and intimacy—no reading in bed.
• If you use your bedroom as an office or for studying, separate that part of room from the sleeping area use hanging dividers, sheets, or open shelves.

• Sleep in complete darkness. Studies have shown that women who sleep in completely dark rooms have better hormone balance. Darkness increases the release of melatonin to promote better sleep and more alert wake cycles. This means no light through the window, no night lights, and no alarm clock shining into your eyes.

Once in bed try:

9. Alternate nostril breathing:

• Plug the right nostril and take a deep breath lasting 4 seconds through the left nostril
• Hold for 16 seconds, or as long as you can without straining
• Unplug the right nostril and release for 8 seconds. Take another breath through the right nostril for the count of 4, hold for 16 seconds and release on the left for 8 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
• This will encourage nasal breathing which is important for respiratory health. Through this breathing exercise you can increase the secretion of melatonin, which is protective against cancer, reduces anxiety, promotes hormone balance and regulates day and night cycles.

10. End your day with gratitude

• Take at least 3 seconds to find one thing in your day to be thankful for. This is a great time to congratulate yourself on incorporating these new techniques into your routine.