Let’s be honest. Did you push it with work and family responsibilities, again, in 2012 and engage in little self-care?  Our performance-oriented lifestyles would exhaust Superman! Let’s all pledge in 2013 to do a little more TLC – tender loving care, that is – to those bodies and minds. A little nurturing can go a long way.

TLC health tips:

• Eat real, eat natural. Examine your diet and ask yourself, “Is the food I’m eating as pure and unadulterated as I can get? Is it in natural form from the good earth?” Slow down on manufactured, hyper-engineered food and move to a healthier, natural diet abundant in plant foods, ideally grown locally. Find recipes with simple, natural ingredients and commit to reacquaint yourself with your kitchen. Read any of Michael Pollen’s books about the intersection of nature and culture to get the fever on eating real.

• Move every day, even if it’s for only 10 minutes at a time. Log in 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity, such as brisk walking, along with two muscle strengthening activities each week. Short on time? Read the latest on high intensity training in which you alternate high and low intensity moves.  While the physical effects of exercise are amazing, I’ve heard that 90 percent of the benefits of exercise are above the shoulders. Exercise can help lower anxiety, stress and depression, give you more energy and help you sleep better. Check out the Centers for Disease Control website about physical activity to learn about the importance of exercise.

• Be mindful.  Practice present-moment awareness and acceptance of what’s happening with kindness, openness and curiosity.  Often we are distracted by the noise and life’s demands. It’s so easy to be in reaction mode and feel numb as our lives go whizzing by.  We aren’t truly savoring the magic of the moment or being fully present. Mindfulness brings your mind and body into balance, which will help you live more fully in the here and now and fill your reservoir with tools to help you handle life’s challenges. Mindfulness-based stress reduction training can help you deal with chronic pain, anxiety disorders, depression and symptoms of debilitating diseases. Mindful eating training can help you learn to let go of habitual patterns of eating, melt away extra pounds and reduce stress associated with carrying extra weight. Mindfulness training is a well-researched, medical based program gaining momentum and experiencing remarkable success worldwide.

Are you taking care of yourself?  Any New Year’s resolutions you’d like to share that will advance your health and well-being?  Begin your journey to live purposefully and holistically. Until next time, here’s to a healthy and happy 2013 filled with much TLC!