Would you like to have more energy, feel better and even reverse a chronic illness?
By addressing the root causes of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, and more, you can significantly improve your overall well-being.
We all have an inner guidance system called intuition. Read through the list of key lifestyle habits and notice which one you feel most drawn to.
There’s a good chance you have already adopted one or more of these key lifestyle habits or you just need to be more consistent with them.
But maybe you are just one lifestyle habit away from feeling better and getting your life back.
Here are 11 Key Lifestyle Habits to review and adopt:
1. Nutrition and Diet
 Adopt an Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids), and whole grains. Discover specific recommendations for an Anti-Inflammatory Diet here. - Avoid Processed Foods: Reduce consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates, trans fats, and artificial additives because they weaken digestion, spike blood sugar levels, and speed up aging.
- Manage Food Sensitivities: Identify and eliminate trigger foods that exacerbate your symptoms (e.g., gluten, dairy, or nightshades). If you suspect you have Food Sensitivities identify trigger foods by keeping a food diary or undergo testing (e.g., IgG sensitivity tests) to pinpoint problem foods. Once you discover food sensitivities temporarily remove those foods and reintroduce them one at a time to identify reactions. If needed consult a specialist like a Functional Medicine practitioner or naturopath to address sensitivities and optimize your diet. Click here to learn more about Functional Medicine.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to support cellular function and detoxification. A general rule of thumb is to drink eight 8oz glasses of water per day.
- Intermittent Fasting: For some people, intermittent fasting can regulate blood sugar and improve metabolic health.
2. Physical Activity
 Regular Exercise: Engage in moderate activities like walking, swimming, or yoga to improve cardiovascular health and reduce inflammation. Aim to get 10,000 steps per day, which is approximately 5miles. - Strength Training: Build muscle to support metabolism, cognition, moods and bone health. Skeletal muscle is the organ of longevity. Maintaining and building skeletal muscle as you age is key to preventing injuries, dementia and obesity.
- Stretching and Mobility: Practice daily stretching or low-impact exercises like Pilates to maintain flexibility and reduce pain.
3. Sleep Hygiene
 Prioritize Quality Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to support immune function, hormone regulation, and overall healing.- Create a Sleep Routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily, and avoid screen time 1hr before bed.
- Optimize Your Sleep Environment: Keep your room dark, quiet, and cool for optimal rest.
4. Stress Management
 Mindfulness and Meditation: Reduce stress and promote relaxation through meditation, deep breathing, or mindfulness exercises. A simple exercise to reducing stress and feeling uplifted is Alternate Nostril Breathing. Click here to find out how to do Alternate Nostril Breathing.- Limit Chronic Stress: Identify stressors and set healthy boundaries to protect your mental and physical health. Often chronic stress is related to judging oneself and or others. If you notice yourself judging yourself and others, ask yourself the question, “What do I not like about myself/this person?” If your stress is about yourself, work on changing the pattern. If the stress/judgment is about someone else, what do you see in the person that you don’t like about yourself? Again, work on improving the pattern within yourself that you don’t like about the other person. For example, if someone’s laziness bothers you, focus on resolving any laziness patterns you may have.
- Gratitude Practices: Focus on positive aspects of your life to shift your mindset and reduce anxiety. Pick one day per week and think about 5 things you are grateful for from the previous week and write them down.
5. Emotional Well-Being
 Address Emotional Trauma: Work with a therapist or counselor to process unresolved emotions or past traumas so it no longer steals your energy.
Build Support Networks: Foster relationships with family, friends, or support groups who understand your condition. This can be truly life altering a such a positive way.
Practice Self-Love: Develop compassion for yourself and embrace self-care routines. Join the upcoming Love Accelerator Workshops starting Feb 1 to help yourself with this.
6. Environmental Awareness
- Reduce Toxin Exposure: Minimize exposure to environmental toxins by using clean, non-toxic household products and avoiding pesticides. This often flies under the radar for many people with chronic illness because it’s usually a slow, regular accumulation of toxins that are hard to link to poor health. However, once they are reduced, removed and detoxified the person with chronic illness starts healing.
- Air and Water Quality: Invest in air purifiers and water filters to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals.
7. Functional Medicine Practices
8. Energy Healing and Relaxation
 Energy Practices: Engage in Reiki, acupuncture, or other energy healing modalities to promote balance and stimulate healing. This form of healing has been lifechanging for millions of people. Find out more about Energy Healing Sessions here.- Breathwork: Practice techniques like diaphragmatic breathing to calm the nervous system and improve oxygen flow.
9. Routine Medical Care
- Regular Check-Ups: Stay proactive by scheduling routine appointments to monitor your condition. Bare minimum you should be getting annual bloodwork to check your body’s internal stasis.
- Collaborative Care: Work with a multidisciplinary team (functional medicine doctors, nutritionists, therapists) for comprehensive support.
10. Mindset and Purpose
11. Limit Harmful Substances
- Avoid Smoking: Smoking contributes to inflammation and worsens many chronic conditions.
- Reduce Alcohol Consumption: Limit alcohol intake to prevent additional strain on the liver, immune system and age acceleration.
By incorporating these habits into your daily life, you can create a holistic framework to support healing and manage chronic illnesses effectively.
Let me know in the comments if you’d like a specific plan or further details on any of these strategies!
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Targeted Supplements: Work with a healthcare provider to identify deficiencies and incorporate supplements like vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3s, or probiotics. You can be suffering from nutritional deficiencies or imbalances and not even know. 
Adopt a Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. If you are someone that gets bored or depressed easily, this is a sign that you need to grow, learn a new skill, meet new people and move out of your comfort zone. There are 5 common reasons why a person gets stuck. 
