Ragrets.

No, that’s not a typo. Please tell me you get the reference.

Anywho.

It’s January 1st…and you’ve got the hangover to end all hangovers. You think to yourself “well it’s a good thing I’m doing Dry January” or better yet “I’m NEVER drinking again.”

Sound familiar?

2022 is days away…and you know what a new year means. New year, new you, right? It’s the season of New Year’s Resolutions. I know there are many opinions on this New Year’s tradition. Some think New Year’s Resolutions are great; an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. Some think they’re a marketing ploy. Others think they are a fallacy which leads to disappointment and unmet goals.

The truth? The truth is…they’re all true. It just depends on YOUR mindset, and YOUR attitude. Personally, I can see all sides. I think marketers have a field day during this time of year. I also think that if there are things you want to change, it’s best to start with small actionable changes immediately instead of waiting for a big change at an arbitrary point in time. However, I also think the idea of a fresh start, a new season of hope, is a beautiful thing, and honestly can’t hurt.

So, if you want to make New Year’s Resolutions, girl have at it. Just hear me out first, so that you make the RIGHT ones.

Tis’ The Season

Christmas is this week!!! How is that even possible? I feel like just yesterday we were talking about how 2020 was **rough** and 2021 would be our year. Now, was it? I don’t know about you…but my 2021 felt like a bit of a 202o encore, so I’m not opposed to enjoying the holiday season with my loved ones and waving goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022 (I feel old).

A key part of this season for me (and just about everyone else who’s lucky enough to be able to do so) is traveling. Going home to see your parents? Taking a trip out of sunny South Florida to see some snow? Wherever your holiday travels are taking you, don’t forget to take care of yourself. As wonderful as traveling can be, it can also be quite stressful and take a toll on your mind and body.

Nuff said. Let’s get into how to travel in style…Wellness Style that is. **Mic drop**

Happy late Thanksgiving you turkeys! Hopefully you’ve recovered from your food comas…I know I (barely) have. Thanksgiving is great for many reasons; good food, an excuse to eat ridiculous amounts of it, good company, a couple days off of work to relish in your loved ones and fall weather (or beach weather for those of us in Florida). However, I think we’re all guilty of forgetting what the holiday is really about; gratitude.

Thanksgiving in the United States is technically meant to celebrate the harvest and other blessings of the past year, and originated in 1621. You can read all about the history at history.com (figures).

Suffice it to say that it is a popular holiday with a great message, and a bit of a controversial history.

While I’m not here to undermine the controversial history and the very valid sentiments behind it, I also do like the holiday for what it’s become. It’s history may be tainted, but the message of being thankful for everything the previous year has brought and for everything we have is worthy of a celebration in my book.

I believe Thanksgiving sets the scene for a whole season of gratitude. Don’t let the gratitude die after your leftovers do. Trust me, you’ll be glad you didn’t.

Turns out Grandma may have been on to something when she swore her knees could sense a cold front or rain coming. There is conflicting research on the subject, but I am a big believer in looking at both research, and anecdotal evidence. Some research finds no link between weather and pain, while other studies find that joint pain and weather changes have a positive correlation. Anyone who’s ever met any grandparents (or others with joint pain from things like arthritis) knows the anecdotal evidence is there. SO what do we know about the relationship between weather and pain?

Spooky Season Isn’t Just About Ghosts

October is not only the month of spookiness and pumpkins. There’s also a less fun theme to the month. October is dubbed as National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month. This makes sense when you consider that World Mental Health Day is October 10th, Mental Illness Awareness Week runs October 3-9th, and National Depression Screening Day is October 7th.

Does this seem like overkill?
Think again. There are far scarier things than ghosts and monsters to think about this month.

Halloween isn’t the healthiest holiday. Who are are we kidding, it’s a holiday mostly centered around CANDY…it’s generally not even remotely healthy, and may leave you feeling guilt-ridden after your 27th mini Twix. What do you say we break that cycle? Why don’t we have a fun AND healthy Halloween? Here are 4 ways to make that happen:

Have you ever had a goal so lofty you ended up doing nothing? Or a goal so small you put it off for what seemed like an unsensible amount of time? What’s the point of unnecessary deadlines? Why do people track their weight loss? All these questions relate back to one of my favorite concepts; SMART goals.

Like a good recipe a good goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based. The best part about the SMART goals concept is that it’s applicable to just about any area of your life that you’d like to make changes in. It’s a framework, and frameworks are meant to be built on. For our purposes, let’s talk about how SMART goals can be utilized to improve your health.

We Chiros deal with the spine. It’s our bread and butter. The spine is composed of 33 bones called vertebrae. SO you can imagine that we’re pretty invested in bone health. Most people reach peak bone mass by age 30, and after that you’re losing more than you gain. By age 40, you’re losing bone mass. Which means, the younger you are the more time you have to set yourself up for success. While we all eventually lose bone mass, the more you accumulate, when young, the better protected you are against osteoporosis and fractures.

Here’s a fact: wellness does not just mean you’re physically healthy. You know how when someone says “how are you?” you don’t reply “I’m in shape!”? What do you say instead? Probably “I’m great/good/fine”, or… “I’m well.” Because wellness, and BEING well is about more than just your cardiovascular health and your waistline.