At this time of the year, I like to switch gears a bit, and tell you not just how to “thrive in health and wellness,” as I like to put it. In addition, I’ll remind you why that should be a priority in your new year’s resolutions and throughout your life.

Let’s set a goal

First, let’s agree that the coming year will be … the year.

The year you do everything you can to make your health the best it’s ever been. The year you best even your previous personal best—more exercise, a more careful, selective diet, more meditation, yoga, t’ai chi or whatever un-stressor you practice.

Make these and any other resolutions—and I’ll try my best to help you keep every one.  Because I want you to enjoy the everyday, all-year, lifelong benefits that boatloads of studies have proven can lead to:

• Longer life
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of stress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

In short, your resolution to thrive in health and wellness can mean nothing less than the gift of a longer, healthier, happier life.

But you must always understand that the giver of this gift … is you.  So you don’t just “make” resolutions. You live them. Every day, every night, every meal, every minute on your feet instead of on your couch.

I can give you all the how-to’s you need, but I can’t shop or cook for you, meditate or exercise for you, or tell you when it’s time to go to bed.

It’s all on you—with a little help from your friends.

You’re part of a team

Always remember that your good health isn’t just for you. It’s also for your family, your friends, your caregivers—your team.

When you’re healthy, they’re as happy as you are.  Especially if you depend on them for care, your team members are thrilled when you’re feeling and doing your best. Every step you take toward better health, in fact, improves the health of your entire team.

I like to consider myself a member of your team—not up close, but very personal. I can assure you that your good health does indeed affect mine.  Every time I see a patient taking charge of his or her health—and improving—I’m literally all smiles.

That’s very good medicine.

Michael’s story

My patient Michael was a superb guitarist with all of rock and roll’s worst habits. Smoking and drinking—hard.  Junk food—often.  Sleep habits—none. Exercise—none.

Only in his 50s, and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), he was able to play only an hour or two each day.  His joint pain sometimes made even walking excruciatingly painful.

The Big Pharma meds he was taking were obviously not effective—but still so expensive that he considered selling his house to continue them.

I decided to begin working with Michael on improving his diet.  We saw good results after just a month of healthy meals. So we worked to undo his other unhealthy ways.

After six months, he had quit smoking and drinking, maintained his healthy diet, started regular exercise, and learned to meditate. He was taking vitamin D3, an omega-3 oil, and probiotics. His RA symptoms were fading, and by his one-year anniversary, Michael had zero symptoms and was off all RA medications.

Michael nailed it when he said “Change is hard, but being sick is much harder.”

Healing patients is one of my greatest joys. Seeing the dramatic turnaround in Michael’s health, and that of other patients who come to me feeling “hopeless” in their situations, only to experience a profound turnaround, fills me with satisfaction.

So please do consider me part of your team. Together, we can make your new year the year.

Now for some how-to advisories.

Your today drives your tomorrow

It’s not just technology that’s given us revealing insights into how to be healthy. Research has proven the links between today’s unhealthy behavior and tomorrow’s worst health problems.

The good news is that today’s best health-enhancing practices are all within your reach.  All it takes is your own serious resolve and your team’s support—including mine, which you will have 100 percent.

Resolve to make a few lifestyle changes, with the help of your team, and 2017 will be the year.

Give us both something to smile about. What I’d like you to do is share your resolutions and your progress with me. Just an email describing your plan to make this the year—to not just change, but to truly, joyfully thrive in health and wellness.   Let me know how you’re doing and your positive results. I’ll follow up with a letter sharing the best, most inspiring stories I receive.

Meanwhile, you can find “how-to” details on all of my recommended essential health practices in my e-book Pillars of Health, with my complete 8-point plan to thrive in health and wellness.  Please accept it as my gift.

I’ve also collected my favorite recipes in my Newport Natural Health Cookbook. It’s 70 pages of healthy, delicious eating—for everyone. It’s also yours free.

If you think staying this course will be difficult, you now know what to do—self-talk your way to a healthier, happier year!

Happy the year!

References

• “Understand Your Stress: Acute Vs. Chronic Stress” Centre For Study On Human Stress. Published NA. Last accessed November 4, 2016.
• ” Glass half empty or half full? The answer could be related to stress reactivity in aging” Centre for Study on Human Stress. April 7, 2016. Last accessed November 4, 2016.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. “Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior” Mayo Clinic. Published NA. Last accessed November 3, 2016.
• Dispenza, Joe. “Dr Joe Dispenza- TED Talks with Dr Joe Dispenza” Feb 8, 2013. Last accessed November 5, 2016.

Last Updated: August 16, 2018
Originally Published: December 30, 2016