New Year's Resolution Archives - Dr. Stephanie Davis

Happy January!! Last year was quite the crazy year so I’m glad we’re entering a new one. It’s always nice to have a clean slate 🙂

If you’ve followed me for the last couple of years you probably know I’m not married to the idea of resolutions. If you do them- great, if not, that’s great too. I personally like to set intentions for each day/week/month. I also like setting small goals in order to reach big ones.

Along those lines… I actually just got over a wicked cold (probably the worst one of my life) and I’m feeling quite grateful just to have oxygen really flowing through my nose!!! The little things, right! But, the big thing for me was the wake up call and the fact that I need to really dial it in on my health.

I know I was vulnerable because I had quite a bit of stress in the last portion of the year between work related travel, moving to a new state, and daily life. It’s these reminders (like getting really sick) that make me constantly aware of the need to pay attention to what our bodies are telling us and take care of ourselves.

So…my intentions for this year are to truly focus on my health. I did some testing and found I have a higher than desired viral load and my immune system is sluggish. That was goal #1 for me- actually doing the testing. I’ve gotten the supplements and I’m also doing IV nutrients and Heart Math to put those viruses in their place. Each day committing to these steps and practices to get better are my intentions.

On that note, I was thinking about what I wanted to leave you with as 2019 begins. I wanted to leave you with a gift. I’m frequently asked about my favorite things. I’m going to give you some of the things I use to keep my family’s health up and toxin load down.

1. Easy, natural cleaning basics. Dr. Bronner’s Soap, white vinegar, 3% hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda will give you amazing cleaning power for the vast majority of your needs. Bon Ami and Borax are also good. Added bonus, most of these can be helpful if you have an skin issues like eczema (NOT the Bon Ami)!

2. More natural skin care and personal care. Acure, which is widely available now (even at Target) has complete facial care, body care and hair care products at a great price point. My splurge is Intelligent Nutrients skin care because they make amazing products but they are pricey. I only buy them on sale when they are seriously discounted. For my husband I like Dirty Knees lotion in Minnesota Woods scent which I also try to get on sale.

3. Paleo Valley snacks, supplements, and bone broth protein. I really love these guys- over the years we’ve become friends because we have similar values- we want to make the world a better place through healthy choices and sustainability. We all want our kids to have a healthier tomorrow because it is not looking good for their generation thus far. In my house we love the Grass Fed Beef Sticks and Pastured Turkey sticks as snacks. I love their food based Vitamin C, Grass Fed Organ Complex, and Grass Fed Bone Broth Protein for healing (I’m actually using all 3 in my own healing protocol right now). They have some of the cleanest products on the market.

Happy 2019 to you all! Wishing you and your families a very healthy, prosperous, and joyful year.

We can thank the ancient Babylonians for the practice of making resolutions as we enter each new year. ?The flooding of the Nile river (which was actually in March) symbolized the beginning of a new harvest season and they vowed to the gods to repay debts and return borrowed items in hopes of having a fertile and prosperous year. Eventually the Romans changed the calendar and January 1^st became the start of the new year. Though the date has changed, for over 4,000 years humans across the globe have been making resolutions with the promise of a clean slate and new beginnings. There?s a problem with this process though- most people fail to meet their goal, making them a joke to some people and a purely negative experience for others.

Here are 7 easy steps to help you successfully achieve your New Year?s Resolution:

Pick a goal you know is manageable and you?ll have success achieving. Weight loss is a very common resolution, but how you go about achieving it will set you up for failure or success. If you know you won?t be able to lose 20 pounds in 3 months, don?t choose it. Instead, make your goal to lose 10 pounds in 3 months. If you lose more, that?s a bonus (and hopefully you will have established some new, healthy habits along the way too).
Clearly define your goal and make it measurable. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds in 3 months, aim for losing one pound per week. This will set you up for success and give you something to track weekly.
Set action steps and track your progress. Weight loss is 90% about diet so plan out how you?re going to change your diet and plan out your meals each week. Eliminating anything processed and eating whole foods is a good place to start. Increasing your lean proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables, while reducing sugars (even from fruit) works well for most people. Incorporating exercise, stress reduction, and good sleep habits will further ensure success, so these can be steps in you process too.
Tell others about your goal to keep yourself accountable. Post it on social media or tell your friends and family. You can post updates and pictures to track progress and let them cheer you on.
Enlist the help of others that have been successful before you or those that will support you on your journey. If you have a family member or friend that has a similar goal, you can help each other through the process since we are typically more successful when we have a buddy. Alternatively, use a coach or a trained professional to help you reach your goal. They will have a plan and built in metrics to track your progress, as well as invaluable information when you encounter plateaus and obstacles on your journey.
Give yourself small rewards as you reach milestones. If you want to lose one pound per week for 3 months, give yourself a small reward at the end of each of the 3 months.
Celebrate once you achieve your goal! Be proud when you’ve kept your resolution and keep up the good work. At this point your lifestyle changes should?ve become habit. Contrary to the commonly held belief that it takes 21 days to form a new habit, research now suggests it is more like 66 days. The truth is that it?s different for all people and it is probably somewhere between 21-66 days.

If you habitually start a resolution and give up, maybe you shouldn?t make one. This way you?re not setting yourself up for failure and you won?t feel defeated. It?s perfectly fine not to have one. In fact, not setting a resolution might be liberating for you. When you decide to make a change or want to reach a goal, you can do it when you are ready. There?s no rule that says it has to be on January 1^st or even at the beginning of the year. Have a wonderful new year whether you chose to have a resolution or not!

Intentions for the New Year

7 Steps to Make Your Resolution Stick (or Just Don?t Make One at All)