Greetings! I’m so excited to be joining the team at Lifestyles Magazine as their Health & Wellness contributor. As a Naturopathic Doctor I’ve been passionate for years about teaching preventative medicine and Healthy Living to individuals and families, but it’s also been an amazing journey in my own life as a Mother to three active children.
The concept of a ‘Healthy Life’ is such an ambiguous concept…what exactly is it, and can we ever achieve it? Well, it is my strong belief that the idea of a Healthy Life is different for all of us, and it’s something of a journey more so than a final destination. This is what I LOVE about being a Wellness Educator. The idea that Health is dynamic makes my job incredibly interesting. I have the privilege of working with individuals at different stages of their journeys, which means sharing a variety of tools, programs and strategies.
My approach with my patients (and in my own life) is to first create strong foundations for good health. It all starts with nutrition (my favourite topic). The old saying from Hippocrates – ‘let food be thy medicine, and medicine thy food’ is something I whole-heartedly subscribe to. What we feed our body determines the hormones we produce, the state of our mental health to a large extent, our immune system function and literally ‘what we are made of’. No amount of exercise, supplements or interventions are going to make a difference in someone that ignores their nutrition – so that’s where we start! Next I like to address things such as stress-management, fitness and daily routine. Once a person has a good grasp on these areas, we then do a lot of fine-tuning until they’ve reached their health goals (and then make new ones!).
In my own life I like to challenge myself to live at my healthiest every single day. This means constantly learning, staying curious and open to new information, and sometimes getting uncomfortable! After-all, growth of any kind ONLY happens when we push ourselves outside of our comfort zones and everyday routines. I try to set goals in different areas of my life – physical, mental and spiritual. I find that keeping that sort of balanced approach helps me move forward in an organic way.
So today I wanted share with you three tips for a ‘Healthy Life’ that I use on a daily basis to keep myself feeling great:
Three tips for a Healthy Life
1. Start your day with PROTEIN
I don’t care ‘when’ you break your fast, but do it with protein in mind – Eggs, smoothies or dinner leftovers are all great options. If you can squeeze some green leafy veggies into the mix, even better!
2. Schedule in the non-negotiable items that make you feel good
Just like you wouldn’t skip brushing your teeth, these are things that are important to YOU. For me this is my exercise – even if it’s just a 20 min. workout in the morning. I have realized that without that little boost (endorphin rush) in my day I don’t present the best version of myself to the world.
3. PLAN!
You know the saying – ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’. I like to think ahead and meal prep whenever possible so that I’m not scrambling to feed myself and my family good food. Even if it’s just having your proteins pre-made and having your veggies well stocked, it can make such a difference to your hectic week! For ideas on how to do a simple meal prep on a Sunday, you can check out my YouTube video here!
Dr. Anna Falkowski is a Naturopathic Doctor, Wellness Educator & Clinic Director at Vitality for Life Health Center in Barrie, Ontario with a specialty in Women’s Health, Weight-loss and Family Medicine. She is a healthy living advocate passionate about teaching classes and creating online programs for ‘Mom on the Glow’, her wellness blueprint for busy Moms. For more information you can visit www.vitalityforlife.ca or www.MomOnTheGlow.com
