Eight health resolutions

This year, adopt the following new year pledges and enjoy a healthy, happy 2007. There are 8 interesting resolutions:

Drink more water:
Drink a glass of water upon waking up to help flush out the toxins. Avoid drinking water during your meals as it dilutes the digestive enzymes and stay away from water an hour before bedtime.

Eat more fruits and vegetables:
If you can't imagine consuming so much vegetables and fruits in a day, try juicing. This way you only have to drink two glasses of juice instead of eating five bowls of greens.

Get adequate sleep:
The ideal number of sleeping hours to aim for is eight. Lack of sleep can affect your alertness, co-ordination and judgment. The less sleep you get, the more stressed you become. Make sure you didn't dine after nine and take a warm bath before bedtime to clear your mind of worries.

Try alternative therapies:
Traditional Chinese Medicine is practice of balance (yin and yang) in food and life. Use acuapunctureand moxibustion to release "blockages" and also take some sweet herbs to help boost energy circulation.

Exercise:
Cardiovascular workouts done daily for a minimum of 20 minutes will help to build strength and stamina. Running, swimming, cycling and climbing the stairs helps keep your heart rate up and your weight down.

Practise Yoga:
Yoga lead to emotional balance and thus physical and mental health. Each movement is designed to help specific parts of the body, eg. stretching the legs help prevent arthitis, bending the body using the abdominal muscles encourages fat burning while stretching the lower back muscles helps massage the kidney and prevent backache.

Everything in moderation:
Chocolate contains serotonin, the feel good hormone which helps fight depression and puts you in a good mood. come and enjoy chocolate... yummy!

Detox:
Our body needs to detox regularly to eliminate toxins that have built up over the week or months. Toxins tire out the body, deplete energey levels and clog up the digestive system. Detoxing means listening to your body and giving it what it needs - foods that are wholesome and nutritious, rest, relaxation, gentle massage. You'll feel renewed and ready to face the world.

Courtesy of Jeanine Liew, The Sun Malaysia