IN THIS NEW YEAR, many people choose to drastically change their lifestyle with only all of their hopes to come crashing to the ground. Are you one of these people? You don’t have to be. Valeo Health and Wellness is coming along side you to support you along your New Year’s Resolutions. This year we have chosen to help people through a cleanse, and here are Valeo’s 5 question to guild you through YOUR cleanse before you start.
1) Why in the World Are You Doing A Cleanse???
A few years ago I was working with one of my patients who had pain in her low back, and her whole lifestyle had to change because of it. I tried to bring a little joy and humor to the conversation as I played “devil’s advocate” for a moment and asked her, “Why do you want to get rid of this low back pain?” It had the opposite effect as she responded in tears, “I want to be able to bend over to pick up my 3-month-old granddaughter.” She answered from her heart, and this back pain was stopping her being close with her granddaughter. She was very motivated to get healthy. What’s your reason WHY for getting healthy? Are you wanting to get healthy for the sake of getting healthy? Or do you have a much deeper PURPOSE for getting healthy? What I suggest is playing “devil’s advocate” with yourself, and ask yourself “WHY do I want to get healthy?” When you truly are able to answer that question, there isn’t much going to stop you from achieving health.
2) Who Are You Telling?
The people around us have two effects on our health. They will either build our health up or tear it down, and unfortunately, the people that agree and disagree with your health decisions CAN tear it down. Simply agreeing with a person does NOT mean they will support you in your adventure towards health and through a cleanse. We see this all across social media where people will post great goals, and people will comment and like the post except no one will keep them accountable to the original post. The same thing happens in-person. Yes, you do need to get support around you, but who will give you the most support and accountability in this adventure?
3) Do You Have S.M.A.R.T. Goals?
By placing goals through this cleanse, it is able to give you a road map along your journey. “A road map will let you know where you are and where you are going” – John Maxwell. With the Clearvite cleanse, there is a finish line which is at end of the 21st day, but to get there, you will need goals along the way. There are a couple of reasons why goals are important. The first is that it helps direct you towards success and the end of the cleanse. The second is that it helps motivate you to push forwards. There’s actually a physiological change that happens when you complete a goal. It lifts your mood and encourages you to complete another goal. And I encourage people to make S.M.A.R.T. goals, and S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant , and Time. Here is a goal that I made for myself. “On Saturday afternoons, I will plan my meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack) for the next week.” It has all of the parts of the SMART acronym in it. An example of a bad goal is “I will eat healthy.” This goal is vague, not helpful, and it doesn’t give you a direction. Having goals are essential for success with any cleanse.
4) Are You Prepared?
“The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;” Proverbs 24:25. In the Bible in book of Proverbs (which is known for wisdom) considers ants as something that exceeds in wisdom. WHY? They are always busily working and preparing for harder times – like winter. They prepare when things are easy. So when harder times come around, they have the means and resources to get through them. You should do the same during a cleanse. Start preparing even before you begin the cleanse. Decide what your going to eat; when you are to eat or when not to eat; what supplements you should take during the cleanse. And once you get to a moment that might be challenging, all the preparation will be helpful for you to charge forwards. Be like the ant and prepare.
5) Have You Surrounded Yourself with Inspiration?
Passion and inspiration is contagious. Many people surround them selves with negative reminders that create road-blocks, or they have “Debby-downers” if their life that show them all “down sides” to what they are doing. This makes any lifestyle change difficult even if it is a temporary change like a cleanse. This can make any small challenge during the cleanse seem like Mount Everest. What you need to do is continually remind your of your reason “WHY” (from tip 1). Put up pictures of loved ones; hang motivational quotes; listen to podcasts, motivational videos, and people who have accomplished what you are trying to achieve; anything to keeping your focus on success.
We, at Valeo, are by your side while you go through this adventure towards health. God bless.
