With the start of every New Year, many aspire to be healthier. Here are some tips from the American Chiropractic Association on how you can tweak your lifestyle and nutrition to align with your health goals. 

Nutrition:

- Reduce or eliminate sugar. Specifically eliminate granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and processed foods that contain it. This will prevent weight gain, balance mood, and reduce the risk for diabetes and heart disease.

- Drink water. And lots of it! Fruits and vegetables that contain a high liquid concentration (and are low in sugar) can help with hydration as well.

- Check your iron and B12 levels annually. They have a strong correlation to fatigue and anemia. 

- Choose organic. Organic fruits and vegetables are proven to contain drastically less toxic chemicals, such as pesticides and heavy metals, as their conventionally grown counterparts.

Lifestyle:

- Sleep enough. Aim for 6-8 hours a night and when possible, sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs. Adequate rest also balances mood and reduces stress hormones.

- Bring your lunch. Most prepared restaurant food is high in hydrogenated oil, sugar, and salt. When you pack your lunch, you can control your nutrition and probably save a few bucks!

- Stop smoking. Research shows that smokers suffer from back pain more than non-smokers so if you smoke, just quit.

- Be mindful. Research shows that a daily practice of yoga, meditation, or even just journaling will reduce stress levels and chronic back pain.

More tips and the reference article can be found here.