New and Improved Health Challenge

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The sun is quickly setting on 2023. Shockingly there are 4 weeks left until our new and improved health challenge kickoff on January 2, 2024. 

Hopefully, each of you has been slowly incorporating healthy options from the Sweep into Fall post. If not, it is never too late. January is coming!!

For those of you who are new to the January challenge, these are a few of the benefits you can experience:

• Improved sleep
• Clearer skin
• Weight loss/inches
• Loss of belly fat
• Less fluid retention
• Less inflammation and joint pain

Diet is tied to so many health-related issues it is hard to list them all. If you are curious about which improvements you will see, then I highly encourage you to give January a try. You just might be pleasantly surprised at the changes that occur!

Previous challenges have featured a book and a defined length of time. This January challenge will be a little different than the previous challenges for various reasons.

Most of you already know that I have become a certified nutrition coach since our last challenge. 

I absolutely loved the coursework and it greatly impacted my thinking in a good way about individualizing diets and human behavior. That was a much needed addition to my arsenal! 

This change in thinking led me to make major changes to the structure of the January challenge. 

This challenge is all centered around YOU. 

Your needs, your goals, your likes and dislikes. 

Change #1 

No Book

What?? No book, you say. Nope. This is the January that starts to kick off your healthier 2024 not just one month. 

Why?

One of my friends asked why they should go sugar-free in January just to undo all the progress by going back to their old ways for the rest of the year. Yikes!!

It was such a depressing thought that this might be going through people’s minds. However once I started to think about it, I believe it even goes deeper than that.

Several of the participants of past challenges have experienced all sorts of health improvements that they marveled at. However, throughout the remainder of the year, I would hear them complaining that those same health issues were back.

My intention of incorporating you the client from the get-go is to help you create a new lifestyle that continues and becomes a permanent lifestyle change.

Wouldn’t it be great to not only see health improvements but also continue to build on them?!

Change #2 

Goal setting

What do you want to achieve? What are your health goals? What is your time frame to accomplish these goals?

Only you can answer these questions. 

Following a rigid set of rules and menus might lead to a dependence on someone else providing these for you. This challenge is all about empowering you to set your own rules.

Setting clear and measurable goals and seeing them attained provides a ton of motivation and sometimes that is exactly what we need to push through the tough times.

Again, you will be the driving force in deciding each step of your health journey. 

Change #3 

Individualization

Choose the foods you eat. Make your own menus. Utilize favorite recipes.

We will review food lists and you can select the foods you enjoy the most. The emphasis will be on choosing the foods that you are already comfortable eating and, of course, some encouragement on trying out a few new ones too.

Some people enjoy the rigidity of menus and you can certainly do that but some of you crave more flexibility. This challenge is meant to address both types of people.

In addition to personalized menus, you can opt to further individualize your nutritional decisions using the results of blood labs. 

Blood Work

There are so many useful blood markers that can help direct your health path. However, my goal is always to provide suggestions that give you the most bang for your buck.

Feel free to compare pricing to other online blood work labs. In my experience, Ulta Lab Test has the lowest prices and great sales which is why I chose to become an affiliate and in turn promote them. 🙂

Booking an appointment makes the whole process of going in for a blood draw super easy. It is advisable to book an appointment when you purchase your blood work since appointments for times before 8:30 book up early. 

Here is a link to the Ulta Lab Tests weekly promotions page in case you want to search for specific tests on your own and, of course, where you want to go to see the latest promotional codes for the greatest savings. 

The test choices can sometimes be overwhelming so I’ve listed a few individual tests below.

Highly Recommend:

Fasting Insulin and blood glucose (affiliate links)

If you have never had your insulin tested, I can’t stress enough how powerful this is. Insulin, in combination with your fasting blood glucose level, provides a lot of insight into your metabolic health. It seems like most doctors do not run this test but your doctor just might be the exception. 

Keep in mind that health is never defined by one singular blood marker. However, this test is packed with value for many reasons. 

***Always check the Ulta Lab Tests weekly promotions page for a discount code to save additional $$$.***

Recommend:

Vitamin D 

It should go without saying that before ordering any tests, make sure and check your health records. This is especially true for vitamin D since your doctor has probably already tested your vitamin D level at one time or another. 

hs-CRP

This test measures C-reactive protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation.

Homocysteine

This test can indicate a problem with your methylation cycle if the level is elevated.

There is also a test that combines the homocysteine and hs-CRP which is a little cheaper than purchasing the tests separately.

Above and beyond

There are countless tests available and even more panels that can test for nutrient deficiencies and go much deeper into revealing the mysteries of your metabolic health. The choices are literally mind-boggling!

Each of you will have a different level of curiosity and budget that dictates what is right for you. Always remember that health and wellness is never based on one single bloodmarker!

Ultimately your health is your responsibility.

DISCLAIMER: This website is for informational purposes. I am not a health practitioner and no information should be construed as personal medical advice or diagnosis.