Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard and it doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are some simple tips that are the foundation of any healthy eating plan. (A more in depth discussion of each tip can be read by clicking the “Read More…” links as they are posted.)

Tip #1: Eat 3 healthy, well-rounded meals per day
Eating at regular intervals throughout the day is the healthiest way of fueling your body. It helps your metabolism firing properly and it helps curb your hunger pangs so you don’t show up to a meal ravenous, causing you to overeat.

Tip #2: Eat portion sizes at each meal that are moderate and satisfying
Today’s “Supersize Me” culture offers us WAY to much food at each meal. Keep your serving sizes small. If you still feel hungry after finishing them, wait a few minutes. If you still feel hungry after 10 minutes, then go get some more. But sometimes it takes a few minutes for you to feel full.

Tip #3: Know the appropriate number of calories you should eat per day
The amount of calories per day you need to be healthy depends on a lot of different factors including your age, your body size and your health goals. You can enter in your information to find out your calorie goal at www.MayoClinic.com, www.DailyBurn.com or www.Livestrong.com

Tip #4: Take nutritional supplements daily
Even if you ate all organic meats, fruits and vegetables, in the right amounts, right proportions and the right times, you would still need to take a supplement for your body to get all of the nutrients it needs to be healthy. I will cover supplementation in later articles, but for now make sure you are taking, at the very least, a high-quality multivitamin, Omega 3 fish oils and Vitamin D3 every day.

Tip #5: Drink at least 64 ounces of water every day
Your body can go weeks without food, you can only go days without water. And while most of us get water on a daily basis through the foods we eat (the moisture in the fruits and vegetables and even the meat we eat), the fact is that most of us are chronically dehydrated. Start with one extra glass of water today and slowly build up to where you’re drinking at least 8 glasses a day.

Tip #6: Eat at least 6-8 servings of fresh fruits and vegetable every day
It take a lot more than just one apple a day to keep the doctor away. Eat lots of fresh, brightly colored, tasty fruits and vegetables each and every day to give your body the nutrients and fiber it needs.

Tip #7: Eat only natural foods (without artificial sweeteners or preservatives)
The chemical additives in processed foods might make it look prettier and last longer, but they are toxic to your body. Synthetic chemicals don’t belong in our food and don’t belong in our body.

Tip #8: Limit the amounts of refined sugar in your weekly diet
Refined white sugar acts as a neuroexcitotoxin in your brain. Sugar is a stimulant and it becomes very addictive. If you have a sweet tooth, try using Sugar in the Raw instead or better yet, Stevia, to sweeten things up for you.

Tip #9: Limit your caffeine intake and alcohol consumption to moderate amounts
If you are caffeine sensitive or have problems with alcohol, obviously, these are not for you. But caffeine and alcohol can be enjoyed healthily as long as you don’t over do it.

Tip #10: Don’t snack excessively or unnecessarily at any time during the day
Snacking can be used in between meals to keep your metabolism going in a healthy way. But stick to healthy foods and do not eat too much of a snack and do not snack just because you’re bored (a major source of excess calories comes from emotional eating).

Pick a few of these simple guidelines to implement into your eating habits and then add a few more later on. You’ll be happy you did (and healthier too!).

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*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.

So, if your body is your vehicle to move through life (read What Kind of Vehicle Do You Live In?), then the food you eat is the fuel that powers your vehicle. It’s important to Move Well in order to keep your engine running well. And it’s important to Eat Well in order to give you the energy you need to keep your vehicle powered and ready to go, ready to do the things you want to do.

The foods you eat provide your body the building blocks it needs to repair injuries, to replace old cells with new ones and to fight disease and infection… generally, to build and maintain all of your body’s cells, tissues and organs.

Your body’s digestive system is an amazingly complex and powerful system that elegantly transforms the foods you eat into the living, breathing, healthy YOU. Think about the last meal you ate and consider that your body is converting that food right now into the components of your body. It’s using carbs to fuel your brain and to fuel all the inner workings of all of your cells. It’s using fats to rebuild cell wall. It’s using protein to rebuild and grow your muscles.

You are what you eat!

So… are you coffee and donuts? Or are you whole grains and fruits? Which do you think your body would prefer to use to rebuild and repair itself? Candy bars and ice cream? Or oranges and apples?

Which do you think would be a better source of fuel for your Masarati? Hamburgers and French fries? Or lean meats and salads?

The answers to each of these questions seem pretty obvious when presented that way don’t they? But most of the time, we don’t think about making food choices in terms of the energy and health it would bring us. Instead, we make food choices based on cravings and the conveniences we feel we need to indulge in at that moment. We have gotten so far away from our innate, natural eating tendencies that we’re literally making ourselves sick with the foods we eat.

4 of the top 5 leading causes of death in this country are largely “diseases of the fork”. Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes and Cancer are all diseases that kill millions of people every year and each are killers that can be easily prevented with simple, proven eating habits.

But food is also meant to be enjoyed. Don’t think that to eat healthy that you have to eat boring or that you have to deprive yourself of the foods you love. Don’t think that you can never have ice cream again or pizza again or a glass of cabernet again. NO WAY! Food is meant to be enjoyed! Why else would all of those foods taste so good, right?

So with any healthy eating program you adopt, I always recommend that you never completely eliminate something you feel is unhealthy for you from your diet. Rather, I recommend add in lots of healthy foods and healthy eating habits so that you can enjoy more moderate amounts of the foods that you feel are unhealthy for you.

But pay attention to that statement…I didn’t just say, “so you can enjoy more… of those unhealthy foods”
I said “so you can enjoy more moderate amounts of those foods!”

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*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.

There are 3 types of exercise and each one is essential for your body to be fully healthy: Cardiovascular, Strength-building and Stretching exercise.

The second type of exercise is strength-building exercise. This is the type of exercise where you do resistance training or lift weights.

Have you heard the phrase, “Use it or loose it” ? Well, this principle is true for many aspects of your body’s functioning and is especially true for your muscles. Without exercising them, you can loose up to 5% of your muscle mass, every 10 years.

But think for a moment about people that don’t exercise at all for years and years on end. Their weight doesn’t go down 5% every 10 years does it? No, it goes up and up and up every year.

Well, that’s because their muscle mass is actually being replaced with fat. And since muscle weighs more than fat, their body fat percentage is going way up even if they are managing to keep the scale on the same number.

But the good news is, with regular strength workouts, they can get that muscle mass all back in a matter of just a few months.

Here’s another thing for you to think about: For every pound of fat you trade in for a pound of muscle, not only are you going to look better and feel better, but you’re also going to be able to burn more calories, even while you’re sitting around!

That’s because muscle tissue actually burns its own calories to keep itself alive, whereas fat doesn’t. That means the more muscle you have in your body, the more calories you’re going to burn every minute throughout the day. Whether you’re working out or not.

And the “use it or loose it” principle also applies to your bones as well.

The best way to maintain healthy bone density throughout your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond is weight bearing exercise. Lifting weights or doing some other type resistance exercise also stimulates the bones to lay down more calcium so it can better resist the load that you’re placing on them. Healthy bone density is important for everyone, but especially if you’re worried about osteoporosis or osteopenia, so if you’re concerned with loosing bone density, weight bearing exercise should definitely be a part of your exercise routine.

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*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.

There are 3 types of exercise and each one is essential for your body to be fully healthy: Cardiovascular, Strength-building and Stretching exercise.

The first type of exercise is Cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it there for a sustained period of time. Examples are walking, running, biking, swimming, or working out on a StairMaster, elliptical, or treadmill machine.

Performing regular cardiovascular exercise strengthens and tones the muscles of your arms and legs and of course, burns lots of calories to help with weight control.

But have you thought about this? Regularly getting your heart pumping strengthens the muscles of your heart and tones your arteries as well. Not only does it enhance your immune system like I’ve talked about before, but it also reduces stress and boosts brainpower too.

Cardio helps reduce stress because you’re physically burning it out of your system every time you exercise. Stress causes your muscles to tighten. You’ve felt that when you’ve gone into the “Fight-or-Flight” Response. That tension is relieved when you work out those chronically tight muscles. Also, neurologically, there is a relaxation response that is triggered after exercise that further allows the muscles to soften and release the stress and tension you were carrying before your workout.

Studies also show that all of the movement you’re doing provides massive stimulation to your brain which helps keep it healthy and alive as well. There are nerve receptors in your joints called mechano-receptors which feed information up to your brain about how the joint is moving and where it is in space. Mechano-receptors are how you can tell, if your knee is bent or straight or if your head is tilted to your ear or turned slightly to one side. Even if you’re eyes are closed and you can’t see it, these receptors allow you to feel it and know what’s going on in your body.

When you get your whole body moving, tons of information is sent up to your brain telling it everything you’re doing in your exercise. Your brain loves this stimulation and needs it to keep functioning properly and functioning at its best. This is why after a workout, so often you might suddenly find the answer to a problem you’ve been having. Or you might find it easier to sit back down to tackle a task you’ve been working on. This is because your brain and your mind feel clearer and sharper.

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*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.

You don’t want to be left out, sitting on the sidelines, while your family and friends are doing fun and exciting things, do you?

You don’t want to miss out on joining in on the next beautiful hike on the nature trail with everyone on your next family vacation, because your body hurts and aches too much, do you?

You don’t want to miss out on taking in the gorgeous view of the cityscape because you’re not in shape enough to climb the staircases and the elevator is out-of-order, do you?

You don’t want to miss out on playing with your kids or your grandkids for as long as you’d like too, let alone as long as they would like you to, because you’re too stiff, too sore, too run down and too slow to keep up with them, do you?

Of course you don’t.

And if you have missed out on activities like these in the past, then you know how not taking care of your vehicle properly, can severely limit your enjoyment in life.

A simple, consistent exercise program will allow you to participate in all of these things and more.

You just gotta get moving.

Your body is designed to move. It’s designed to bend, to twist, to lift, to walk, to run…it’s designed to be USED!

Your body’s health depends on movement.

Every time you move and contract your muscles, it helps pump the fluids throughout your body. It helps your blood get pumped back to your heart through your veins. Your venous system is largely a passive system. Your arteries are what carry blood from your beating heart out to your body and your veins are the vessels that bring the blood back to your heart.

I’m sure you’ve heard of “varicose veins”. Varicose veins are those dark lines you see on people’s legs. In rare instances, they can be dangerous, but mostly they are just unsightly.

But they happen in people that are usually standing on their feet for long periods of time, without moving around much. Imagine a bank teller, or a grocery store checker or a teacher in front of a classroom standing for hours and hours at work.

The discoloration you see on the skin is actually burst blood vessels. If there isn’t enough muscle contraction in the form of movement to help pump the blood from the feet, back up to the heart, eventually, the veins give out, they burst, and you get varicose veins.

So every time you exercise, think of how you’re helping your heart and your veins.

Your Lymphatic fluid is also moved through your body with muscle contraction. The Lymphatic system is part of your Immune system. Lymph is a fluid in your body that contains lots of immune system cells that help fight bacteria and viruses and detoxify your body. But unlike the white blood cells that are moved around your body by the beating of your heart, these immune cells can only do their job if they are moved around your body through exercise, stretching or other forms of physical movement.

Your joints need movement as well to stay healthy. Your joints are filled with Synovial fluid, which protects and nourishes your cartilage. Your joints need to be moved to pump nutrients into the synovial fluid and to pump wastes out.

This is largely where arthritis comes from. Besides a traumatic injury or a genetic disorder, arthritis occurs when the joint isn’t able to move properly for long periods of time. Inflammation builds up, and starts to destroy the very cartilage the synovial fluid is designed to protect.

It’s a myth that if you use your joints too much you’ll get arthritis. It is true that if you use your joint improperly or if the joint is misaligned and it’s used that way too much, you can get arthritis. But don’t think that by not exercising and not using your joints, that you’re going to save yourself from arthritis. The opposite is actually true.

Your spinal discs and your spine also need movement for the same reason, because they have no direct blood supply either. So many areas of your body rely on this pumping mechanism for their health.

Think of it like squeezing a sponge that’s full of water. By squeezing the sponge in your hand, you push the water out. When you relax your hand and allow the sponge to expand, the sponge can absorb new water. This is how your body uses movement to get nutrients in and wastes out.

So you can see now how important moving your body and exercising regularly is – not just for loosing weight and building strong muscles, but for keeping your heart, your arteries and your veins healthy, for keeping your joints and cartilage and spine healthy, as well as keeping your immune system healthy.

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*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.

All of the information in the world about HOW to exercise won’t do you any long term good, if you don’t first understand WHY you want to exercise and WHAT you want to get out of it.

Getting a clearer picture of the benefits you’ll get out of exercising well is the best way I know how for you find the inspiration that will get you out there moving your body, and even more importantly, the motivation to keep you moving your body, everyday, so you can continue enjoy all these benefits.

Let’s start with one simple, basic, concept: Your body is the vehicle that you’ve been given to enjoy life in. It’s literally, what you use to move around in the world.

I’m not saying that your body is a machine. I am in no way supporting the medical model’s mechanistic view of the body.

What I am saying is, metaphorically, your body is your vehicle to move through the world and learn and laugh and play and work and experience and enjoy all that life has to offer. So, doesn’t it make sense that you’d want your vehicle to function the very best it can?

Don’t you want your body to be like a finely tuned sports car? One that is able to handle the curves of life and one that runs smoothly and powerfully as you move through life?

Or do you want your body to end up like an old clunker? One that you spend your life worrying about whether it will start up in the morning or even make it out of the driveway?

Which are you: a Maserati? or a Jalopy?

Sure even a Jalopy can get you from A to B…assuming it isn’t broken down and in the shop, of course. But if you had the choice…wouldn’t you rather cruise around town in a Maserati?

The fact is, you do have the choice.

You can, over time, turn your Jalopy (if that’s what you’re riding around in right now) into a finely tuned, beautiful, sleek and sexy Maserati. And even if your body isn’t a Jalopy right now, there’s always room for improvement, space to trade-in and trade up if you will.

But if you’re not into Maseratis, that’s fine. Pick whatever luxury automobile gets your wheels turning. It doesn’t really matter, it’s just a metaphor. Pick something that’s part of your BIG Vision for yourself and your health…and get’s your motor running!

Appreciating from a broader perspective, what exercise can actually do for you, you will enjoy so many more benefits for your health and well-being. Exercise is more than just a means of burning calories in the hopes of shedding unwanted pounds. It is a lifestyle choice that adds years to life and life to years.

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*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.

‘Tis the Season to CELEBRATE!

‘Tis the Season to ENJOY!

‘Tis the Season to APPRECIATE!

But it can also be the Season to OVERINDULGE!

The average person puts on 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years, but this doesn’t have to be you.

In this interview I did for Boomer Nation! Radio, I go over some simple tips on ways you prevent yourself for going overboard on the foods, drinks and treats that are all-too plentiful at this time of year.

Download audio file (Boomer_Nation_12-19-10_Holiday-Party-Wellness.mp3)

This time of year, everyone is concerned about the “Cold & Flu Season”. Invariably, people start asking me about flu shots.

CONCERNED PATIENT: “What do you think about the flu shot, Dr. Jay?”

ME: “I think a lot of things about the flu shot. Are you considering getting one?

CONCERNED PATIENT: “Well, maybe. My doctor wants me to get one but I’m not sure. I got one last year and I still got sick for a week.”

ME: “Hmmm…that’s interesting. Didn’t seem to work, huh?”

CONCERNED PATIENT: “No, I guess not really…Do you get the flu shot, Dr. Jay?

ME: “Hell no.”

CONCERNED PATIENT: “Oh, uhh…err….umm…”

I have never gotten a flu shot and I never would.

The last shot I got was a tetanus booster in 9th grade. I remember it well because right after getting injected by the doctor, my mom took me to the park to play mud football with my buddies but my arm hurt so much I could hardly throw the ball. No fun that day.

The last antibiotic I took was in 1994 (which was also the last time I saw a medical doctor). Now I know better. But that’s another story.

It’s up to you what you do to your body and what you do for your family’s health, of course. But I’ll tell you why I feel so strongly about flu shots and you decide what to do for yourself.

First of all, the whole point of getting a flu shot is to not get sick, right?

But I can’t tell you how many people come into my office a few days after getting a flu shot complaining about feeling the very same cold and flu symptoms they were trying to avoid!

Secondly, it’s important to understand that the flu shot is only designed to immunize you to 4-6 strains of flu virus. Out of the literally hundreds of flu virus strains going around at any one time, the CDC chooses a few of them that they think will be the worst ones that season.

So even if you believe that the flu shot works, there are still hundreds of other strains of flu virus that can still get you.

Thirdly, take a look at the list of ingredients in a typical flu shot:

Ethylene glycol = antifreeze. I’m not a car.

Phenol (aka: carbolic acid) = disinfectant. I’m not counter top that needs to be sanitized.

Aluminum = associated with Alzheimer’s disease, seizures and causes cancer in laboratory mice. None for me thanks.

Thimerosal = a mercury disinfectant/preservative that can cause brain injury and autoimmune disease. I’ll risk my mercury exposure with more sushi, thank you very much.

Formaldehyde = preservative and a known cancer-causing agent. I’m not a corpse that needs to be embalmed…yet! But I might be one if I get this shot!

Also, vaccines are grown in the laboratory through the use of chicken embryos, monkey kidney tissue, embryonic guinea pig cells, calf serum, and even the dissected organs of aborted human fetuses.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any of that crap in my body!

How could your immune system possibly function well enough to fight off cold and flu bugs with all of those toxic pollutants floating around in your bloodstream?

Why not give your immune system what it needs to do its job and keep you healthy naturally?

Keeping your immune system healthy so that you’re bulletproof through the cold and flu season isn’t rocket science. You just need to stay rested, eat well, exercise your body and drink plenty of water. You can do that can’t you?

And if you find yourself in your doctor’s office and you’re not sure if you want to get the annual flu shot this time, ask your doctor to read you the insert that comes with the vaccine. Then have him/her tell you what the possible side effects of getting the flu shot are and what symptoms to look out for. Ask your doctor why they think it’s a good idea to inject your body with toxic chemicals and how that will help your immune system function better than it is now.

Chances are you’ll here the typical fall back explanations:

“These side effects are really rare.” Oh yeah, well what if it happens to you?

“It’s important for you to get immunized so you don’t pass it on to someone else.” Really? Well if immunizations “work”, then your unvaccinated body isn’t a threat to anyone else who has been vaccinated.

“If you don’t get the flu shot, you run the risk of getting very, very sick, possibly even dying.” Really? Death from the flu? OK, it does happen, but the only people that die from the flu are people that are already severely immune compromised AND severely neglect themselves. Proper hydration and simple health care support would eliminate such risk. Take your fear tactics somewhere else, doc!

When it comes right down to it, you have a choice. Choose wisely.

I have never gotten the flu shot and I haven’t missed more than one day of work from being sick for over 10 years.

And I’m exposed to virus and bacteria all the time because people come to me when they’re sick to get better. If the Germ Theory were true, I’d be sick all the time.

But the fact is, I’m not. I want you to come in and get adjusted when you’re feeling sick because clearing out your Nervous System allows your immune system to function properly. Then your body can fight off what you’re coming down with more effectively.

“Oh, but Dr. Jay I don’t want to get you sick.”

Nonsense. I take care of my body through diet, exercise and managing my stress so my immune system is strong. Get in here and get on the table so you can get to feeling better!

What makes you sick: a strong bug or a weak immune system?

A stressed out immune system can’t fight off the virus or bacteria that are around you ALL THE TIME. That’s why you get sick.

Eat well, drink lots of water, move your body, get lots of rest and manage your stress.

Too simplistic? Pollyanna “Be Well” thinking?

Give it a try and see what happens. I’ve used these methods for years and I’m healthy.

And that’s why I never got a flu shot when they came into vogue years ago and that’s why I will never get one.

What will you do?

You’re stressed out. You’re overwhelmed and you feel like there’s no end in sight to your hectic schedule that never seems to lighten up and your relentless “To Do” list that never seems to get any shorter.

If you feel like you’re stuck on an endless treadmill of obligations in your life, try getting on the treadmill at your gym instead.

Exercise is a fantastic stress reliever because it melts away the tension that builds up in your body when you feel overwhelmed. Your body is hard wired with the “fight or flight” response that tightens your muscles when you’re stressed. That worked for you when your main worry was not becoming the Saber Toothed Tiger’s next lunch, but today, it just leaves you sore and achy.

Hitting the weights for a 20 minute full body workout or running for a couple miles that literally “works out” that muscle tension and helps balance your system out. And with the added bonus of a little endorphin rush, you’ll feel clearer headed, more relaxed and better able to handle what’s been thrown on your plate.

So next time your life gets crazy, don’t let your exercise routine get bumped for other “more important” things in your schedule. Keeping up with your workouts will make your life (and you) much more manageable.

The reason why sleep is so important for your health is because that is when your body does 90% of its healing and repair work. Sleep studies show that getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night can severely affect your health – everything from getting sick more often to becoming irritable, anxious and depressed.

But often the times when you’re most stressed (and need more sleep to help you handle it), are the times when insomnia kicks in. Here are a few tips that might help you get the rest you need:

1) Commit to a regular bedtime – It works for kids, why not you too? Getting into bed at the same time each night will start training your brain and your body that it’s the time to switch into sleep mode.

2) Take a shower or bath – Prep your body for a relaxing sleep by taking a soothing shower or bath. Raising your body temperature calms your nervous system as well as your muscles allowing you to fall asleep easier.

3) Write it down – If your mind races out of control during the night, get those thoughts of your head and into your journal. Spending a few minutes as you lie in bed gets writing about the day you’ve completed or the day coming up prevents that stress from interfering with your much needed rest.

Give these tools some time to work. After a week of using them consistently, you should notice yourself sleeping like a baby.

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*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.

Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.