I’ve been back in Australia for almost 4 weeks now after a short holiday in India and it’s been great to see how many of my friends and family who are making a concerted effort to improve their health. For some it’s weight loss, for others it’s improving sleep, whilst for many it’s the constant search for finding greater balance in their lives. Here’s a few tips for some of your goals.

WEIGHT LOSS

• It’s all about cleaning up the diet folks! Cut out the soft drinks and grog and replace it with water. Reduce the bread, rice and pasta and increase vegetables, fruits and protein. And start practicing mindfulness of how much you are eating and true sensations of hunger. Apart from that, get moving. Walking, jogging, swimming, yoga, body weight exercises, gym, rock climbing, hiking, just anything to get the body moving again. And remember to have patience. It takes time to put on the pounds. It takes longer to get them off!

SLEEP

• Good sleep is all about good routines and mind management. Poor habits set the scene for poor sleep. Eat late, eat heavy, consume too much alcohol and wash it down with an expresso and chances are you’ll be up in the middle of the night. Worried about life, money, family, children and you will find it difficult falling asleep. Mental tension leads to poor sleep. Set up good routines with regularity in all aspects of life with a happy frame of mind and your sleep should happen naturally and effortlessly. Meditation is a great remedy for a tense mind.

BALANCE

• Life is a balancing act. You need to give enough attention to everything that is important and of value in your life. What you pay attention to grows. What you neglect withers. This rule applies to the body, the mind, the spirit, your home, your work, your relationships, your finances, everything. Problems occur when one aspect takes over and other aspects are neglected. Too much work and not enough time with family. Too much spending and not enough savings. Too much indulgence and not enough discipline. These are things that an adult mind has to work out. Learn these lessons early and set up a life of balance. Otherwise life ends up being a random occurrence which you leave in “the lap of the gods”.

I hope that 2017 is a great year for you!

In Health and Wellness

Ranjit