BETTER HEALTH PRACTICES NEWSLETTER #5
REFLECTIONS AS WE START A NEW YEAR
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Better Health Practices Newsletter. The clinic will be back to our usual hours from Monday January 5.
The New Year is a good time to reflect on your values, and whether your actions over the past year have aligned with what’s important to you. If you’ve never really thought about your values I would encourage you to have a look at a Values List such as the one included below. Then, if you have made any resolutions for the New Year (or even if you haven’t) maybe see if these goals resonate with what is important to you.
Once you are clear on your values, the next step you can take is to write your own Purpose Statement. This can take awhile - I sat with mine for weeks before I worked out a statement that reflected how I want to show up in the world.
“To have a positive impact on people, my environment, and the world at large. “
I try to use this statement as a guide post for my actions day to day. It has been behind the creation of this newsletter and the Wellness Workshops I run out of the clinic. Aligning your actions with your values is a powerful tool for a meaningful life.
Merlene’s January Health Hack
Know that you need to do more resistance training but don’t like the thought of weights? I was lucky enough to be gifted a weighted vest for Christmas and it is now officially my best friend! I wear it as I do my housework, and have started to go for short walks with it on. Weighted vests help build muscle mass, make you burn more calories, increase your core and leg strength, improve your cardio-vascular fitness, and help prevent bone loss. Exercising with a weighted vest is low-impact, but gets your heart rate up almost as if you’re running, and is a good way to get some gym-free weight training!
Start with no more than 10% of your body weight: Most vests have removable weights so you can adjust the load you are carrying.
Weights in a backpack work too!: Don’t want to invest in a specific vest? Fill some water bottles up, or grab some hand weights, and pop them in a backpack. Whilst the weight won’t be as evenly distributed you’ll still get the benefits. When you use a backpack it’s termed ‘rucking’.
Work towards carrying 1/4 - 1/3 of your body weight : You will need to build to this amount. It’s amazing how much harder it is to walk, particularly uphill, whilst carrying a load.
VALUES EXERCISE
Highlight any value that is important to you. Then try to narrow it down to 5-10 values. After that, pick your top 3-5 values that you believe are your core values. These values can change, or evolve over time. It’s a great exercise to do every year or two.
Next, write your own Purpose Statement based on your core values.
Here are some examples:
# Equip other people with skills and resources to improve their lives.
# Encourage and inspire action to protect the environment.
# Be a voice for the voiceless.
Healthy Recipe
Selena’s Super Salad
A friend (Selena!) gave me this recipe some years ago. It’s choc full of nutrients and lasts a couple of days. I actually make it the night before I am going to serve it to let the veggies soften slightly in the dressing.
Dressing: ½ cup mayo, ¼ cup oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup honey. Pop it all into a jar and shake it up.
Salad:
½ cauliflower - chopped into florets
½ broccoli - chopped into florets
¼ red onion, chopped
½ cup cranberries
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup nuts (mixed)
Mix up all the salad ingredients, and then mix the dressing in. Leave for a few hours / overnight.
That’s all for this newsletter. We look forward to helping you smash your health goals in 2026.