Why New Year’s Resolutions Never Stick

Resolutions come in all shapes and sizes and comes down to goal setting. Is New Year’s Day the perfect time to make a goal? YES! From a health and wellness perspective, these resolutions often pertain to weight loss, exercising more, living a healthier lifestyle and improved well-being. These are all terrific goals to pursue, so why is it so hard to stick to New Year’s resolutions?

1. They want a quick fix(the number one reason weight loss resolutions fail).
2. Toxicity(toxic chemicals, environment, jobs, relationships, thoughts).
3. Hormone imbalance(due to age, illness, toxins, leaky gut, etc.).
4. Leaky gut(due to age, stress, infection, certain foods and toxins).
5. Sleep deprivation(due to stress, weight gain, toxicity, hormone balance, leaky gut, etc.).

As you see, many of the culprits that cause these issues play a role in multiple health problems. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to overcome every challenge on this list and help you achieve your goal!

1). Skip the quick fix

Many people fail to reach their weight loss goals because they had unrealistic expectations like, “I want to lose 10 pounds in two weeks.” this is the most common mistake. Unfortunately, this quick fix mindset usually backfires. Why? Most people GAIN weight gradually, over time, and people who LOSE weight gradually are more likely to keep it off.

As Aesop said in his old fable The Tortoise and the Hare, SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. To capitalize on the slow and steady strategy:

• Identify the root cause of your weight gain first.It may be years of overeating and not exercising enough OR an underlying health problem could be to blame. Your practitioner can help you find out.
• Commit to changing your lifestyle.Losing weight and improving health has to be something you decide to do for the long-term. Start adopting new, healthy habits, and they’ll become second nature before you know it.
• Set realistic goals.Losing two pounds per week is a realistic, healthy weight loss goal. Anything more will likely creep back on. If you want to exercise more, the S. Dept. of Health & Human Services physical activities guidelines are a great place to start. For adults, that’s 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week. Ask your healthcare practitioner for guidance.

2). Tackle toxicity

If you’re feeling more sluggish than usual, unhealthy levels of toxins in your body may be to blame. Toxicity goes beyond the ridiculous amount of toxic chemicals that are released into the environment daily. A diet lacking in nutrients and loaded with fatty, sugar-laden, processed foods can also play a role.

Toxic emotions caused by toxic jobs, relationships and thoughts are also problematic because they elevate stress, which can elevate cortisol levels in the body (belly fat’s BFF). This build-up of physical and emotional toxins may deter weight loss because it slows the metabolism, resulting in physical and mental fatigue. To conquer toxicity:

• Undergo a simple detox.A great first step is to eliminate sugar and processed foods from your diet. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel by making these two changes.
• Purge toxins from your pantry and life.Toss out (or donate) sugary, processed foods from your cupboards and fridge. Have a toxic job, relationships or thoughts? Take steps to put those toxic emotions behind you. A counselor or therapist can show you how.
• Replace toxic cleaning and beauty products with healthier alternatives.Make a concerted effort to switch to natural cleaning products (white vinegar works wonders!) and clean beauty brands over time.
• Undergo a health practitioner-directed detoxification program. At EVEXIAS, we offer the science-based Clear Change Detoxification Program. Clear Change enhances the body’s natural metabolic detoxification processes and provides fuel the body needs for cleansing and other daily activities.

3). Optimize hormones

Hormone imbalance has been shown cause a multitude of health problems, including loss of energy, depression, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, weight gain and belly fat. Imbalanced hormones have also been tied to cancer, osteoporosis, thyroid malfunction, cardiovascular disease and more.

Hormones (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, cortisol, etc.) get out of whack for a variety of reasons, including:

1. Hormones function less efficiently as we age.
2. A build-up of toxins can weaken hormone receptors.
3. Many people are unable to metabolize hormones properly.
4. Leaky gut (see below) and more.

Depending on the root cause of hormone imbalance, your practitioner may recommend: 

• A detoxification program to remove toxins and support gut health.
• Bio-identical hormone replacement pellet therapy to support hormone optimization.
• Nutritional supplements, probiotics and prebiotics to support hormone balance and metabolism, as well as gut health.

Ask us how EVEXIAS’ proprietary HRT-Complete T and HRT-Complete E supplements can support your hormone optimization program.

4). Prioritize gut health 

The gut does more than digest food. It also supports hormone balance, nutrient absorption, muscle development and fat loss. Gut health can suffer due to certain foods (HELLO gluten), infections, toxins, stress and age.

Leaky gut is a condition where tight junctions in the intestinal lining break apart and release toxins, microbes, undigested food particles and more into the bloodstream. The immune system views these “foreign invaders” as pathogens and attacks them, leading to many health problems, such as:

• Digestive problems (gas, bloating, diarrhea, irritable bowl syndrome).
• Hormone imbalance and related conditions (PMS, PCOS, etc.).
• Autoimmune diseases.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Mood and mental wellness issues.
• Skin problems.
• Candida overgrowth.
• Food allergies and intolerances.

As with other health conditions, it’s essential to find out the root cause of leaky gut in order to treat it properly. At EVEXIAS, our specialized gut health therapies may include:

• Detoxification programs like Clear Change.
• Hormone optimization.
• Nutritional supplements and IVs, probiotics and prebiotics.
• Dietary guidance and more.

5). Get plenty of rest

Easier said than done, right? Many people suffer from sleep deprivation and for a variety of reasons. Weight gain, toxicity, hormone imbalance, leaky gut and stress can all lead to insomnia. The funny thing is that sleep deprivation can turn around and cause these same health issues. If you want to tackle your sleep issues head on, consider the following tips:

• Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day and shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep nightly.
• Keep screens out of the bedroom, including phones, tablets, PCs and TVs.
• If sleep issues continue, schedule an appointment with your practitioner to find out WHY you’re unable to sleep. With the root cause in hand, she can prescribe a treatment plan to address any underlying health problems.