2020 taught us that our #1 treasure is our health. Our sick-care system treats conditions once they’ve already caused dis-ease. Diabetes is a difficult and expensive disease on its own, but having it raises CVD or cardiovascular disease 21%. Even with good control of blood sugar, diabetes ravages the body. Prevention is so hard because we’re taught that pills can bail us out from bad behaviors – but it doesn’t work. Prevention is the only way forward and it comes packaged with discipline, self-love, and repeating a series of healthy behaviors.

Since our mental & emotional health is what truly guides our physical health, I wrote down my top 21 tips for a daily practice of body-mind-spirit wholeness in 2021:

1. Journal – bring order to thoughts, feelings, and record your growth on paper.
2. Prayer & meditation – be still, give thanks to God, and learn to quiet the mind.
3. Rest & renewal – take downtime daily to rest, reflect, ground, and nourish yourself.
4. Awareness – tune into YOU – becoming conscious every moment will empower you.
5. Intention – focused belief paired with favorable emotions brings success.
6. Passions – commit to doing what brings you joy, energy, and lights you up.
7. Intuition – trust in yourself and follow the inner guidance from your heart & gut.
8. Authenticity – you are unique and deserve to be and express your true SELF.
9. Self-care – put yourself first and you’ll find the time and energy to help others.
10. Rewards – pamper yourself with healthy goodness, massage, rest, reading, dancing.
11. Expand – life is not ‘this or that’ – be open to new experiences that may be better.
12. Patience – change takes time, treat yourself with loving kindness and compassion.
13. Segment – overwhelming projects broken up into smaller goals will add momentum.
14. Pivot – plan B requires flexibility; options are abundant so see many pathways to joy.
15. Reframe – failure always leaves lessons, embrace the good and meet what’s next.
16. Connect – reach out, ask for help, open to new people, and inspire belonging.
17. Communicate – speak up, set boundaries, but listen with love to other perspectives.
18. Grieve – be tender to lost lives, dreams, plans, and roles, yet transcend into healing.
19. Dream – work on being creative, watch inspirational movies, imagine your best life.
20. Positivity – happiness is a choice you control with your thoughts; joy is abundant.
21. Lifelong commitment – health can be achieved, but it is never finished.

This New Year, don’t just pledge to exercise and do a cleanse. Don’t bounce back from COVID the same person – we are forever changed, and we must do better than our sick-care system. Blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose are all controllable factors, and you are in the driver’s seat. Preventing illness is your destiny and cannabinoid medicine & stronger self-care can help you be your best Self in 2021.

• Body is strengthened with movement, nutrient-dense foods, rest, and immune ease. CBD & THC may reduce pain so you can move, boost your appetite for good food, improve your sleep, and get your immune system healthier to ward off threats.
• Mind is strengthened with focused positive thoughts, resilience, and loving what is. CBD may reduce anxiety, halt incessant worry, focus your mind and boost energy. Use cannabinoids purposely to open new neural pathways and expand creativity.
• Spirit is strengthened by gratitude, faith, love, forgiveness, joy, and pursuing peace. CBD & THC may open your heart and your mind to new possibilities for life & love. Cannabinoids can lessen some of the 2020 PTSD grief so you are ready for 2021.

Stay tuned to the Holistic Caring newsletter for upcoming events and workshops in 2021. We’ve partnered with Green Relief CBD, producer of symptom targeted formulations to heal with clean consistent medicine, and together we are planning webinars and local offerings to provide the education and guidance that patients and practitioners need to practice stronger self-care with cannabinoids & lifestyle medicine. If you’re ready for a personalized plan, connect with us 1:1 through our daily telemedicine consultations.

Speaking of condition-focused care, the Patient Modules are launched! Listen to an in-depth video presentation on each condition, download the booklet and resources, and study and apply the Patient Teaching & Tracking Guide. Learn how to use CBD/Cannabis medicine for conditions like chronic pain, cancer, and even Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. We cover the illness, where conventional medicine leaves off, and explain the research on how cannabinoids can help treat this illness. Gain detailed knowledge to better shop, dose, track, pivot, adjust and succeed. Patient Modules are fast, easy, directive, and exactly what someone needs to learn to be effective with cannabinoids – so please share this news with all who can benefit.

It may feel like we’re on our own, but taking self-responsibility is the first step to health – and if the body is a temple we truly must treat it as such. Cannabinoids are facilitators to natural medicine and the resolutions you spoke New Year’s Day are easier. Try some floor yoga after dinner with your 1:1 vape and it won’t hurt so much, same with your tincture. And smile.

They say that recent planetary alignments will usher in a new Age of Aquarius in 2021. Let’s pray that is true and may this be a watershed year of marvelous growth and redemption.

May you and your loved ones find peace, love, faith, wisdom, and body-mind-spirit health.

In health,

Elisabeth Mack, RN, BSN, MBA & the Holistic Caring Family!

This month’s health tips were inspired by Dr. Wayne Jonas’s Guide for Caregivers.