Optimize Your Health by Knowing your Body’s Signals

Your body is a marvelous creation, and can do amazing things! It speaks to you when it’s doing great, but it also lets you know when things aren’t so wonderful. But that’s the beauty of it – your body gives a ton of signals to let you know when it’s in need. Continue reading to learn more about how you can recognize and tune in to your body’s signals to optimize your health. 

1. Assess How You Feel Each Morning

The early morning hours are usually ideal for you to listen for your body’s signals. At that time of day, it’s usually very quiet, so you can pay closer attention to your body’s physical signals. Each morning, determine whether you feel different from the morning before. Do you feel any new aches or pains when you get out of bed? Are you feeling fatigued or tired, even after a sound night’s sleep? Did you wake up with any ailments that you didn’t go to sleep with? 

Asking yourself these questions, and determining the answers, will help you to begin to understand your body’s needs and become more in tune with your body’s signals. If you are feeling unwell, remember what activities may have made you feel this way, and vice versa!

2. Compare the Effects of Different Food Choices

As you go through your day, it’s sometimes tough to maintain proper nutrition. Especially if you’re always on the go, you may end up making some poor food choices. However, it’s important to see what kind of impact your food choices have on your body. Do you find that you’re more energetic when you have the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables? How effective are you in the gym after you’ve spent a day eating junk food? Does your mind function better at work when you eat vitamin-rich foods? 

Compare how your body reacts to differing eating habits, and evaluate how different choices make you feel. You can begin to eliminate the food items that make you feel unwell or uncomfortable, improving your overall health. 

3. Know Your Body’s Physical Capabilities

Although you may consider yourself healthy and in good shape overall, there’s only so much the body can manage. Whether it’s exercise or mental work at the office, it’s important to know your limits so you don’t end up burned out and physically exhausted. 

It’s okay to work out until your muscles feel worn, but you’ll know if you’ve overdone it if the recovery time is longer than you expect. The same goes for mental exhaustion. You’ll feel like you’re coping through the long, stressful hours at work until you realize you’re motionless in bed when you should be up getting ready for work! Being aware of your body’s limits—both mental and physical—will help you from overexerting yourself and causing negative impacts to your health. 

4. Get Regular Checkups

Even if you haven’t seen or felt anything to worry about, it’s important to get regular checkups with your healthcare provider. It’s sometimes possible for you to have an illness that you are unable to recognize! If you’re about to embark upon a stressful month at work, or have a lot going on in  your life, now would be a great time to get a checkup. 

To ensure you are monitoring your health properly, put a routine in place for doing checkups and stick to it. If you see a doctor, perhaps add visits to a naturopath, chiropractor, or other alternative medicine practitioner to your routine…they may even have additional tips for living a healthy life!

Paying attention to your body’s signals is a crucial part of maintaining good health. Remember that you rely heavily on your body to take you through the ins and outs of daily life, so you’re better off protecting it! Listen to your body’s signals and act accordingly. If you are in need of advice on how to optimize your health, Dr Cecilia Ho’s naturopathic programs can assist you in living a healthier lifestyle. Contact Dr Cecilia Ho at the AIM Clinic at 905-492-8688 to make an appointment today.