Spring Cleaning for Your Health with Dallas Concierge Internal Medicine Practice CC:MD

Spring cleaning is something people both look forward to and dread. We say no to other things we’d rather be doing to stay home and clean out drawers, closets, cupboards, and garages. It takes planning, hard work, and usually some help, but there’s a reason we do it year after year: The result is invaluable. Taking time to prioritize, simplify, and organize the things that impact our health — diet, exercise, stress management, and healthcare — is just as important. But it doesn’t just happen. Here is a checklist from the doctors of Dallas’ CC:MD to help you get started.

Nutrition

One’s nutrition often gets overcomplicated and begs to be simplified. It’s impossible to avoid talk of diet trends, microbiome, gut health, plant-based, and intermittent fasting, but the answer to the often-asked question “What is the best diet?” doesn’t need to be complicated. While it’s true that no single formula fits everyone, there are certain things everyone needs: hydration (water, water, and more water), protein (plant-based is best including beans, lentils, peas, nuts, and seeds), and fiber (again, plant-based proteins along with whole grains and fruit — especially berries! Avoid processed food, sugar, and alcohol as much as possible. A few visits with a good dietitian can help you make smart changes.

Exercise

Aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week and a minimum of two days of strength training per week. The most important thing about incorporating exercise into your life is to pick something you like so you will continue to do it regularly. If you loved dance class as a child, sign up for ballet lessons. If you like playing basketball, find a league. And, if you’re someone who doesn’t love to exercise, combine it with something you do enjoy, such as listening to your favorite podcast or spending time with friends. If you don’t know where to start or need accountability, we recommend hiring a personal trainer to help with both.

Stress

Stress in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. But when the amount of stress in our lives is out of proportion to what our coping skills can manage, it can damage our health. Not only can it interfere with sleep and the ability to make good choices about diet and exercise, but on a physiologic level, it weakens our immune system and contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive problems, headaches, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. Our best spring-cleaning advice to minimize the negative impact of stress: Be thoughtful about what you choose to take on and never stop working on your coping skills. The most efficient and effective way to do both is with the help of a good counselor.

Healthcare

As medical science becomes more advanced and the healthcare system more difficult to navigate, having a primary care doctor who helps you prioritize your health issues and organize your healthcare will simplify things. If you currently have a physician who does this for you, consider making an appointment to discuss how you can optimize your diet, exercise, and stress management. If you don’t, we recommend you add finding one to your to-do list. It’s vital to have direct access to an expert healthcare adviser and team who know you well, care about you as an individual, and have the time to help.

To learn more about CC:MD and its services, visit its website.