By Dr. Michelle Irwin

Happy New Year everyone! I want to take this time to really thank all of you for being part of our lives. The choices we make each day are what make up our health and this is the time of year that we are setting up how our lives will be. Many make resolutions, but I prefer to set goals. Goals are more attainable and they are a process not something that if we don't get on it and stick with it, we can feel down. Goals are something to always be working toward. When it comes to being healthy and reaching our body's goals, we can get back to basics.

There are 3 simple rules that we all learned as children:

1. Wash your hands multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds, sing your alphabet 1-3 times while washing and you get a gold star!
2. Take your vitamins and eat right from Vitamin A to Zinc.
3. Take care of your body. It's the only one we get.

I will dive a little deeper into 2 and 3 because hopefully we will all wash our hands the way we should. 

Vitamins and minerals are building blocks for our health, cells, and systems (all systems from our immune system to our skin). They are used in all processes of our body and without them we go down the path to disease.

Here are the top 4 vitamins and a mineral for your health:

• Vitamin A - most important for normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction. It also helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs function properly.
• Vitamin B - the different forms help maintain cell health, keep you energized, and plays important roles in cell metabolism.
• Vitamin C - acts as an antioxidant which helps protect cells from the damage of free radicals that are formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy. It is necessary for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues.
• Vitamin D - is important for strong bones, muscles need it to move, nerves need it to carry messages to and from the brain and body, the immune system needs it to fight off invading bacteria and viruses and is found in cells throughout the body. Works best when combined with K2.
• Zinc - vital for a healthy immune system, correctly synthesizing DNA, promoting healthy growth during childhood, and healing wounds. Deficiency in Zinc can leave a person open to a variety of pathogens and diseases.

Taking care of your body is essential to your health.

• Active lifestyle to maintain full body movement.
• Breathing exercises to take time daily to focus on our breath and clear our minds.
• Chiropractic care to free the nerve interference caused by physical, chemical, and emotional stressors.
• Diet to help you get the proper nutrition to fuel your day.

This year let's set goals to reach for the year. Small steps along the path to becoming our best self.