By Dan Reich

The end of a calendar year graces us with two contradictory activities…holiday celebrations and New Year’s resolutions. The celebrations encourage us to put restraint aside, at least until New Year’s Day. Then we pledge, sometimes successfully, to establish new habits (new gym memberships spike in January) or to rein in whatever bad habits we might have allowed ourselves to slip into. Following are some common-sense tips that will enhance your health, as well as ways to enjoy cannabis as part of a healthier life in 2024.

Clean up your diet.

Food in this country as provided by mega-food processors is loaded with things that are harmful and light on things that nourish the body. Sugar and salt, especially in the amounts that a fast food hamburger contains, can lead to diabetes, hypertension, and a host of other health issues. Carbohydrates, often in the form of starchy or doughy food such as potatoes and pizza, contribute calories to our bodies and little else of value. Not to mention the scourge of sugary soft drinks or unpronounceable chemicals added as preservatives or flavor-extenders.

The best single strategy to combat this is to bypass the processing as much as you can. Usually, that means buying fresh ingredients and cooking it yourself. But if your market has a hot food section, from an actual kitchen, you can avoid a lot of processing. If you’re in a hurry for lunch, substitute a prepackaged salad for that sandwich. The most commonly consumed (and advertised) foods tend to favor meat, cheese and carbohydrates at the expense of vegetables. So steam yourself some veggies to go with that chicken breast or salmon.

Like to relax after dinner? Instead of another glass of wine, why not serve an elegantly simple dessert of French Vanilla ice cream topped by one of our cookie edibles in either chocolate (indica) or ginger (sativa). With 10 grams of THC per cookie, you’ll unwind in a whole new way.

Get More Exercise

It matters less what you do to exercise than the fact that you do it. Weights, pilates, cycling, walking…whatever floats your boat (or kayak) will help your body burn more calories, develop muscle strength and balance, and contribute to your overall good health. The key to a sustainable exercise program is to choose something that speaks to you. If you’re not motivated to engage in a particular activity, you’re not going to keep doing it. Perhaps you’re the competitive type...Pickleball might be just right for you. Like solitude? Take up hiking. Every form of exercise has its version of “runner’s high.”

And while you’re exercising, keep in mind that many studies have found that participants in some activities, such as running or cycling, experience more enjoyment when they combine it with cannabis. Whether you prefer flower, edibles, tinctures or vaping, bringing cannabis along will help insure that you enjoy the activity enough to make it a regular habit.

Touch Grass

The texture of modern life…screens, world conflict, technology, AI…can often be overwhelming. Experiencing nature on a regular basis can help mitigate the wear and tear that modern life imposes on us. Something as simple as watching the waves crashing on a beach or listening to the call of a bird in your backyard can connect us to something more primal and rewarding than checking your smartphone again.

You may find that nature is the gift that keeps on giving, and you return again and again. And as with exercise, you may discover that the experience is enhanced with cannabis.

Add More Music to Your Life

Music has amazing healing properties, and it’s never a bad idea to have a soundtrack to your life. You may have a music library on your phone that you can access from your living room or car. The right music can energize a workout, comfort you when you’re down, or soothe you when you’re anxious. It’s pretty hard to engage in road rage if you’re listening to Debussy or the Spa channel on satellite radio.

And again, there has been a lot of research that suggests that enjoying cannabis while listening to music enables the listener to notice different things about whatever they are listening to. Maybe they notice that percussion instrument in the background for the first time or how the guitarist adds vibrato to some of their notes. If you’ve never experienced this phenomenon I suggest you curl up with your favorite cannabis product and listen to one of your favorite recordings. I promise you will hear something in it that you never noticed before.

As you make your way through the journey that is life, may it lead you to greater health and happiness.

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