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7 Easy Ways to Jump Start a Healthier 2026

By Dr. Jonathan Spages

If you are stepping into 2026 thinking, “I really need to feel better this year,” I want you to know you are not alone. Most people do not need a perfect plan. You need the right starting point and enough momentum to keep going.

This is how I approach health with my patients and in my own life. I focus on the systems that control energy, blood sugar, hormones, detoxification, sleep, and stress response. When those systems are supported, your body starts working with you again.

1. Use a Gentle Cleanse to Support Detox and Metabolism

If you have been feeling sluggish, inflamed, puffy, or mentally foggy, your detox pathways may be overwhelmed. Your body is designed to detox every day through the liver, gut, kidneys, skin, and lymphatic system, but modern stress and processed foods can slow that process down.

Instead of harsh fasting or extreme cleanses, I prefer a gentle reset using whole foods and targeted nutrients that support cellular detox. Glutathione supports liver detox pathways. Vitamin C supports immunity and protects against oxidative stress. NAD supports cellular repair and energy production.

When we support these pathways properly, many people notice clearer thinking, improved energy, reduced inflammation, and better blood sugar stability.

2. Get Ten Minutes of Morning Sunlight to Reset Your Rhythm

Let me ask you something. Do you feel tired in the morning, then wired at night, and your sleep feels light or broken? That is often a circadian rhythm issue.

Your brain uses light as a signal to regulate cortisol, sleep hormones, and insulin sensitivity. When you step outside for about ten minutes of morning sunlight, you tell your brain it is time to be awake and alert. That helps you feel more energized during the day and sleep deeper at night.

If you do only one thing from this list, I want you to try this first.

3. Use Sauna Sessions to Support Recovery and Stress Resilience

If you are constantly stressed, tense, or not recovering well, heat therapy can be a powerful tool. Sauna use improves circulation, supports detoxification through sweating, reduces inflammation, and helps regulate the nervous system.

You do not need to overdo it. Ten to twenty minutes a few times per week is enough for many people to notice benefits like better sleep, calmer mood, and improved recovery.

4. Stabilize Blood Sugar to Protect Your Energy and Mood

This is a big one, especially if you struggle with cravings, fatigue, anxiety, or brain fog. Blood sugar spikes followed by crashes can hijack your day and make it feel like your body is working against you.

Here is what I want you to practice. Eat protein first at meals. Add healthy fats. Stay hydrated. Save sweets for after a balanced meal, not on an empty stomach. These small choices help flatten the spike and prevent the crash.

When blood sugar stays steady, mood is steadier too.

5. Set Monthly Goals So You Can Actually Stay Consistent

If you have ever set a big New Year’s resolution and quit a few weeks later, you are not the problem. The goal was too big and too vague.

Instead, I want you to pick one focus each month. One month might be daily morning sunlight. Another month might be reducing sugar. Another month might be walking consistently. These smaller goals allow your nervous system to adapt and help you build habits that stick.

Small wins build confidence, and confidence builds consistency.

6. Invest in Health Before Symptoms Become a Bigger Problem

I want you to think about this mindset shift. You can invest in prevention now, or you can pay for problems later.

Quality food, proper supplements, restorative sleep, hydration, movement, and the right testing are not luxuries. They are the foundation of long term health. When you prioritize the foundation, energy improves, metabolism becomes more efficient, and your body becomes more resilient.

7. Hydrate and Reduce What Overstimulates Your Nervous System

If you feel tired but restless, overwhelmed, or stuck in cravings, your nervous system may be running on empty.

Start with water. Hydration supports digestion, detoxification, circulation, and cellular function. Then take an honest look at alcohol and caffeine. Too much of either can disrupt sleep, increase stress hormones, and destabilize blood sugar. Reducing them often leads to better sleep and calmer energy.

This is not restriction. It is removing what drains you so your body can recover.

Conclusion

Pick one habit from this post and start today. When you stay consistent, your body begins to respond in ways that feel surprisingly empowering.

If you want guidance on how to apply this to your specific situation, I would love to connect with you through a consultation. We can look at what is most likely driving your symptoms, identify the biggest leverage points, and outline a simple next step that feels doable.

If that sounds helpful, you can grab a time now here.