September Is the Other January — But You Don’t Need Another Diet
September — Season of Change
There’s something about September that makes us want to get back on track. Before you sign up for another challenge or overhaul everything you eat, this may be a better time to figure out what actually needs your attention.
There has always been something about September that feels like a new beginning to me.
Summer winds down, vacations are mostly over, schedules settle down and suddenly there is a little more structure to the day. January gets all the attention, but September may be the other big time of year when people decide they are finally going to take care of themselves.
And that part is good.
What I’m less interested in is what usually comes next: the diet, the detox, the 30-day challenge, the promise that this time we’re going to do everything perfectly.
I used to be a certified Whole30 coach, and there were things I liked very much about Whole30. It got people reading labels, cooking, and paying attention to how different foods affected their energy, digestion, sleep and cravings.
That part still makes sense to me.
What I have less patience for now is the idea that getting healthier always has to begin with a rigid program.
Before You Change Anything, Pay Attention
If you have that September feeling that it’s time to get yourself back on track, start with a simple inventory.
How do you feel when you wake up? How is your energy in the afternoon? Are you sleeping well? How is your digestion? Are you moving enough? Are you as strong as you were a year ago?
Look at what you’re eating most days, not what you eat on your best day. Look at alcohol, hydration and whether you’re living on coffee until noon and crashing later.
And look beyond food.
Sometimes the thing wearing us down isn’t in the refrigerator.
Stress, grief, financial strain, caregiving, loneliness or living in a difficult relationship can affect health just as surely as what we eat. There is no point pretending food is the whole story when it isn’t.
Get Information Instead of Guessing
One of the things functional medicine did well was encourage people to become more curious about what was happening in their bodies.
Sometimes the right information helps.
If you’re exhausted all the time, haven’t had basic health markers checked in years, or simply don’t know where you stand, this may be a good time to take care of things you’ve been putting off.
I’ve put information about Lab Testing on TotalWellCoach for people who want to understand the options available to them. Testing shouldn’t become a hobby, but useful data can help you make better decisions.
Take Another Look at Your Supplements
September is also a good time to open the supplement cabinet and ask why you’re taking what you’re taking.
Most people accumulate supplements. Something was recommended for sleep, something else for energy, magnesium appeared after a podcast, and before long there are ten bottles on the counter.
Go through them one at a time. What are you taking? Why? What dose? Are you still taking it because you need it, or because the bottle is there?
This is one reason I’ve been adding more supplement information to TotalWellCoach. There is a difference between using supplements thoughtfully and simply taking more supplements.
For people looking for professional products, I also maintain Professional Supplement Stores but I would much rather see someone take a few things for a good reason than a cabinet full because somebody online told them to.
I Wouldn’t Make Weight the Goal
I wouldn’t make the scale the center of a September reset.
Weight can matter. So can waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and body composition. But health is bigger than any one number.
I’d rather ask:
What do you want your body to be able to do?
Can you climb stairs easily? Carry groceries? Get up from the floor? Walk around Boston for an afternoon? Travel comfortably? Play with your grandchildren? Maintain the muscle and balance that help you stay independent?
I’ve been thinking more and more about capable years rather than simply longevity.
Living longer matters. So does preserving enough strength, health and independence to enjoy the years we have.
That is a much more interesting goal than losing ten pounds by Halloween.
Health Isn’t Just Something You Do With Your Body
I studied biopsychology long before I became a nurse, and I have spent much of my adult life thinking about the relationship between what happens in our minds, what happens in our lives and what happens in our bodies.
The older I get, the harder it is for me to understand why we ever separated them.
You can eat beautifully and still be miserable. You can exercise every day and never sleep well. You can take every supplement in the cabinet and still live in an environment that is draining you.
Sometimes taking better care of yourself means changing what you eat. Sometimes it means having a conversation you’ve been avoiding, setting a boundary or making room for something that brings you joy again.
That’s why the Health & Wellness Library covers more than nutrition, and why I’ve also added Books I Recommend Some of the most useful things I’ve learned about health never came from a medical textbook.
Don’t Turn September Into Another Job
This is where people tend to lose me.
They decide everything is going to change at once. Suddenly they’re meal prepping, exercising six days a week, drinking a gallon of water, meditating, tracking sleep and trying to become a completely different person by next Tuesday.
No wonder it doesn’t last.
Pick a couple of things that actually matter.
Maybe you start walking again. Maybe you work on sleep. Maybe you make the appointment you’ve been putting off. Maybe you clean out the supplement cabinet. Maybe you change some of the food you’re buying.
And if the biggest thing affecting your health isn’t food at all, don’t pretend it is.
September Is a Good Time to Begin Again
I still like the idea of a reset.
I just don’t think resetting yourself means declaring everything you’ve been doing wrong.
Sometimes it simply means noticing where you’ve drifted and deciding to return to a few things that make you feel better.
September gives us a natural little marker in the year to do that.
Use it to get curious about your health again. Figure out what is working, what isn’t, what you know and where a little more information might help.
Then choose a few things worth changing.
That’s enough for a fresh start.
Explore TotalWellCoach
If you’re looking for more individualized help sorting through what deserves your attention, you can also learn more about Coaching.