Are You Thinking About Your New Year’s Healthy Resolutions Yet?
New Year’s has always been a time to reflect on the previous year and plan for the future. Resolutions come to mind as a priority to start the year fresh with good intentions. For some, this means setting New Year’s Healthy Resolutions. It is important to make resolutions that not only improve your health, but are goals that are actually obtainable.
Eat Healthier
Every single year, the most popular New Year’s Healthy Resolution is to eat healthier. Unfortunately, more than two-thirds of Americans are considered overweight. Diet is one of the most important parts of being healthy and losing weight. But, diet is one of the most common broken Healthy Resolutions. Why? People break this goal because they think too big. Don’t cut out all of the fun foods, try limiting them. If you enjoy eating ice cream everyday, try eating ice cream every other day. Next, consider switching some of the items that you eat to whole foods. This means try adding vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grain, and even fish to your diet. Did you know that a whole-foods based diet may actually reduce heart disease risk factors, body weight, and blood sugar levels?
Sit Less And Move More
Exercising more is probably the second, if not the first, most popular New Year’s Healthy Resolution goal. It also starts in January and ends quickly after the gym membership is signed. Many people start out the year at a sprint when it comes to working out. Don’t do this, because you may get burnt out before seeing any results. Start slow by simply moving more and sitting less. If you have a job that requires a lot of sitting at a desk, consider taking a 15 minute walk at lunch. If you are binge watching a show on the weekend, between each episode, take a 15 minute walk. Before you know it, you may have actually walked for an hour between 4 episodes.
Quit Smoking
If you smoke, quitting smoking should be on the very top of your New Year’s Healthy Resolution List. Many people say that they have been smoking for 20 years and it’s just too late to quit. IT IS NEVER TO LATE TO QUIT SMOKING and the CDC agrees. There are lots of tools to help you quick, from over the counter nicotine replacement therapy products to even help from your doctor. Now, it is important to know that the average smoker tries to quite about four times before succeeding. Don’t give up. Try, Try, Again, and Again.
Drink Less
Alcohol is not easy to quit, especially if you are addicted. But, reducing the alcohol quantity is a great goal for the New Year. It is important to take the reduction in stages. Create a plan for your drinking reduction over the course of the entire year. Also, you can even find support groups to help. Also, alcohol has a lot of calories. So, if you are also working on your diet, you can actually hit two of your resolutions at the same time.
Get More Sleep
Sleep is an essential part of your overall health, and many of us neglect it. Sleep deprivation can lead to all sorts of health problems like weight gain, heart disease and even depression. If you are not getting enough sleep, try to figure out why. Is your lifestyle or work schedule to strenuous? Consider reading a book instead of looking at a screen at bed time. Cut back on caffeine during the day. And, try your best to actually get into your bed at a reasonable time. Now, if you are not getting good sleep, you may need to take a look at your mattress. Many people suffer from back problems because of a bad mattress. If you have a good mattress and still have chronic back pain, consider seeking the help of a chiropractor or a pain management specialist.
Visit Your Doctor
Your health is the most important thing that you need to add to your New Year’s Healthy Resolution List. Getting examined regularly by your healthcare practitioner is important for so many reasons. Having your bloodwork done can help spot potential problems before they evolve to something more serious. If you have had chronic pain, don’t ignore it any longer. Go see a doctor that can get to the bottom of it. Also, don’t forget to take care of your teeth. Gum disease can be associated with heart disease and even Alzheimer’s, so take care of your them too.
What’s The Bottom Line To All Of These Tips?
Commitment is the bottom line. When you create your New Year’s Healthy Resolutions, make sure that you can actually reach your goals. The end result is not only to reach your goal but to sustain all of the positive changes. This New Year’s, try out a few of the resolutions on this list so that you can be the healthiest that you can be in 2021.